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6/7 May 1942 Wellington Mk III - X3591 - KO-K |
All the crew baled out successfully but F/L Sword and
Sgt Batty are believed to have been fatally injured due to loose parachute harnesses.
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
97 aircraft - 55 Wellingtons, 15 Stirlings, 10 Hampdens, 10 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes .
the city and the Bosch factory.
This third raid on Stuttgart was another failure, with crews again blaming ground haze
for their inability to identify the city.
Stuttgart's records show that no bombs fell in the city, though a few fell in woods to the west.
The Lauffen decoy may have been responsible for a raid which developed on the large town of Heilbronn,
only 5 miles from the decoy fire site but 20 miles from Stuttgart.
More than 150 buildings were hit in Heilbronn and 7 people died there.
5 Wellingtons and 1 Halifax lost.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary May 1942.
ORB. 6th. May, 1942.
14 aircraft (8 from "A" Flight and 6 from "B" Flight) (including 1 freshman)
took off between 2101 and 2220 hours to attack targets STUTTGART and NANTES.
The 13 aircraft attacking STUTTGART found weather over the target to be good but
with a ground haze and bombing from heights ranging between 9000 and 15500 feet
dropped their bombs visually observing numerous bursts in the target area.
Some fires were seen and a number of photographs attempted.
Leaflets were also dropped.
The aircraft (A/C. D.X.3749 - Captain Sgt. FRY) attacking NANTES bombing from
a height of 9800 feet dropped his bombs and observed 2 bursts in the target area.
One of the aircraft (A/C. T.X.3724 - Captain Sgt. BECKETT) attacking target STUTTGARD attacked
alternative target KARLSRUHE dropping its bombs and observing bursts and 4 decent sized fires.
One aircraft (A/C. Q.X.3343 - Captain F/S. DAVIS ) attacked the last resort target believed to be
SAARBRUCKEN and dropping its bombs observed bursts but no other results.
this aircraft had starboard engine trouble (and T.R. was unserviceable).
One aircraft (A/C. F.X.3416 - Captain P/O. GEORGE - engine failure) was forced to jettison its bombs
10 miles South West of TRIER due to engine trouble, and abandoned the sortie.
A/C. K.X.3591 (Captain F/L. SWORD) and
A/C. N.X.3466 (Captain F/L. PATERSON) failed to return from operations. Wellington Mk III - X3466 - KO-N.
0526. All the remaining aircraft had returned safely to Base after operations.
Sword John Arthur - Pilot
F/L - Service No 84698 - DFC - AFC.
Age: 23
RAFVR
Son of Arthur and Margaret Sword, of Chivel, Oxfordshire.
Husband of Pauline Sword (nee Bevan),
of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. B.A. (Cantab.).
Rheinberg War Cemetery - 9. L. 1.
Source: CWGC - Photo via FB, International Bomber Command Centre - Find a grave, by Des Philippet
Watson B. H. J. - 2nd Pilot
P/O - Service No 79545
Age:
RAFVR
POW - No 784 Luft 3
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan
Batty William Harry - Observer
Sgt - Service No 986627
Age: 22
RAFVR
Son of Willan and Elizabeth Alice Batty, of Sedbergh, Yorkshire.
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - 22. B. 13.
Source: CWGC - Photo via online-begraafplaatsen.nl - Find a Grave by Stefan.
Brown G. S. - W.Op./Air Gnr
Sgt - Service No 1307663
Age:
RAFVR
POW - No 800 Luft 1
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan
Nickson T. L. C. - FG
F/S - Service No 529230
Age:
RAF
POW - No 79
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan
Haynes C. J. - RG
F/S - Service No 1186873
Age:
RAFVR
POW - No 58 Stalag 357
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan