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.