![]() |
73 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429, and 434 Squadrons were joined by 9 Wellingtons from 432 Squadron on an attack at Hannover. The crews were over the target at between 17,000 and 21,000 feet, releasing 229,000 lbs of incendiaries and 124,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, most of the bombing missed the target to the north. P/O J. Symons and F/O D. Laidlaw from 419 squadron returned
early as
their instruments iced up. F/Lt W. Weston from 427 squadron returned early as the stbd
outer was
u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines. F/Sgt W. Kruse from 428 squadron returned early as the port
outer was
u/s. They landed safely at base on 3 engines.
F/O F. Jackman RCAF P/O M. Johnson RCAF Sgt E. Knowles RAF Sgt J. Silverman RCAF Sgt J. Custeau RCAF W/O F. Edwards had the stbd inner go u/s over the target.
They landed
safely at Mildenhall on 3 engines.
![]() Sgt G. Whitley RAF ![]() P/O B. Roughton RAF Sgt A. Lucas RAF ![]() Sgt D. Mercer RCAF ![]() Sgt E. Wainwright RAF *We received the following quote
from Steve Wilson, son of pilot Sgt R Wilson, with his father's account
of the night his plane crashed.
<>
"The aircraft was hit by accurate flak over the target after being caught in searchlights. As a consequence of this, the port outer engine was badly
damaged and ceased to function.
The bombs were jettisoned over the target and and the pilot
turned the aircraft back for home at Middleton St George.
Whilst crossing the coast (Dutch coast I believe) the
Halifax was again hit by flak from a German flak ship which damaged the
inner port engine, but did not put it out of action.
On regaining the English coast, the crew realised that they
were now in serious trouble and the pilot was having problems keeping
the aircraft airborne due not only to engine problems but also to
damaged flight surfaces.
They broadcast the emergency call sign (blackie blackie for
that night) and the US air base at Framlingham responded as the nearest
airfield. The pilot headed for this base and all were gratified to see
the landing lights ablaze for them. They began a very difficult descent
to the runway, but as fate would have it, the damaged port inner engine
chose this moment to stop altogether.
The effect of this was to cause the aircraft to flip over
onto its port side, the wing caught the tree tops and the plane crashed
into the ground before ever reaching the runway.
There were three survivors - the pilot, the mid upper
gunner and the tail gunner. The pilot was badly injured having a
smashed pelvis, and other serious injuries and indeed when they found
him one of his eyes was hanging down on his cheek.The rear gunner was
also very badly injured but I do not know the extent of these.
The mid upper gunner escaped without a scratch and went for
help, but could not get out of the the heavily ploughed and muddy field
that they were in due to barbed wire security fences that surrounded
the field. It was nearly an hour before american forces got to them.
The official story simply states that the aircraft overshot
the landing on return - this is not the case, they never even got to
the runway, and the crash was was caused by battle damage."
All other crews landed at
Molesworth or Bassingbourne on return due to poor
weather at base.
Sgt J. Farmer RAF
![]() Sgt D. Griffin RAF–POW Sgt T. Wilson RAF ![]() Sgt E. Springett RAF ![]() Sgt A. Stuart RAF ![]() Sgt W. Mussen RAF ![]() F/O M. Whalley RCAF–POW and crew, flying Halifax V LK-915 coded NA-V, failed to return from this operation.
![]() F/O C. Butcher RCAF ![]() F/O W. Higgins RCAF–POW Sgt F. Jackson RAF ![]() Sgt J. Morrison RCAF ![]() Sgt E. Driscoll RCAF ![]() F/Lt M.Sherback RCAF
![]() F/O F. Manners RCAF ![]() F/O E. MacMurchy RCAF ![]() Sgt J. Kirby RAF ![]() Sgt D. Mathews RCAF ![]() Sgt W. McKee RCAF ![]() F/Lt B. Rawson, W/O2 D. Smith and P/O B. Jackson from 429
squadron all
returned early with technical problems. W/O A. Erickson from 432 Squadron returned early as the
oxygen system
was u/s.
![]() F/Sgt L. Cook RCAF ![]() Sgt W. Grant RCAF–POW P/O A. Chubb RCAF ![]() Sgt S. Bybee USAAF–POW Sgt J. Keane and Sgt A. Nadeau from 434 Squadron returned
early as their
port inners were u/s. They landed safely at Linton on Ouse on 3
engines. F/Lt F. Lord RCAF
![]() Sgt S. Walter RAF ![]() F/O B. Jones RCAF ![]() F/O D. Sinclair RCAF ![]() F/Sgt B. O’Hara RCAF ![]() F/Sgt R. Wallace RCAF ![]() F/Sgt J. de Sieyes RCAF ![]() P/O O. Lytle RCAF
![]() Sgt H. Lindsay RAF ![]() W/O2 R. Pedlar RCAF ![]() F/Sgt J. Monteith RCAF ![]() Sgt M. Chasmar RAF ![]() F/Sgt H. Hansell RCAF ![]() F/Sgt J. Leach RCAF ![]() F/Sgt R. Smith RCAF
![]() F/O M. Halpin RCAF ![]() F/Sgt M. Vitch RCAF ![]() Sgt G. Todkill RAF ![]() Sgt E. Moody RAF ![]() Sgt J. Rousseau RCAF ![]()
|