6 Bomber Group May 29/30, 1943
38 Halifaxes from 408, 419, and 427 Squadrons were joined by 55 Wellingtons from 426, 428, 429, 431, and 432 Squadrons on an attack at Wuppertal. The crews were over the target at between 12,000 and 19,000 feet, releasing 98,000 lbs of high explosives and 213,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was done. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
Aircraft was shot down by a night fighter over Netherlands while on an operation to Wuppertal, Germany. The aircraft was abandoned and crashed near Sittard, Holland
Squadron Leader P Johnston DFC (RAF)and Sergeant FJ Jarvis (RAF) were missing, presumed killed. They have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial
Sergeant AW Cowan (RCAF) survived and evaded briefly, but was captured 1944-05-30 to join the other survivors: Pilot Officer R Wood (RCAF), FS BT Royall (RAAF), Flying Officer RG Houston (RAF )and Sergeant MT Byrne (RAF) as Prisoners of War. FS EA Roede (RAF) would evade until July before being captured in Brussels
WR Chorley notes that Pilot Officer Wood landed poorly when he baled, breaking his leg, and that he was older than the usual crewman (having lied about his age to re-join the RCAF in 1939 he was 38 years old, not the 33 on his records). His son, FS D Wood, joined the RCAF in Canada on the same day his father was taken POW, and later flew a tour of operations in 1944 as a gunner (Airforce Magazine, Vol 8, No 2, 1984)
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35 Sqn ORB