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27 November 1944
Lancaster Mk I - HK624 IL-J |
This Lancaster was the sole casualty on this operation.
It crashed at Danzigerstrasse, Mulheim in an easters suburb of Cologne.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
169 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the Kalk Nord railway yards at Cologne.
Good results were observed.
1 Lancaster lost.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary November 1944.
ORB. 27th Nov., 1944.
20 aircraft were detailed for an attack on COLOGNE. All aicraft took off (between 12.14 and 12.34 hours)
carrying 20 x 4,000lb H.C., & 320 x 500lb G.P. bombs.
One aircraft failed to return from Operations - no news being received.
Crews reported moderate-heavy and accurate Flak. No enemy fighters were seen.
17.47. 19 aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
Ingham Eric - Pilot
F/O - Service No 150115
Age: 23
RAFVR
Son of Harry and Amy Ingham, of Pudsey, Yorkshire.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 21.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Purvis Graham - 2nd Pilot
P/O - Service No 408408
Age: 22
RAAF
Son of John Stewart Purvis and Hylda Purvis.
Husband of Jessie Purvis, of Busselton, Western Australia.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 24.
Source: CWGC - photo Tasmanian War Casualties - Find a grave by Fred.
Leveritt Terence - FE
Sgt - Service No 2211822
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Frederick and Beatrice Leveritt, of Stretford, Lancashire.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 20.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Light Leslie Edward - Nav
F/O - Service No 157334
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Thomas Edward and Gertie Frances Light, of Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 207
Source: CWGC.
Spotswood Eric - WOP
F/S - Service No 1522033
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 25.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Pope Henry Milton - BA
P/O - Service No J36085
Age: 22
RCAF
Son of Albert Henry and Lily Etta Pope,
of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 18.
Source: CWGC - Photo by Operation:PictureMe - Find a grave, and Des Philippet
You often read or hear tales from the war of young men who found themselves
in the forces after an unsettled life during the Depression of the 1930s.
Thus, our tale.
Henry Milton Pope was born in March of 1922 to a working-class family that would be hit hard by the Dirty 30s.
His parents were Albert Henry and Lily Etta, and there were two brothers, George and Lloyd.
Milt's records show the family lived in a number of locations as dad brought home what he could working as a chauffeur, and a cab driver.
They spent much time in East York, a suburb of Toronto, and Milt went through William Burgess School for eight years,
then to East York Collegiate (still then East York High School) for one, off for two at Northern Vocational School in the city proper,
studying electricity, and was doing a few night courses at Central Technical when the war broke out.
He was good at math and mechanics, and by his own admission, not a fan of history.
Milt was trying to find something – it jumps out of his records.
Worked in rural Erin, Ontario, as a farm hand. Didn't like it.
Worked in a garage that was part of a big laundry. Didn't like it.
Then on to a private aviation company in Galt (now Cambridge), to learn aviation mechanics. There was a spark.
There was also a ticket to ground duty when Milt joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. One look at the mechanical skills and off
he went to No. 6 Repair Depot, Trenton, followed by No. 118 (F) Squadron, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, as a rigger and fitter
(airframe and engines), on the Grumman Goblin.
In February of 1942 at No. 118, Pope went AWOL (Absent Without Leave) for six days and 13 hours, earning seven days in the
base slammer. He must have redeemed himself nicely, as by the end of the year his application for aircrew came through and it was
off to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Things really picked up. Each step on the way to a bomb aimer brevet, Milt graduated near the top of his class. At No. 1 Bombing
and Gunnery, (Jarvis, Ontario) he was a passenger in a car that hit the lift bridge at Port Dover, as they headed for a dance.
Medical records show a "massive effusion" on his right knee.
By the time he graduated, Pope was highly recommended for a commission and went overseas as a Pilot Officer.
On reaching No. 115 Squadron in No. 3 Group he was a Flying Officer.
On the evening of Nov. 27, 1944, Lancaster I HK 624 (KO-J) lifted from the runway at RAF Witchford, with F/O I.L. Ingham at
the controls and Milt Pope as the bombaimer.
It was a somewhat unusual crew of nine, including Sprog pilot G. Purvis in the "Dickey seat" to gain experience, and an extra gunner
in the "mid-under" or ventral position – basically a small hatch with a gun sticking out to fight attacks from below.
The seven regulars were two trips from completing their tour.
Bomber Command was busy that night, sending out three raids, with 169 Lancasters from 3 Group headed for a heavily clouded Cologne (Koln).
They lost one Lancaster – HK 624. It simply disappeared.
A post-war investigation by the RAF solved the mystery. The Ingham crew was approaching the target when it likely took a flak hit
to the bomb bay and blew up, scattering pieces and bodies onto Danziger Street and environs.
All were identified post-war and are now in the Rheinberg war cemetery.
Per Ardua ad Astra to the brave crew of Ingham, Pope, Purvis, Light, Spotswood, Hutchinson, McPake, Hogben, and Leveritt.
As a postscript, when Milt's possessions were checked to send home, it was found he had been carefully saving his money for after the war.
There was over $500 in a London bank.
Malcolm Kelly is the author of SPROG: A Novel of Bomber Command, which tells of the boys coming out of high school to join the RCAF in 1941.
It speaks of their films, music, pop-culture, and who they were before tragedy hit.
McPake Henry - MUG
Sgt - Service No 1825964
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 22.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Hogben Robert - Mid Under Gunner
F/S - Service No 1394176
Age: 22
RAFVR
Son of Robert and Hilda Hogben.
Husband of Bessie Hogben, of Bury, Lancashire.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 23.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Hutchinson Daniel - RG
Sgt - Service No 1825513
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4. H. 19.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Des Philippet