October 23/24, 1944



    229 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420,424, 425, 426, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 squadrons were joined by 43 Lancasters from 419 and 428 squadrons on an attack on Essen. The crews were over the target from between 18,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 2,326,000 lbs of high explosives and 239,000 lbs of incendiaries. Over 1,000 aircraft took part in this attack releasing 4,500 tons of ordinance making it the heaviest attack to date.
    A large number of crews mentioned flying through heavy icing to and from this target.

    F/O R. Wallis and crew from 408 Squadron, flying Halifax VII NP-761 coded EQ-A, were attacked twice by a JU-88, there was no damage or claim.
    P/O L. Case landed at Manston on return due to a fuel shortage.
    P/O R. Harlow, P/O T. Barber, F/O D. Brown, and F/O W. Shields landed at Tempsford on return due to a fuel shortage.

    F/Lt W. Brown and crew from 415 Squadron, flying Halifax III LL-575 coded 6U-A, were attacked by an FW-190, there was no damage or claim.
    F/Lt T. Chapman was attacked by an FW-190, there was no damage or claim.
    F/O C. Chartier landed at Levenham on return due to a fuel shortage.
    F/Sgt W. Lane returned early. Control was lost due to severe icing. Control was regained at 6,000 feet and at 2,000 feet most of the ice melted but was too late to continue.

    F/O A. Nelligan and crew from 419 Squadron, flying Lancaster X KB-762 coded VR-J, were attacked by an FW-190, there was no claim or damage. They also had the port inner go u/s on return. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O L. Blaney and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-721 coded VR-E, were attacked by an FW-190, there was no claim or damage.
    F/Lt A. Bishop landed at Woodbridge on return due to a fuel shortage.
    F/O L. Bowerman landed at Woodbridge on return due to a fuel shortage.
    S/Ldr. W. McGuffin RCAF and crew, crew flying Lancaster X KB-776 coded VR-F, failed to return from this operation. 

      Sgt. J. Mallabone, RAF
      F/O R. Molloy, RCAF
      F/O J. Futiranski, RCAF
      F/Sgt. R. Schlievert, RCAF
      F/Sgt. R. Neville, RAF
      F/Sgt. E. Neufeld, RCAF
    All were killed.

    F/O E. Johnson from 420 Squadron returned early due to the port outer being u/s. Landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/Lt F. McCarthy returned early as the port outer was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O J. A. Sefton returned early due to the port inner being u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O J. Cox was hit by flak, port fin damaged.
    F/O O. Austenson was hit by flak, not serious. Landed at Carnaby due to low brake pressure.
    F/Lt G. Jones had most of his instruments go u/s due to icing.
    F/Lt T. Dailey was hit by flak, not serious. Landed at Chedburgh on return.
    F/O S. Young RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III NA-509 coded PT-V, swung on landing at Wellesbourne Mountford. The under carriage collapsed and the Halifax was severely damaged. 

      Sgt B. Morgan RAF
      F/O N. Salkovitch RCAF
      F/O R. McManus RCAF
      Sgt A. Williams RCAF
      F/Sgt W. Irwin RCAF
      F/Sgt J. Patterson RCAF
    Crew was not injured.

    All crews reported severe icing to and from the target.

    F/O D. Sanders from 424 squadron returned early due to the port inner going u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O G. Hawthorne was hit by flak, not serious. Landed at Wratting Common on return.
    F/O L. Wright was hit by flak, holes in stbd wing. Landed at Wratting Common on return.
    F/O J. King, F/O W. Bonar, F/O W. Palidwar, F/O F. Pearson, F/Lt. R. Green, F/O R. Burns, and P/O C. Walker landed at Wratting Common on return.

