"Look-ups" for 166 Squadron RAF Bomber Command

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Ron Goldstein, Sep 13, 2010.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Alan

    I've had a look through "Wings of War" and had found the following info for you.

    Under Appendix 5, Page 15, 7th row down, the crew is listed under Lost on Operations.
    Under Appendix 7, The Roll of Honour, Page xxvi, 11th row from bottom, Sgt.Hubbard is listed

    I will continue to see if I can find anything else but at first glance there is no other story about their operation.

    Regards

    Ron

    ps
    On the roll of honour my own dear brother is also shown (highlit under Sgt.J.Goldstein)
     

    Attached Files:

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  2. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Hello Ron, I hope you don't mind if I put my 10p's worth to your thread.......

    Sgt. J G. Hubbard was lost on a raid to Bochum on the night of 29-30 March 1943 when Wellington III X3965 AS-L was lost without trace. The crew were as follows.......

    Sgt. O E. Collins RNZAF
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    F/O. L. Young
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Sgt. J G. Hubbard
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Sgt. J B. Bayliss RAAF
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    F/S. S N. Curtis RAAF
    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.


    The Bochum raid on 29-30 March 1943....

    8 Oboe Mosquitos and a 'Main Force' composed of 149 Wellingtons also visited Bochum. This raid was another failure. The night was moonless and cloudy and the Mosquitos were not able to adhere to their timetable and there were long gaps in the skymarking. 12 Wellingtons lost, 8.0 per cent of the force.
     
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  3. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Thanks Ron & Peter,

    Bayliss & Curtis RAAF are the first two chronologically on my list of 166sq deaths.

    The third is this lad.

    LANCASTER, ERIC EDWARD Flight Sergeant 413617 166sq RAF 7/04/1943 28 RAAF Australian Panel 193. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

    Lancaster_EE Photo.jpg

    Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Eric Edward Lancaster, 166 Squadron, RAF. Flt Sgt Lancaster, of Forbes, NSW, (b. 19/12/1914, Cootamundra, New South Wales), enlisted in Sydney, NSW, on 12 September 1941 and was killed whilst on operations over the North Sea on 7 April 1943.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
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  4. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Peter & Geoff

    Hello Ron, I hope you don't mind if I put my 10p's worth to your thread.......

    Mind?, never !, I'm sure that Alan will appreciate your additional input and that, IMO, is what this forum is best at.

    Ron
     
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  5. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Thanks Ron & Peter,

    Bayliss & Curtis RAAF are the first two chronologically on my list of 166sq deaths.

    The third is this lad.

    LANCASTER, ERIC EDWARD Flight Sergeant 413617 166sq RAF 7/04/1943 28 RAAF Australian Panel 193. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

    View attachment 36405

    Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Eric Edward Lancaster, 166 Squadron, RAF. Flt Sgt Lancaster, of Forbes, NSW, (b. 19/12/1914, Cootamundra, New South Wales), enlisted in Sydney, NSW, on 12 September 1941 and was killed whilst on operations over the North Sea on 7 April 1943.

    Cheers

    Geoff


    Sgt Eric Edward Lancaster RAAF was lost when Wellington III BK299 AS-Q was lost without trace after taking off from Kirmington at 2217 hrs for a Gardening operation over the 'Artichokes' area (off Lorient)

    Five crew lost.
     
  6. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    The next few on my 166sq list.

    SOMERS, JAMES KARL Pilot Officer 411398 166sq 22/06/1943 29 RAAF Australian 16. C. 8. JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY Netherlands Gelderland

    MATTRESS, CHARLES ALFRED Warrant Officer 402531 166sq RAF 26/06/1943 25 RAAF Australian Panel 191. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL UK Surrey

    WATT, MAXWELL BIRDWOOD Flight Sergeant 415456 166sq RAF 26/06/1943 25 RAAF Australian Plot C. Row 12. Grave 367. WIERINGEN (HIPPOLYTUSHOEF) GENERAL CEMETERY Netherlands Noord-Holland

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  7. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    The next few on my 166sq list.

