6 Bomber Group May 27/28, 1943
23 Halifaxes from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 33 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Essen. The crews were over the target at between 14,000 and 19,000 feet, releasing 97,000 lbs of high explosives and 134,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the target was cloud covered and bombing was scattered. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
428 Ghost Squadron (Usque Ad Finern) RAF Dalton. Wellington BX aircraft MS 481 NA-Q was hit by flak over the target at Essen, Germany, losing an engine. Crossing the Dutch coast the aircraft was hit by flak in the tail and dove several thousand feet but managed to return to England where it ditched off shore when the remaining engine faltered off the Estuary of Humber. Four survivors were picked up.
Gunner FS AF O'Rourke (RCAF) was in the rear turret and was lost sometime after the aircraft was shot up and ditched. FS O'Rourke is believed to have drowned when the rear turret broke off the aircraft (possibly off Holland) and was missing, presumed killed in action (R Koval, FF Years)
FS O'Rourke has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
Four survivors, Sergeant W Lachman (RCAF), Sergeant JCE Jette (RCAF), Sergeant JER Marchand (RCAF) and Sergeant R Askew (RAFVR) were all rescued at sea
The survivors would be involved in a crash on take-off of 428 Squadron Wellington BX aircraft HE 322 NA-J at RAF Dalton, 1943-06-1. Jette, Marchand, Askew and Sergeant MP Scullion (RCAF) would be killed in action. Pilot Sergeant Lachman would be the sole survivor, badly injured
Wellington BX MS481 [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
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