Remembering Today 28/8/42 Flight Sergeant: Thomas Rooney,999574, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserv

ROONEY, THOMAS

Rank:

Flight Sergeant

Trade:

Obs.

Service No:

999574

Date of Death:

28/08/1942

Age:

28

Regiment/Service:

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve



142 Sqdn.

Grave Reference:

11. C. 5.

Cemetery:

REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY



Additional Information:

Son of Stephen and Abigail Rooney, of Chapel Allerton, Leeds, Yorkshire.http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2041571/ROONEY,%20THOMAS

 

Details of the above loss...

27/28 August 1942

142 Squadron
Wellington IV Z1424 QT-F
Op. Kassel

Took off from Grimsby. All are buried in the Reichswald Forest War cemetery.

Crew.

P/O. M F. Johnson RCAF +
Sgt. T. Rooney +
P/O. B S. Biden RCAF +
P/O. W L. Quinn RCAF +
Sgt. L M. Tetley +

Source - RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.3 - W R. Chorley.


Kassel 27/28 August 1942

Target - Industry / Transportation. 307 aircraft were dispatched. 256 bombed the target. 289 tons of HE were dropped. 275 tons of incendiaries were dropped. Total 564 tons. 31 aircraft were lost

 

From the Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 4th December 1942.

 

The local newspaper in Kassel states the attack was carried out by 274 bombers, including for the first time above Kassel Lancasters. 43 dead (28 military) and 251 wounded (64 military). A bomber carrying incendiaries crashes on the village of Istha 15km west of Kassel, killing three people. 77 of the HE bombs were of the 4,000lb 'Blockbuster' type.

Hits were obtained on military installations, industrial sites, living areas, hospitals. Kassel was a prime target, producing large amounts of armament, amongst them Fieseler airplanes, Junkers planes or plane parts, Henschel plane engines, the Tiger I tank, and train engines, also at Henschel. In June 1942 Fieseler had received the instruction to develop what should become the V1. The attack destroys 144 buildings and heavily damages another 317. Three factory buildings at Henschel are destroyed.

The attack was effective because of low cloud and good moonlight, enabling pathfinders to mark well. But I guess that also accounts for the very heavy losses. This was the first time German night fighters intervened in an attack on Kassel. Planes lost were 21x Wellington, 5xStirling, 3x Lancaster, 1x each Halifax and Hampden.

All the best

Andreas

 

142 Squadron lost five aircraft on this raid: Z1266, Z1338, Z1396, Z1411 & Z1424. The squadron also lost five aircraft during the Turin raid of 24/25 November 1943. It were the squadron's worst losses of the war.

 

Thomas Rooney was posted to 142 Squadron from 27OTU on 13 May 1942. Here is an overview of the missions he flew on:

2 June - Essen
12 July - Minelaying
14 July - Minelaying
21 July - Duisburg
25 July - Duisburg
27 July - Sea search
29 July - Saarbruchen
31 July - Dusseldorf
9 August - Osnabruck
11 August - Mainz
12 August - Mainz
15 August - Dusseldorf
16 August - Minelaying
18 August - Flensburg
24 August - Frankfurt
27 August - Kassel

 

Thomas Rooney is my paternal grandad's 1st cousin (my 1st cousin x 2 removed). I am researching my family tree and have found the information contained about him on this website very informative. Thank you, Steve Ruane

 

Thank you nicks and Peter. I am a big military history fan. I am also presently researching Thomas Rooney's 1st cousins' military career during WW2. Wilfred Ruane was killed in the Italian theatre at the Battle of Coriano Ridge 9 Sept 1944. The surname was originally Rooney. Some family members changed it to Ruane. Thanks again folks..Steve

 

Folks I came across photos of Leslie Mellor Tetley and a couple of letters, etc when I visited this site for the first time yesterday. However, I cannot seem to locate them anymore. I think I originally accessed them via details given for all of the crew members lost along with Thomas Rooney. Please assist if possible. Thanks, Steve

 

RIP Thomas Rooney and fellow crew members 28/8/1942. Never forgotten..

 

*
Thomas Rooney is mentioned in the 142 Squadron Air Crew RoH; link: Men of 142 Squadron 1941-42

RIP Thomas Rooney