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20/21 July 1944 Lancaster Mk III - LM510 KO-K |
Crash landed at Woodbridge Aerodrome, Suffolk at 0240
with battle damage from night fighter attack.
Sgt's Reed and Bellamy were killed by cannon fire from the night fighter.
One night in July, 1944, these airmen were pilot, flight engineer and navigator respectively
of an aircraft detailed to attack Homberg.
Shortly after the bombs had been released, the aircraft was attacked by a fighter.
Almost immediately
a second enemy aircraft joined the fight.
The bomber sustained much damage and Flight Sergeant Gaston and Sergeants Barugh
and West were wounded.
In spite of their injuries these airmen displayed great coolness in the face of the enemy.
A fire started near the cockpit but Sergeant Barugh beat out the flames with his bare hands.
Meanwhile, Flight Sergeant Gaston by good manoeuvring, succeeded in extricating his aircraft
from a perilous situation.
Course was set for home and on the return flight Sergeant West guided his pilot with much skill
although
deprived of the use of much of his navigational equipment.
Eventually a safe landing was made at an airfield.
These members of aircraft crew displayed a high standard of courage and devotion to
duty in the face of a trying ordeal.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
147 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups,
Attacked the oil plant at Homberg and caused severe damage.
German documents show that the production of aviation fuel, which had stood at nearly
6,000 tons per day at the end of April, was now fluctuating between 120 and 970 tons per day,
following Bomber Command and American Eighth Air Force raids.
But German night fighters caught the Homberg bomber force.
20 Lancasters were lost. No 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, from Mepal, lost 7 of its 25 aircraft on the raid.
6 aircraft - 5 Halifaxes and 1 Lancaster - were shot down.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary July 1944.
ORB 20th July, 1944.
22 aircraft (23 aircraft - 7 from "A" Flt., 8 from "B" Flt., & 8 from "C" Flt.)
were detailed to attack HOMBERG and took off between 22.47 hours and 23.30 hours
One aircraft Lancaster Mk III - ND913 A4-M, 7 KIA.
failed to return from operations - no news being received.
The remainder identified the target by means of red & green indicator markers on which they
bombed from heights ranging between 17,500 feet and 20,000 feet.
Bomb bursts were followed 01.21 hours by an orange red explosion with much black smoke
and a shower of sparks.
Bombing was well concentrated.
After the bombing run, one aircraft (K.LM.510 - Captain F/S. GASTON, J.) was attacked by an enemy aircraft
which appeared starboard quarter down, firing one minute later - oxygen in Pilot's cockpit caught fire,
Pilot's instrument panel shot up and compasses made unserviceable. Aircraft corkscrewed all way back,
course being steered by navigational GEE and later by North Star.
Aircraft eventually crashed at R.A.F. WOODBRIDGE, the undercarriage (starboard) collapsed
causing damage to fin rudder and starboard propellers.
In the attack the WOP/Air (Sgt. REED, D.) and Rear Gunner (Sgt. HELLAMY, W. H.) were killed
and remainder of the crew were slightly wounded or slightly injured.
Rewarded the DFM THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 September, 1944.
Another aircraft (A/C. F.HK.556 - Captain W/O. HOLDER, D.)
sustained extensive damage due to cannon fire from enemy aircraft.
02.40 1 aircraft crashed at R.A.F. WOODBRIDGE.
03.48 20 aircraft had returned safely to base after operation.
Gaston John Mike - Pilot
F/S - Service No R164571- DFM
Age:
RCAF
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Barugh Clifford Leonard - FE
Sgt - Service No 1896581 - DFM
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
West Jack Henry - Nav
Sgt - Service No 1671281 - DFM
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Reed Douglas - WOP
Sgt - Service No 1434329
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of George Henry and Emily Gertrude Reed, of Hull.
Hull Northern Cemetery, Kingston upon Hull, Yorks. -
Compt. 285. Grave 51.
Source: CWGC - Find a grave by Gunner.
Whetstone R. - BA
F/S - Service No
Age:
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Flint A. H. - MUG
Sgt - Service No
Age:
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Bellamy William Henry "Bill" - RG
Sgt - Service No 2211409
Age: 29
RAFVR
Son of William and Florence Emily Bellamy, of Salford.
Husband of Hilda Bellamy, of Salford.
Pendlebury (St. John) Churchyard, Swinton and Pentlebury, Lancs. -
Plot C. Grave 88.
Source: CWGC - Photo: Find a grave by Barbara Hayhurst.