ESSEN
{{webimage,wardiaries.jpg,float:right;width:150px;,Book no longer in print}}493 aircraft - 342 Lancasters, 133 Halifaxes, 18 Mosquitoes - from all groups except 5 Group. 7 aircraft - 6 Lancasters, 1 Halifax - lost, 1.4 per cent of the force. The Bomber Command report states that this was an accurate attack, based on good Pathfinder ground-marking. The only report available from Essen states that 313 people were killed and 1,224 injured.
SCHWEINFURT
206 Lancasters and ii Mosquitoes of 5 Group and 9 Lancasters of I Group. 21 Lancasters lost, 9.3 per cent of the force. This raid was a failure. The low level marking provided for the first time by Mosquitoes of 627 Squadron was not accurate. Unexpectedly strong head winds delayed the Lancaster marker aircraft and the main force of bombers. German night fighters were carrying out fierce attacks throughout the period of the raid. The bombing was not accurate and much of it fell outside Schweinfurt. Only 2 people were killed in Schweinfurt. A Victoria Cross was awarded after the war to Sergeant Norman Jackson, a flight engineer in a Lancaster of 106 Squadron which was shot down near Schweinfurt. The Lancaster was hit by a German night fighter and a fire started in a fuel tank in the wing near the fuselage. Sergeant Jackson climbed out of a hatch with a fire extinguisher, with another crew member holding the rigging lines of Jackson's parachute which had opened in the aircraft. Sergeant Jackson lost the fire extinguisher and, as both he and his parachute rigging were being affected by the fire, the men in the aircraft let the parachute go. Sergeant Jackson survived, though with serious burns and a broken ankle received on landing with his partially burnt parachute. The remainder of the crew baled out soon afterwards.
VILLENEUVE-ST-GEORGES
217 aircraft - 183 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes - of 4, 6 and 8 Groups. I Halifax lost. Bomber Command claims that the southern end of the railway yards was successfully bombed. The local report states that this raid was more accurate than the one earlier in the month, although civilian areas were again hit and 29 people were killed and 52 were injured.
Support and Minor Operations: 16 Mosquitoes to Hamburg (which reports no casualties, 1 fire and 50 people bombed out), 10 Stirlings to Chambly, 12 R.C.M. sorties, 20 Serrate and 13 Intruder patrols, 16 Halifaxes and 6 Stirlings minelaying off the Dutch coast and in the Fnsians, to aircraft on Resistance operations, 21 O.T.U. flights. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.
Total effort for the night: 1,060 sorties, 30 aircraft (2.8 per cent) lost.
6 Bomber Group April 26/27, 1944
24 Lancasters from 408 and 426 squadrons were joined by 94 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 429, 431, 432, and 433 Squadrons on an attack at Essen. The crews were over the target at between 20,000 and 24,000 feet, releasing 71,000 lbs of high explosives and 500,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, the weather was clear and severe damage was caused.
While part of the group attacked Essen, 47 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, and 434 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the rail yards at Villeneuve St. Georges. The crews were over the target at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet, releasing 426,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the attack was successful. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
106 Squadron (Pro Libertate). Lancaster aircraft missing during a raid against Schweinfurt, Germany. Flying Officer Mifflin maintained control of the aircraft and sacrificed himself so that his crew could bail out to safety; this was his thirtieth operation.Warrant Officer N. Jackson, the RAF flight engineer, tried to put out a fire in the starboard wing, bailed out, was taken Prisoner of War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his action in fighting the fire. source:They Shall Grow Not Old, BCATP Museum, Brandon MB
Story of 30 Missions
This is the true story of an RAF aircrew and their 30 missions. Flying Officer Mifflin (from Newfoundland) and his crew were RAF and so the crew are not part of this Canadian dataset (only Mifflin). Mifflin's story of he and his crew is gripping and is told in this video.
Norman Cyril Jackson VC
Lancaster ME669 30 Missions