Wellington BJ898 6/7 December 1942

Wellington Mk III - BJ898 - KO-C

T/O East Wretham 1733 - target Mannheim, Germany.
A/C. crashed at Alsheim 16 km NNW of Worms, Germany.
(Shot down at 2154 hours 1 km NE of Montcornet by Lt Helmut Bergmann.?)

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

272 aircraft - 101 Lancasters, 65 Halifaxes, 57 Wellingtons, 49 Stirlings.

The target area was found to be completely cloud-covered.
Most of the Pathfinders withheld their flares and many of the 220 crews
who bombed did so on dead-reckoning positions.
Mannheim reports only 500 or so incendiary bombs and some leaflets.
There were no casualties in Mannheim.

10 aircraft - 5 Wellingtons, 3 Halifaxes, 1 Lancaster, 1 Stirling - lost, 3.1 per cent of the force,
and 4 more aircraft crashed in England.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary December 1942.

ORB. 6th Dec, 1942.
6 aircraft (5 from "A" Flight & 1 from "B" Flight)
took off on operations between 17.30 hours and 17.35 hours to
attack target MANNHEIM.
4 aircraft successfully located the target and bombed in 10/10 cloud from heights
ranging between 8,000 and 9,000 feet.
No bursts were seen although P.F.F. flares were visible and two fires and
two lines of incendiaries were observed burning through gaps in cloud.
2 aircraft failed to return. Wellington Mk III BK513 KO-V, 5 KIA.

00.40 4 aircraft had returned safely to base after operations.

Wellington BJ898 Larkins Harry William - Pilot

F/O - Service No 122145

Age:

RAFVR

Son of Charles Thomas James Larkins and Mary Ann Alice Larkins,
of Hackney, London.

Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 8. A. 19

Source: CWGC - Photo: Rootschat.co by Marry A. Family - Find a grave by Honour those who fell.

Abel Jack SydneyWellington BJ898 Abel Jack Sydney - Observer

F/O - Service No 120353

Age: 26

RAFVR

Son of Albert Arthur and Florence Edith May Abel.
Husband of Victoria Mary Abel, of West Ewell, Surrey.

Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 8. A. 21

Source: CWGC - Photo: Find a grave, by Bernadette - Des Philippet.

Stammers Ernest FrankWellington BJ898 Stammers Ernest Frank - WOP

F/S - Service No R59841

Age: 21

RCAF

Son of Frank and Susan Elizabeth Stammers,
of Transcona, Manitoba, Canada.

Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 8. A. 20

Source: CWGC - Photo: Canadian virtual war memorial & Find a Grave by Wouter van Dijken.

Hayman Richard EdwardsHayman Richard Edwards Hayman Richard Edwards - BA

Sgt - Service No 1262068

Age: 20

RAFVR

Son of Frank Keith Hayman, and of Mary Coslet Edward,
of Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire.

Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 8. A. 18

Source: CWGC - Photo: Find a grave, by Des Philippet

Williams David Garth Wellington BJ898Williams David Garth (Bud) - RG

F/S - Service No R77986

Age: 20

RCAF

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Percy Arthur Williams.
Husband of Phyllis Williams, of Brixton, London.

Rheinberg War Cemetery - grave 8. A. 22

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