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12 March 1943 Wellington Mk III - BJ756 KO-Q |
Bomb load: 3 x 500lbs, 3 x 250lbs, 540 x 4lbs incendiaries. Fitted with T.R. 1335. (GEE)
Route: Southwold - Egmond - Dorsten - ESSEN - Haltern - Egmond - Southwold.
Shot down by Lt Oskar Kostler IV./NJG1 and crashed into the IJselmeer, Netherlands at 2135.
On 9 April 1943 a 101 Sqn Lancaster blew up with its bomb load while under attack by Lt Kostler killing its crew and Kostler.
*This was to be the final one of 114 Wellingtons lost by the Squadron as a result of operations,
ninety-eight of them having fallen on foreign soil on into the Sea.
No Squadron suffered higher casualties on this type,
but then,
no Squadron flew as many Wellington operations and sorties.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan - *3 Group Bomber Command by Chris Ward.
A return to Essen. 457 aircraft - 158 Wellingtons, 156 Lancasters, 91 Halifaxes, 42 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitos in another
very successful Oboe-marked raid.
The centre of the bombing area was right across the giant Krupps factory, just west of the city centre,
with later bombing drifting back to the north-western outskirts.
Photographic interpretation assessed that Krupps received 30 per cent more damage on this night than on the earlier successful raid of 5/6 March.
23 aircraft - 8 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes, 6 Wellingtons, 2 Stirlings lost, 5.0 per cent of the force.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary March 1943.
ORB. 12th. March, 1943.
4 aircraft took off between 20.00 hours & 20.12 hours to attack target ESSEN.
3 aircraft were successful in locating the target by means of red & green marker flares on which they dropped their
bombs from heights ranging between 9,000 feet & 14,000 feet.
A large concentration of fires, one particularly large one being seen from the DUTCH coast, were observed.
(by A/C. G.Z.1694 - Captain Sgt. FINNERTY. G., A/C. was attacked by enemy fighter)
On return one Air Bomber (Sgt. AMES, R.) (A/C. A.Z.1648 - Captain Sgt. FLEMING. C.) was found to be
suffering from a perforated wound of the thorax.
Photographs were attempted.
1 aircraft failed to return from operations.
23.53. 3 aircraft had returned safely to base after operations.
Fallon Leo Patrick - Pilot
Sgt - Service No 552269
Age: 21
RAF
Son of Stephen and Anne Fallon, of Cardonald, Glasgow.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 149
Source: CWGC.
Akrill William Eric - Observer
Sgt - Service No 1436220
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Akrill, of Collingham, Nottinghamshire.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 140
Source: CWGC - photo via teunispats.nl
Lamb Charles James Joseph Whitton - WOP
Sgt - Service No 1295572
Age: 19
RAFVR
Son of James Erica Whitton Lamb and Alice Bessie.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 156
Source: Photos via Tessa Gill, much appreciated, thanks. -CWGC.
Collings Leonard George - BA
Sgt - Service No 655677
Age: 27
RAF
Son of Sydney Hansford Collings and Florence Mabel Collings, of Southfields, London.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 145
Source: CWGC.
Moffatt Curtis Mackinnon - RG
F/S - Service No R105883
Age: - washed ashore near Bunschoten on 12 June 1943 at 0700 hours.
RCAF
Son of
Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Netherlands - grave 13.7.137.
Buried on 16 June 1943.
Source: CWGC - photo via Find a grave, by Robert McAllister