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28/29 August 1942 Wellington Mk III - X3351 - KO-Y |
A/c was badly damaged by a night fighter over the target.
Sgt Clay was mortally wounded, a/c returned safely to base.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
159 aircraft - 71 Lancasters, 41 Wellingtons, 34 Stirlings, 13 Halifaxes.
Crews were ordered to attack Nuremberg from as low as possible.
The Pathfinders found their aiming point and, for the first time, marked it with target indicators
adapted from 250lb bomb casings.
Photographs showed that these were placed with great accuracy and the crews of the Main Force
claimed to have carried out a good attack.
A report from Nuremberg does not quite confirm this. Bombs were dropped as far away as the town of Erlangen,
nearly 10 miles to the north, and 4 people were killed there.
In Nuremberg itself, the number of bombs recorded would indicate that approximately 50 aircraft hit the town.
137 people were killed; 126 civilians and 11 foreigners.
23 aircraft - 14 Wellingtons, 4 Lancasters, 3 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 14.5 per cent of the force.
The Wellington losses were 34 per cent of those dispatched!
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary August 1942.
ORB. 28th August, 1942.
15 aircraft (9 from "A" Flight & 6 from "B" Flight)
took off for operations between 20.26 and 0.48 hours to attack
targets SAARBRUCKEN and NURNBERG.
5 aircraft detailed to attack SAARBRUCKEN bombed from heights ranging between 8,000 and 9,500 feet
and bursts were observed on and around aiming point, fires were caused in town and marshalling yards.
One aircraft (A/C. Q.X.3718 - Captain P/O. OWEN) landed at MANSTON owing to shortage of petrol.
One of the ten aircraft detailed to attack NURNBERG attacked target SAARBRUCKEN, owing to engine trouble,
and bombs were seen to burst on the target and 6 fires were observed burning on target.
Of the other nine detailed to attack NURNBERG,
four failed to return,
Wellington Mk III - BJ688 KO-R - no survivors
Wellington Mk III - X3351 - KO-Y.
Wellington Mk III - X3647 KO-A - 4 KIA, 1 POW.
Wellington Mk III - X3675 KO-D - 3 KIA, 1 POW, 1 Evd.
two successfully located target and bombed from heights ranging 10,000 and 12,000 feet,
bursts being observed in build up area, one of these aircraft
A/C. T.Z.1607 - Captain P/O. BERRY) crashing on landing due to petrol shortage caused by
airscrew pith control being temporarily u/s;
two aircraft jettisoned their bombs safe
(A/C. B.N.893 - Captain P/O. SHIRES)
(A/C. N.B.J.663 - Captain S/L. SANDES) owing to airscrew and (port) engine trouble respectively;
and one aircraft
(A/C. Y.X.3351 - Captain W/C. COUSENS) was forced to jettison its bombs when attacked by enemy fighter,
returning to base with the W/T. Operator fatally injured.
11 aircraft returned to base after operations by 04.38 hours.
Grimston B. - Pilot
P/O - Service No
Survived
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Cousens Alan George Seymour - Observer
W/C - Service No 44076 - DFC (Jan. 1942), DSO (Nov. 1942), MC (Czechoslovakia).
Survived
Only a month in charge of 635 squadron,
Cousens was killed in action on 22nd April 1944, acting as the Master Bomber, age 30.
the target was the marshalling yards at Laon, France.
Resting at the ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY - Plot 2. Row AB. Grave 10. France
More info: www.geni.com - CWGC - Find a Grave
MacPherson J. - Observer
P/O - Service No
Survived
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Clay Henry - W.Op./Air Gnr.
Sgt - Service No 1112057
Age: 28
RAFVR
Son of John and Mary Clay, of North Shields.
Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery, North Shields, Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside,
Tyne and Wear, Northumberland.
Source: CWGC - photo Find a Grave by Mementomori.
Volante S. J. - FG
Sgt - Service No
Survivor
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
Stafford G. C. - RG
Sgt - Service No
Survivor
Son of
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.