    SOMERS, JAMES KARL Pilot Officer 411398 166sq 22/06/1943 29 RAAF Australian 16. C. 8. JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY Netherlands Gelderland

    Cheers

    Geoff

    The above airman was lost on the night of 21-22 June 1943 when his No.166 Squadron Wellington X, HE924 AS-C, was shot down by a night fighter (Hptm. Siegfried Wadam, II./NJG1) The Wellington had taken off from Kirmington at 2341 hrs on a raid to Krefeld.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details
     
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  8. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    MATTRESS, CHARLES ALFRED Warrant Officer 402531 166sq RAF 26/06/1943 25 RAAF Australian Panel 191. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL UK Surrey

    Cheers

    Geoff

    The above airman was lost when his No.166 Squadron Wellington X, HE346 AS-M was lost without trace on a raid to Gelsenkirchen.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Five crew lost.
     
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  9. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    The next few on my 166sq list.

    WATT, MAXWELL BIRDWOOD Flight Sergeant 415456 166sq RAF 26/06/1943 25 RAAF Australian Plot C. Row 12. Grave 367. WIERINGEN (HIPPOLYTUSHOEF) GENERAL CEMETERY Netherlands Noord-Holland

    Cheers

    Geoff

    Geoff, F/S. M B. Watt. RAAF was with No.106 Squadron....

    Lost when Lancaster I W4256 ZN-V crashed on the night of 25-26 June 1943 at Hippolytushoef, Holland when on a raid to Gelsenkirchen, the aircraft had taken off from Syerston at 2300 hrs.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Seven crew lost.
     
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  10. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Geoff, F/S. M B. Watt. RAAF was with No.106 Squadron....

    Lost when Lancaster I W4256 ZN-V crashed on the night of 25-26 June 1943 at Hippolytushoef, Holland when on a raid to Gelsenkirchen, the aircraft had taken off from Syerston at 2300 hrs.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Seven crew lost.

    Thanks Peter.

    I transcribed the 11,200 Postings at Death one by one so that one must have been an early morning entry.:wink:

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
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  11. gails37

    gails37 Junior Member

    Hello All,
    I am helping a friend of mine research his family tree and I am hoping you can help. I am looking for information on his Uncle ALBERT EDWARD BARNES. All I know so far is that he was with the 166 squadron and was killed in 1944. If anyone has any information on him or knows where we can look it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
    Gail :poppy:
     
  12. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Hello All,
    I am helping a friend of mine research his family tree and I am hoping you can help. I am looking for information on his Uncle ALBERT EDWARD BARNES. All I know so far is that he was with the 166 squadron and was killed in 1944. If anyone has any information on him or knows where we can look it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
    Gail :poppy:

    Hello Gail, welcome to the forum

    14-15 January 1944

    166 Squadron
    Lancaster I DV404 AS-Z
    Op. Brunswick

    The aircraft took off from Kirmington at 1638 hrs. Probably shot down by a night-fighter crashing in the target area.

    Those who died are buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War cemetery. W/C. Scragg was an American who had joined the RAF in the 1930s. before joining for war service F/O. Claydon had served on Barnet Urban District Council.

    W/C. C. Scragg MBE AFC pow
    Sgt. D A. Abbott +
    F/S. E S. Brown +
    F/O. F E. Claydon +
    F/S. H. Fewster +
    W/O. A E. Barnes + CWGC :: Casualty Details
    F/S. D R. Taylor


    BCL Vol.5 - W R. Chorley.

    The Brunswick raid of 14/15 January 1944

    496 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes on the first major raid to Brunswick of the war. 38 Lancasters lost, 7.6 per cent of the force. The German running commentary was heard following the progress of the bomber force from a position only 40 miles from the English coast and many German fighters entered the bomber stream soon after the German frontier was crossed near Bremen. The German fighters scored steadily until the Dutch coast was crossed on the return flight. 11 of the lost aircraft were Pathfinders. Brunswick was smaller than Bomber Command's usual targets and this raid was not a success. The city report describes this only as a 'light' raid, with bombs in the south of the city which had only 10 houses destroyed and 14 people killed. Most of the attack fell either in the countryside or in Wolfenbüttel and other small towns and villages well to the south of Brunswick.


