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18 October 1944 Lancaster Mk I - HK544 KO-U |
*Crashed at 13:14 north east of Koudekerke Holland into the Northsea after being hit by Flak.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan - *Wings to Victory.
128 Lancasters were dispatched.
This was the first major operation by No 3 Group in the new independent role which its commander,
Air Vice-Marshal R Harrison, had been granted.
Approximately one third of the group's Lancasters were now fitted with the G-H blind-bombing
device and No 3 Group were to
operate on days when the ground was concealed by cloud but
when the cloud tops did not exceed 18,000ft.
Aircraft with G-H had their tail fins painted with a prominent design; aircraft without G-H found a
G-H 'leader' to follow into the
target area and bombed when that aircraft bombed.
G-H was a relatively accurate, easy-to-operate and very useful device and No 3 Group were to make
good use of it in the remaining months of the war.
The device had been used before, but not by a large force.
Air Vice-Marshal Harrison requested that the almost unbombed and unimportant town of Bonn should
be the target for this first operation, possibly so that post raid reconnaissance photographs could show the
results of the first G-H raid without the effects of other bombing confusing the interpretation of the photographs.
The attack was a complete success.
The heart of old Bonn was destroyed, with its university, many cultural and public buildings and a large
residential area being burnt out.
The local report says that the home in which Beethoven lived was saved 'by the courageous actions of its caretakers'.
700 buildings were destroyed and 1,000 were seriously damaged.
1 aircraft was lost.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary October 1944.
ORB 18th Oct. 1944.
16 aircraft (6 from "A" Flt., & 6 from "B" Flt.) 4 from "C" Flt. (195 Sqdn. personnel)
were detailed to attack BONN and took off between 08.25 hours and 08.40 hours.
1 aircraft (U.HK.544- Captain F/O. K. V. SMITH) failed to return from Operations -
no news being received.
The remainder identified the target visually and bombed from heights ranging between
16,000 feet and 19,000 feet. Bombing at first was quite good but later became rather scattered, -
all seem to fell in town.
Fires were seen burning in wood South of target - an explosion was observed on bridge at 11.05 hours.
Photographs were attemped.
2 aircraft were damaged by Flak.
(A/C. L.HK.565 - Captain F/O. J. M. GASTON - DFM -
Captain sustaining a bruised cheek.)
(A/C. Z.LL.944 - Captain F/O. W. FRANK -
damage to both rudders, port bomb bay, hydraulics, cockpit and blind flying panel.)
14.10, 15 aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
Smith Kenneth Victor - Pilot
F/O - Service No 423077
Age: 21
RAAF
Son of Hillas William Smith, and of Eva Mabel Smith, of Miranda, New South Wales, Australia.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 258
Source: CWGC - photo via Andrew Barrie, thanks.
Sgt - Service No 1894564
Age: 31
RAFVR
Son of Frank and Elsie Rutson.
Husband of Sybil Rutson, of Ilford, Essex.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 237
Source: CWGC.
Sgt - Service No 1673038
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Runnymede Memorial - panel 230
Source: CWGC.
F/S - Service No 417567
Age: 22
RAAF
Son of James William and Myra Pauline Denholm, of Cumberland Park, South Australia.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 260
Source: CWGC - photo Australian War Memorial
Skelton Ivan George - BA
F/O - Service No 152714
Age: 23
RAFVR
Son of William George and Ada Skelton, of Luton, Bedfordshire.
Husband of Eileen Rita Skelton, of Luton.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 209
Source: CWGC - photo Wings to Victory
Sgt - Service No 1814786
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Runnymede Memorial - panel 234
Source: CWGC - photo via Andrew Barrie, thanks.
Constable John Charles - RG
Sgt - Service No 1890908
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Alfred Charles and Cicely Ethel Constable, of Maidstone, Kent.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 227
Source: CWGC.