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28/29 August 1942 Wellington Mk III - X3675 - KO-D |
Shot down by night fighter Hptm Bietmann, II./NJG1.
Crashed at Grant-Hallet, Luik, Belgium
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 20.48 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 - 5 KIA
Wellington Mk III X3464 KO-B - 5 POW
Wellington Mk III X3647 KO-A - 4 KIA, 1 POW
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 crashing on landing (A/C. T.Z.1607 - Captain P/O. BERRY).
at Barton Bendish due to petrol shortage
caused by airscrew pitch control being temporarily u/s. All crew reported to have survived with no serious injuries.
Two aircraft jettisoned their bombs safe owing to airscrew (A/C. C.B.N. - Captain P/O. SHIRES) and
(A/C. N.B.J.663 - Captain S/L. SANDES) engine trouble respectively; and one aircraft
(Captain W/C. COUSENS - Wellington Mk III X3351 KO-Y) was forced to jettison its bombs when attacked
by enemy fighter,
returning to base with the W/T. Operator (Sgt. CLAY H.) fatally injured.
11 aircraft returned to base after operations by 04.38 hours.
Smith John George - Pilot
W/O - Service No 742471
Age: 23
RAFVR
Son of Walter William and Alice Louisa Smith.
Husband of Josephine Winifred Smith, of Tickenham, Somerset.
Heverlee War Cemetery, Arrondissement Leuven,
Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), Belgium - grave 9.A.6
Source: CWGC. - Photo via Find a grave, by Marcel Rosvelds
Cope Jack Edward - Observer/BA
Sgt - Service No 1377332 - DFM
Age: *°May 24th, 1920 / +April 22nd, 1995
RAFVR
Evade - Photo via Comete Line, the story
Source: *Traces of war.
MacKenzie N. John - WOP
Sgt - Service No NZ41596
°Greenpark 12 November 1914.
RNZAF
POW No 26875 Stalag 344
Citation Mention in Despatches (NY1946) For meritorious service whilst a Prisoner of War.
The only survivor (?) from the crew of a Wellington shot down on its flight to Nuremberg at the
end of August was the New Zealand wireless operator, Sergeant N. J. Mackenzie, who records:
'…. Suddenly cannon shells ripped through the fuselage, the petrol tanks were hit and our machine burst into flames.
The pilot ordered us out as the bomber began to go down. I made for the emergency hatch which at first refused to open.
With flames scorching my face and hands I jumped on the hatch and out I went.
My parachute opened at once and the blazing aircraft circled me before it crashed.
A brother, F/O MacKenzie Murray, 14th Sqn RAF, Serv. No 40931 was lost on operations in the Middle East on 27 May 1941. Age 27,
remembered on ALAMEIN MEMORIAL, Column 241.
Sharpe William John - FG
Sgt - Service No 798575
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of Robert and Alfreda Sharpe, of Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
Heverlee War Cemetery - grave 9.A.7-8
Source: CWGC - Photo via Canadian virtual war memorial. by Martin Carrack & Find a Grave by Marcel Rosvelds.
Carr Leslie George - RG
Sgt - Service No 1330310
Age: 20
RAFVR
Son of George Lewis Carr and Ellen Lavinia Carr, of Twickenham, Middlesex.
Heverlee War Cemetery - grave 9.A.7-8
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by Marcel Rosvelds