    F/Lt H. Franks and crew from 425 Squadron, flying Halifax III MZ-620 coded KW-T, were attacked by an FW-190, there was no claim or damage.
    P/O W. Corbett was hit by flak, not serious. Generators were u/s on return so crew landed at Manston.
    F/O G. Beaulieu’s bomb aimer and Flt/engineer collapsed due to lack of oxygen. Port inner was also u/s. Crew landed at Chedburgh on 3 engines.
    F/O J. Seguin had his Halifax go into a spin due to icing. They lost 9,000 feet and landed safely at Marston Moor.
    W/Cdr H. Ledoux and F/Lt J. Belanger landed at Chedburgh on return.
    F/O J. Marcotte landed at Tuddenham on return.

    F/Lt A. Jones from 426 Squadron returned early due to the stbd outer being u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O H. Hicken was hit by flak, not serious.
    P/O D. Irwin landed at Downham Market on return.
    P/O W. Egan landed at Tempsford on return.
    F/Lt E. Garrett landed at Tempsford on return due to a fuel shortage.
    P/O R. Fuller and F/O J. Lowe landed at Manston on return.

    F/O J. Murphy from 427 Squadron landed at Wratting Common on return.
    F/O W. Britton, F/Lt R. Lawlor and F/Lt R. Garvin landed at Woodbridge on return.

    F/Sgt. L. Reid from 428 squadron was hit by flak, holes in mid upper turret. 
    F/O J. Holtze was hit by flak, holes in stbd wing and rear fuselage. Port inner was also u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O D. Berry and F/O F. Raftery landed at Stardishall on return.

    F/O J. Barlow from 429 squadron had the port inner go u/s outbound. On return the under carriage came down and aircraft lost height. Crew landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O H. Hogarth landed at Stradishall due to a fuel shortage.
    P/O B. Drewery landed at Manston due to a fuel shortage.
    F/O C. Lee, F/O R. James, and F/O L. Keelan landed at Wratting Common due to a fuel shortage.
    F/O N. Muir RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III MZ-906 coded AL-H, failed to return from this operation. 

      Sgt. J. Wemyss, RAF
      F/O D. Pole, RCAF
      F/Sgt. L. Innes, RCAF
      F/Sgt. P. Mitchell, RCAF
      F/Sgt. G. Hallam, RCAF
      F/Sgt. L. Moore, RCAF
    They were lost without a trace.

    F/O S. Sorenson from 431 squadron returned early due to severe icing. Controls iced up
    F/O G. Quinlan, F/O R. Harrison, F/O B. Kaplansky, W/O2 W. Weitendorf, and F/O L. Laing landed at Newmarket on return.

    P/O L. McGuire from 432 Squadron returned early due to severe icing. They landed at Woodbridge.
    F/O A. Bews returned early as the stbd inner was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/O G. Barron and crew, flying Halifax VII NP-698 coded QO-U, were attacked by a ME-110, there was no claim or damage.
    F/O C. Hemming RCAF and crew, flying Halifax VII NP-722 coded QO-S, had the rudder pin shear due to icing. 

      Sgt E. Hemsley RAF
      F/O J. Bishop RCAF
      F/O E. Holmes RCAF
      P/O J. Brusone RCAF
      Sgt J. Gallant RCAF
      Sgt R. Brown RCAF
    They crash landed at Manston with no injury to the crew.
    F/O A. Craig landed at Newmarket on return.
    F/O A. Potter landed at Tempsford on return.

    P/O W. Jensen from 433 squadron landed at Stradishall on return.
    F/O D. Guy and crew, flying Halifax III MZ-417 coded BM-Q, were fired upon by a Halifax, there was no damage.
    P/O W. Jensen and crew, flying Halifax III NP-936 coded BM-O, were fired upon by a Lancaster, there was no damage.

    Sgt F. Hart from 434 Squadron returned early as the port inner was u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/Lt C. Porter and crew, flying Halifax III MZ-878 coded WL-Y, were attacked by a ME-262. There was no claim or damage.
    F/O M. Harvie was hit by a 1,000 lb bomb over the target. There were 3 rips in the port wing, the leading edge of the wing was torn off, port inner engine was u/s. The port stabilizer was also damaged. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
    F/Lt T. Buttle, P/O C. Alger, and W/O1 C. Ferris landed at Newmarket on return.