115 Squadron

6/7 October 1942

Wellington Mk III - BK313 - KO-B

T/O Mildenhall 1901 - target Osnabrück, Germany.
Shot down on his way back to base by Lt Hans Krause, 2 Stab I./NJG3 flying a Do217 J coded D5+LH. - his first victory.

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.- 12oclockhigh.net/archive

237 aircraft - 101 Wellingtons, 68 Lancasters, 38 Stirlings, 30 Halifaxes.

The Pathfinders succeeded in illuminating the Dummer See, a large lake north-east of the target which was used as a run-in point.
The town of Osnabrück was then found and marked.
The bombing was well concentrated, with most of the attack falling in the centre and the southern parts of the target.
Osnabrück's report shows that 149 houses were destroyed, 530 were seriously damaged and 2,784 lightly damaged.
6 industrial premises were destroyed and 14 damaged.
65 people were killed - 45 civilians, 16 policemen or servicemen and 4 foreign workers - and 151 were injured.

6 aircraft - 2 Halifaxes, 2 Lancasters, 2 Sterlings were lost. (2 Wellingtons? DF639 of 75 Sqn, and BK313 of 115 Sqn).

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

ORB. 6th Oct. 1942.
12 aircraft (7 from "A" Flight & 5 from "B" Flight) took off on operations between 19.01 hours & 19.50 hours
to attack target OSNABRUCK.
One aircraft failed to return from operations.
One aircraft (A/C. H.B.J.660 - Captain Sgt. BARKER) was forced to abandon the sortie owing to port engine trouble
and returned to base early bringing back its bombs.
One aircraft (A/C. F.X.3447 - Captain P/O. WALLACE) was forced to jettison 6 S.B.C' over the target owing to trouble
with the bomb doors and brought back the remainder to base.
The remaining 9 aircraft successfully located the target and bombing from heights ranging between 9,000 and 12,500 feet
dropped their bombs most of which were seen to ignite in built up areas. Two good fires and many scattered fires were observed.
One of these aircraft (A/C. X.B.J.879 - Captain Sgt. PATE) (Wellington Mk III BJ879 KO-X, 1 KIA, 5 survivors)
was badly damaged in combat with enemy aircraft, and landed at OULTON, the Rear Gunner being mortally wounded.

01.10 10 aircraft had returned safely to base after operations.

Smith Leonard Ian - Pilot

F/O - Service No J/10310

Age: 22

RCAF

Son of Joseph Grove Smith and Amy Smith,
of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Grave 24. B. 4.

Source: CWGC - Photo and more info: Canadian virtual war memorial. - online-begraafplaatsen.nl - Find a Grave.

Albery Robert Lewis - Observer

P/O - Service No 125994

Age: 31

RAFVR

Son of Henry and Catherine Albery.
Husband of Joan Kathleen Albery, of Bradmore, Wolverhampton.

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Grave 24. B. 2.

Source: CWGC - photo via online-begraafplaatsen.nl - Find a Grave.

Also died on service his brothers, Victor George +04/10/1939, age 20, service no T/69319, Putney Vale Cemetery and crematorium, London, and
Henry Charles +21/11/1942, age 29, service no 189149, Alamein Memorial, Egypt.