September 3, 1944
105 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 427,
and 432 squadrons attacked the German airfield at Volkel from between 14,000
to 16,000 feet. Over a million pounds of ordinance was dropped and the
airfield was well hit.
F/O H. Minhinnick from 408 squadron lost the stbd
outer on return and was escorted to Woodbridge by two spitfires. A safe
landing was made on 3 engines.
F/Lt F. Smart and F/O V. Gilson landed at Stradishall on return due
to poor weather at base.
F/Lt J. Easton and W/Cdr R. McLernon landed at Sheppard’s Grove on
return due to poor weather at base.
P/O D. Snider landed at Bury St. Edmonds on return due to poor weather
at base.
F/O W. Shields, P/O D. Brown, P/O G. Harpwood, F/O H. Jones, F/Lt R.
Clothier, P/O R. Harlow, F/O R. Bowhay, F/Lt J. Brown, and P/O D. Kennedy
landed at Chedburgh on return due to poor weather at base.
F/Sgt. W. Lane of 415 squadron returned to base
as the port undercarriage and tail wheel would not stay retracted.
P/O F. Forbes was hit by flak, there was holes
in the windscreen. They landed at Sheppard’s Grove on return due to poor
weather at base.
F/O J. Britt was hit by flak, the bomb doors
were damaged. They landed at Sheppard’s Grove on return due to poor weather
at base.
P/O W. McNeill lost the port outer on return.
They landed safely at Stradishall on 3 engines on return due to poor weather
at base.
F/O W. Brown landed at Stradishall on return
due to poor weather at base.
P/O C. Chartier landed at Chedburgh on return
due to poor weather at base.
P/O R. Stevens, F/O J. Weir, P/O R. Gingrich,
P/O D. Andrews, P/O J. Little, F/O H. Knobovitch, F/O J. Meagher, F/O C.
Gue, and F/O R. Sierolawski landed at Sheppard’s Grove on return due to
poor weather at base.
F/O F. Beairsto of 420 squadron was hit by flak.
There were holes in the bomb aimer's compartment but the crew was not injured.
They landed at Little Snoring on return due to poor weather at base.
F/Lt E. Heimpel landed at Bungay on return due to poor weather at base.
F/O J. A. Sefton landed at Foulsham on return due to poor weather at
base.
F/O A. Caine, W/O2 W. McAdam, F/Lt V. Motherwell, F/O G. Haslop, F/O
E. McCutcheon, F/Lt H. Damgaard, F/O C. Bennett, F/Lt T. Ainslie, F/O J.
Bonner, P/O D. McLellan, F/O E. McKeown, and F/O W. English landed at Little
Snoring on return due to poor weather at base.
F/O M. Dugas from 425 squadron returned to base
early as the port outer was u/s. A safe landing was made at base.
All crews landed away due to poor weather at
base.
P/O W. Webster of 426 squadron lost the port outer
outbound. Crew continued to the target and landed safely at Stradishall
on return on 3 engines.
P/O R. Lamb RCAF
and crew, flying LW-206 coded OW-Q, went into a spin at 14,000 feet. The
navigator, wireless op, and bomb aimer parachuted safely out. The Flt engineer,
slipped out of his parachute and was killed. The mid-upper gunner had his
parachute catch on the tail wheel and was also killed. The pilot and rear
gunner were not able to vacate the aircraft and also perished.
Sgt. N. Robinson, RAF
P/O R. Mallalue, RCAF
P/O E. Longley, RCAF
Sgt. R. Kipfer, RCAF
Sgt. A. Willis, RCAF
F/Sgt. W. Wright RCAF
About 5 minutes after the aircraft hit the ground
on the Duxford airfield, it exploded, killing a number of American personnel.
P/O A. Bainard and P/O D. Irwin landed at Chedburgh on return due to
poor weather at base.
P/O L. Matton landed at Stradishall on return due to poor weather at
base.
P/O C. McKinstry landed at Woodbridge on return due to poor weather
at base.
F/O J. Sheridan landed at Sheppard’s Grove on return due to poor weather
at base.
P/O H. Thompson landed at Levenham on return due to poor weather at
base.
F/O H. Elder landed at Newmarket on return due to poor weather at base.
P/O C. Hamilton, P/O A. McKay, F/O T. Fredrickson, F/O A. North, W/Cdr
C. Burgess, and P/O L. Mann landed at Wratting Common on return due to
poor weather at base.
F/O J. Kicak of 427 Squadron was hit by flak.
The port tire and fuel tanks were holed. They landed safely at Swanningham
on return due to poor weather at base.
F/O L. Ayers landed at North Creake on return
due to poor weather at base.
F/O D. Hepburn, F/O W. Brown, W/O2 R. McKenney,
F/Lt A. Sherlock, F/Lt E. Sherlock, F/O W. Britton, F/O K. McCaskill, S/Ldr
W. Moseley-Williams, F/O F. Brownell, F/O E. Mayo, F/Sgt G. Kirby, F/Lt
G. Slocombe, and F/O L. Murphy landed at Swanningham on return due to poor
weather at base.
F/O V. Smith of 432 Squadron was hit by flak but
it was not serious. They landed at Tempsford on return due to poor weather
at base.
F/O W. Saye landed at Stansted on return due
to poor weather at base.
F/Lt W. Tobias, F/O F. Jeffery, P/O R. Diamond,
W/Cdr A. Lowe, F/O J. Webb, P/O A. Potter, F/O M. Krakowsky, Sgt L. McGuire,
F/O J. Mills, F/O J. Gault, F/O R. Lawrenson, F/O V. Johnston, and F/Lt
G. Larson landed at Tempsford on return due to poor weather at base.
All aircraft landed away due to bad weather in
Yorkshire. The airfields were Chedburgh, Stradishall, Sheppards Grove,
Bury St. Edmonds, Little Snoring, Bungay, Foulsham, Wratting Common, Woodbridge,
Newmarket, Levenham, North Creake, Swanningham, Stansted, and Tempsford.