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3/4 July 1943 Lancaster Mk II - DS662 KO-L |
The a/c went down somewhere between the Dutch/German border and the target.
Route 5122N 0320E - 5028N 0632E - COLOGNE - 5047N 0723E - 5012N 0644E - 5020N 0132N.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan - 3 Group Bomber Command by Chris Ward
653 aircraft - 293 Lancasters, 182 Halifaxes, 89 Wellingtons, 76 Stirlings,
13 Mosquitos returned to Cologne.
The aiming point for this raid was that part of Cologne situated on the east bank of the Rhine.
Much industry was located there.
Pathfinder ground marking was accurately maintained by both the Mosquito Oboe aircraft
and the backers-up, allowing the Main Force to carry out another heavy attack on Cologne.
30 aircraft - 9 Halifaxes, 8 Lancasters, 8 Wellingtons, 5 Stirlings - lost, 4.6 per cent of the force.
This night saw the first operations of a new German unit, Jagdgeschwader 300, equipped with
single-engined fighters using the Wilde Sau (Wild Boar) technique.
In this, a German pilot used any form of illumination available over a city being bombed -
searchlights, target indicators, the glow of fires on the ground - to pick out a bomber for attack.
Liaison with the local flak defences was supposed to ensure that the flak was limited to a certain
height above which the Wild Boar fighter was free to operate.
The new German unit claimed 12 bombers shot down over Cologne but had to share the 12 available
aircraft found to have crashed with the local flak, who also claimed 12 successes.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary July 1943.
ORB. 3rd July, 1943.
14 aircraft took off between 23.55 hours & 00.15 hours to attack target COLOGNE.
1 aircraft (A.D.S.685 - Captain Sgt. BUTTON. C.) was forced to abandon the sortie due to starboard inner cut out
& returned to Base early bringing back his bomb load.
12 aircraft identified the target by means of red & green target indicator markers & release point flares &
bombed red or green markers from heights ranging between 17,500 feet & 21,000 feet.
2 very bright explosions & well concentrated fires with smoke up to 10,000 feet were seen
(H.D.S.630- Captain W/O. NOXON. E.) in target area.
Leaflets were dropped & photographs attempted.
1 aircraft (R.D.S.683 - Captain W/O. BOUTILIER. E.) sustained holes under rear turret due to
heavy Flak & hole in starboard rudder
due to fire from friendly aircraft.
1 aircraft failed to return from Operations.
04.41. 13 aircraft had returned safely to Base.
Stokes-Roberts Bennett - Pilot
Sgt - Service No 1239665
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Charles Edward and Elizabeth Myfanwy Stokes-Roberts,
of Erdington, Birmingham.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 166
Source: CWGC.
Wilcox David Oliver - FE
Sgt - Service No 567872
Age: 25
RAF
Son of William Henry and Eunice May Wilcox, of Barry, Glamorgan.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 169
Source: CWGC.
Donovan Robert Leonard - Nav
F/O - Service No 132034
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of Richard Henry and Eva Eliza Donovan, of Beckenham, Kent.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 124
Source: CWGC.
Crowsley Dennis Arthur - WOP
Sgt - Service No 1319268
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Thomas and Hilda Crowsley, of Wood Green, Middlesex.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 146
Source: CWGC.
Shevels T. F. - BA
Sgt - Service No 1493760
Age: - POW
RAFVR
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan
Thomson George - MUG
Sgt - Service No 1562966
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Runnymede Memorial - panel 167
Source: CWGC.
Finch Stanley Eric - RG
Sgt - Service No 1413665
Age: 30
RAFVR
Son of James Stanley and Winifred Maud Finch, of Salisbury.
Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 4.F.24.
Source: CWGC - photo via Find a grave, by Des Phillippet