Wellington BJ893 1/2 September 1942

Wellington Mk III - BJ893 - KO-C

T/O Marham 2329 - target Saarbrücken, Germany.
Shot down and crashed 8 miles of Sedan at Flize, France.

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

231 aircraft of 5 types were despatched.

The Pathfinders Illuminated and marked a town which they believed to be Saarbrücken and the main force bombed that place vigorously.
A total of 205 aircraft claimed good bombing results.

But the town bombed was Saarlouis, 13 miles to the north-west and situated in a similar bend of the River Saar.
The small, non-industrial town of Saarlouis and the villages surrounding were heavily damaged.
The exact extent of this damage was not recorded but 52 civilians were killed.
The report from Saarlouis adds that the number of deaths would have been much higher if many people had not been able to
take shelter in the unoccupied concrete positions of the Westwall, the Siegfried Line, which ran round Saarlouis.
The report also says that this community was 'enraged' to be bomb so heavily. No bombs fell in Saarbrücken.

4 Aircraft - 1 Halifax, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling and 1 Wellington was lost.

Source: The Heavy Bomber Offensive of WWII by Martin Bowman. / The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book by Chris Everitt, Martin Middlebrook.

OBR. 1st September 1942.
7 aircraft (4 from "A" Flight & 3 from "B" Flight) took off for operations between the hours of 2329 and 2341 to attack
target SAARBRUCKEN.
5 aircraft successfully located the target and bombed visually under good conditions from heights ranging
between 8,000 and 10,000 feet, observing bursts in the centre of the town and marshalling yards.
Incendiaries were seen to ignite and the whole town was reported to be a mass of concentrated fires.
1 aircraft (A/C. X.B.J.879 - Captain P/O. OWEN) was forced to abandon the sortie due to rear turret trouble
and returned to base early after jettisoning its bomb.
1 aircraft failed to return.

0530 The remaining aircraft had returned safely to base.

Shires Reginald AlbertWellington BJ893 Shires Reginald Albert - Pilot

P/O - Service No J/7532

Age: 26

RCAF

Son of Horace and Harriett Ann Shires,
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC. - Photo via Canadian virtual war memorial - Find a grave by Ben

Ross Leslie Jack WillisWellington BJ893 Ross Leslie Jack Willis - 2nd Pilot

F/S - Service No R/95429

Age: 22

RCAF

Son of Richard Rose Ross and Elizabeth Hazel Ross,
of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Four sisters and two brothers.

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC - Photo: and more info Canadian virtual war memorial - Find a grave by Ben

Rosekilly Laurence Rosekilly Laurence - Observer

Warrant Officer - Service No 550591

Age: 24

RAF

Son of William and Margaret Rosekilly, of Seaburn, Sunderland, Co. Durham.

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC - Photo via IBGG - The War Graves Photographic Project - Find a Grave.

Wellington BJ893Tucker Richard Albert George Tucker Richard Albert George - WOP

P/O - Service No 114979

Age:

RAFVR

Son of

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Ben

Orr James SamuelWellington BJ893 Orr James Samuel - Air Obs.

F/S - Service No R/98836

Age: 21

RCAF

Son of Andrew and Frances Orr, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Husband of Gwendolyn Cash of Linconshire, England.

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC. - Photo: Canadian virtual war memorial - Find a grave by Ben

Wellington BJ893 Wellington BJ893 Thornley Robert Edward - RG.

P/O - Service No 111484

Age: 21

RAFVR

Son of Robert Frank and Constance Mary Thornley,
of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Choloy War Cemetery (Meurthe-et-Moselle) - Coll. grave 3. E. 8-13.

Source: CWGC - Photo thanks to Robert Davies (his late uncle) - Find a grave, by Ben