115 Squadron

30/31 March 1944

Lancaster Mk II - LL622 KO-J

T/O Witchford 2233 - target Nuremberg, Germany.
Shot down by a night fighter and crashed on the edge of the historic battlefield at
Waterloo (Braine L'Alleud), 17 Km S of Brussels, Belgium.
It was brought down on the home leg and the crew was on its first operational sortie.
It is believed that this bomber was the 94th to fall on this operation. Photo monument Hangar Flying

Shot down at 03u.30 by Feldwebel Zeidler Hans of the III./NJG1. It was his first victory.

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

795 aircraft were dispatched - 572 Lancasters, 214 Halifaxes and 9 Mosquitos.
64 Lancasters and 31 Halifaxes, 11.9 per cent of the force dispatched.

This would normally have been the moon stand-down period for the Main Force,
but a raid to the distant target of Nuremberg was planned on the basis of an early forecast
that there would be protective high cloud on the outward route,
when the moon would be up, but that the target area would be clear for ground-marked bombing.

A Meteorological Flight Mosquito carried out a reconnaissance and reported that the protective cloud
was unlikely to be present and that there could be cloud over the target, but the raid was not cancelled.

The German controller ignored all the diversions and assembled his fighters at 2 radio beacons
which happened to be astride the route to Nuremberg.
The first fighters appeared just before the bombers reached the Belgian border and a fierce
battle in the moonlight lasted for the next hour.

82 bombers were lost on the outward route and near the target.
The action was much reduced on the return flight, when most of the German fighters had to land,
but 95 bombers were lost in all.

It was the biggest Bomber Command loss of the war.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary March 1944.

ORB. 30th MAR 1943.
10 aircraft were detailed to attack NUREMBURG.
1 Aircraft (A/C. D.DS.795 - Captain S/L. J. R. GRANT) returned early
owing to electrical heating failure in gun turrets.
1 x 8,000 lb bomb jettisoned and incendiaries brought back.
2 aircraft failed to return from operations and no news of them has been
received since time of take off. Lancaster Mk II - LL704 KO-H, 7 POW.
Aircraft G.LL.646 (Captain F/S. LEMOINE, R.) was attacked from dead astern by a JU 88
who opened fire at 900 yards. Damage was caused to starboard inner propellor and starboard outer air intake.
Incendiaries hung up and caught fire. Wireless Operator (Sgt. GUARD, D.) used fire extinguisher to put
flames out. This aircraft landed at GRAVELEY owing to shortage of petrol.
The rest of the aircraft identified the target both visually and by sky markers,
on which bombed from heights varying between 20,000 and 21,000 feet.
PFF was again scattered, but many fires were observed.
One large explosion seen in target - dull red colour.
Photographs were attempted.

0603. 6 aircraft had returned to Base.
1 aircraft (A/C. F.LL.624 - Captain F/S. FRANCIS, S.)
landed at WESTCOTT at 0540 hours,
and 1 aircraft landed at GRAVELEY at 0607 hours.

Thomas Ronald "Ron" - Pilot

F/S - Service No 1536704

Age:

RAFVR

Son of

Brussels Town Cemetery - grave X.17.7

Source CWGC - Photo: Find a grave by International Wargraves Photography Project.

Taylor Robert Finlay - FE

Sgt - Service No 1561301

Age: 20

RAFVR

Son of Finlay Maclachlan Taylor and Georgina Taylor of Glasgow.

Brussels Town Cemetery - Joint grave X.17.5-6

Source CWGC - Photo: Find a grave by International Wargraves Photography Project.

Atkinson Dennis - Nav

F/S - Service No 1396885

Age: 21

RAFVR

Son of Harry Atkinson and of Winifred R. Atkinson,
of East Finchley, Middlesex.

Brussels Town Cemetery - grave X.17.11

Source CWGC - Photo: Find a grave by International Wargraves Photography Project.

Hawksworth Frank - WOP

Sgt - Service No 1556207

Age: 22 - °22 July 1921 in Goole, Yorkshire

RAFVR

Son of George Hawksworth and Nellie Gill

Brussels Town Cemetery - grave X.17.9

Source CWGC - Photo: Lancaster verliezen in België 1941-1945 - Wim Govaerts -
Find a graveby International Wargraves Photography Project. info Wiki tree by Paul Hawksworth.