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28 October 1944 Lancaster Mk I - NF960 KO-R |
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
733 aircraft - 28 Lancasters, 286 Halifaxes, 19 Mosquitos, attacked Cologne.
The bombing took place in 2 separate waves and the local report confirms that enormous damage was caused.
The districts of Mülheim and Zollstock, north-east and south-west of the centre respectively,
became the centre of the 2 raids and were both devastated.
Much damage was caused to power-stations, railways and harbour installations on the Rhine.
4 Halifaxes and 3 Lancasters lost.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary October 1944.
ORB. 28th Oct. 1944.
12 aircraft (5 from "A" Flt., & 7 from "B" Flt.)
were detailed to attack COLOGNE and took off between 13.01 hours and 13.10 hours.
1 aircraft (R.NF.960 - Captain F/L. B. H. HYNES) failed to return from Operations - no news being received.
The remainder identified the target visually and by P.F. flares and bombed red indicator markers from heights
ranging between 17,500 feet and 21.000 feet. Bombing appeared to be very accurate and well concentrated.
Bridge was seen to be demolished and a large explosion was seen at 15.48 hours.
2 aircraft
(D.PB.686 - Captain F/O. E. G. FILLMORE) /
(F.HK.555 - Captain C. D. ANDREWARTHA) were slightly damaged by Flak.
(A/C. S.ND.900 - Captain F/L. E. M. MILNE, returned to Base on 3 engines - technical fault.)
Photographs were attempted.
18.02. 11 aircraft had returned safely to Base after Operations.
Hynes Brain Maurice - Pilot
F/L - Service No 415971
Age: 26
RNZAF
Son of Thomas George Hynes and of Rosita Amelia Romero,
of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.
Reichswald Forest war Cemetery - grave 31. G. 14.
Source: CWGC - photo: online-begraafplaatsen.nl and more info on Aircrew Remembered - Find a Grave.
Flt.Lt. Brian Maurice Hynes was being taken to the police station
at Odenthal by his escort when a small group from the SS and
Hitler Youth from a local camp took him into their custody.
Shortly afterwards he was led into some woods and shot twice.
His flying boots and jacket were removed and then they buried him in the same location.
Three men were brought to trial in spring 1948.
They were Georg Griesel, a painter by trade, who had been drafted into the Waffen-SS and who served as an instructor in the camp.
The second was Peter Klos, an Oberbannführer (equivalent to colonel) in the Personnel Department of the Berlin HQ of the Hitler Youth (Reichsjugendführung).
He was at Altenberg on a duty visit which had to do with collecting Hitler Youth money.
The third was a Hitler Youth member from the camp.
All three were charged with being concerned in the violation of the laws and usages of war, i.e. the killing of a prisoner of war.
the other person charged a Horst 'B' (a youth of 16 at the time - which is why we have decided not to publish his full name)
was also found guilty and received a sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
It seems that Peter Klos, on the 24th May 1948, made an unsuccessful attempt to smuggle a secret message out of Fuhlsbüttel prison,
asking for an ampule of liquid poison for his use at the last moment if he was actually to be hanged.
The message was confiscated by the two prison officers present during the visit of the person who was supposed to receive it,
and was the subject of official mail (preserved in the file at the National Archives WO 235/472) about who might have leaked the date
of Klos impending transport to Hameln (which the prisoner seemed to know).
33 year old, Georg Griesel and 34 year old, Peter Klos were both sentenced to death, the punishment carried out on
Wednesday the 09th June 1948 at Hameln.
The hangman in charge of the execution was Albert Pierrepoint with his assistant Sgt. Major Richard Anthony O'Neill.
Source :Aircrew remembered (Information courtesy of Traugott Vitz)
Gooch Ernest - FE
Sgt - Service No 1862966
Age: - POW No
RAFVR
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
John Gooch,
Dad, W/O E.Gooch was Flight Engineer on this aircraft, only he and the bomb aimer,
John Bovill escaped the flak shell which caused the explosion and fire which sent the Lanc down with the other 5 guys still aboard.
It was the second shell which hit the aircraft, ten minutes earlier, the first one burst through the floor and failed to explode,
Hynes telling Dad to "Get that fucking thing out!"
He picked up the hot fizzing shell and pushed it through the same hole it had made on entry!
Dad regained consciousness on the end of his parachute having somehow been miraculously ejected from the burning aircraft,
to see Bovill below him and the Lanc spiralling down and crashing.
They landed 20 minutes later in a village where the locals found Bovill and started to beat him,
only pausing when Dad was discovered hanging from a barn door.
They got him down and started to beat him too, their lives being saved by the arrival of the SS.
Nevertheless, the townsfolk wouldn't give up, such was their anger and smashed the vehicle windows of the SS van to get them out again.
They were then taken away for interrogation and incarceration.
I have more of their story if anyone's interested.
John Gooch
Wiggin George Harold - Nav
F/S - Service No 1582724
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of James Wiggin, and of Lillie Wiggin, of Oakengates, Shropshire.
Reichswald Forest war Cemetery - grave 6. D. 5.
Source: CWGC - Find a Grave ?.
Brennan Arthur Benjamin - WOP
W/O - Service No 426030
Age: 22
RAAF
Son of William and Johanna Mary Brennan, of East Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 259
Source: CWGC.
Bovill J. - BA
F/S - Service No 428015
Age: - POW No
RAAF
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Taylor Percy Weston - MUG
Sgt - Service No 1084566
Age: 24
RAFVR
Son of Noel W. and Katharine Taylor, of Dyserth, Flintshire.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 238
Source: CWGC.
Raybould Charles Francis - RG
Sgt - Service No 2221557
Age: 36
RAFVR
Son of Francis Joseph Raybould, and Ann Elizabeth Raybould, of Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 236
Source: CWGC.