    The Bomber Command War Diaries. - Middlebrook / Everitt
     
  13. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Gail

    Albert Edward Barnes
    Hello All,
    I am helping a friend of mine research his family tree and I am hoping you can help. I am looking for information on his Uncle ALBERT EDWARD BARNES. All I know so far is that he was with the 166 squadron and was killed in 1944. If anyone has any information on him or knows where we can look it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
    Gail :poppy:


    Nothing to add to Peters comprehensive info on the Brunswick raid other than to show you the entry on Page xviii of "On Wings of War" , 2nd entry down from the top.
    There is however a couple of pages in the book describing the capture of Wing Commander Scragg, who survived the crash, but I thought it was not relevant to your enquiry.

    Regards

    Ron
     

    Attached Files:

  14. gails37

    gails37 Junior Member

    Thank you so much for your help
     
  15. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

    Gail,
    A.E. Barnes was a regular crew member with S/Ldr Pape's crew and flew 8 ops with them, he flew his last two ops with W/C Scragg. I have sent you an email with my address, if you contact me i'll send what i have.
    Alan.
     
  16. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    I hope it doesn't offend any sensibilities, but some of the crew are in a collective grave (Plot 14 Row A 8-13) but Barnes (M/uG), Claydon (bomb aimer) and Taylor (tail) were able to be identified and have graves A2, 3 and 4. They may have tried to bale out, perhaps too low to survive. They look to have been one of the more experienced crews.
    W/Cdr Scragg may have filed a report on the crash after release which may give the initial crash location if not already known.
     
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  17. Pierre47

    Pierre47 Junior Member

    In the attachment a picture of James Karl Somers


    Geoff, F/S. M B. Watt. RAAF was with No.106 Squadron....

    Lost when Lancaster I W4256 ZN-V crashed on the night of 25-26 June 1943 at Hippolytushoef, Holland when on a raid to Gelsenkirchen, the aircraft had taken off from Syerston at 2300 hrs.

    CWGC :: Casualty Details

    Seven crew lost.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. RonRALS

    RonRALS Junior Member

    Hello,
    I am trying to find information about my Uncle, Sergeant Ronald Arthur Leighton Saunders who died on 23rd March 1944 when his Lancaster JB151, AS-O was shot down. He is buried in the Military Cemetary at Rheinberg. He was the mid-upper gunner in the crew. I have found out that at least three of his crew survived to become POWs, Sgts Elsley, Parker and Ricketts. I would like to know the details of the raid upon which he was lost and the names of the crew and their positions. Are any of the crew who survived still alive?.....do any of their families remember them talking about my uncle? What was Kirmington like at this time? Any snippets of information would be welcome to enable me to piece together a picture of my uncle and his crew and the conditions under which they lived and died.

    Thanks everyone, in anticipation.

    Ron S
     
  19. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi Ron S

    Had a look in my book but there is scant info on the raid.

    It seem that Frankfurt was the target, 23 aircraft took part from Kirmington out of a total force of 816 aircraft.

    For others wishing to help, the correct CWGC data is given below:

    Ron

    SAUNDERS, RONALD ARTHUR LEIGHTON Initials: R A L Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 166 Sqdn. Date of Death: 22/03/1944 Service No: 902995 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 17. D. 22. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
     
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  20. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Hello Ron
    Welcome to the forum.

    The crew of Lancaster III JB151 SA-O was as follows....

    F/L. W J. Stammers +
    Sgt. W E. Elsley pow
    Sgt. P J. Ricketts pow
    F/S. T T. Evans +
    Sgt. L. Parker pow
    Sgt. R A L. Saunders +
    Sgt. B G. Harper +


    The Frankfurt raid of 22/23 March 1944.

    Frankfurt: 816 aircraft - 620 Lancasters, 184 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos. Again, an indirect route was employed, this time crossing the Dutch coast north of the Zuider Zee and then flying almost due south to Frankfurt. This, and the Kiel minelaying diversion, confused the Germans for some time; Hannover was forecast as the main target. Only a few fighters eventually found the bomber stream. 33 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes - were lost, 4.0 per cent of the force.
    The marking and bombing were accurate and Frankfurt suffered another heavy blow; the city's records show that the damage was even more severe than in the raid carried out 4 nights earlier. Half of the city was without gas, water and electricity 'for a long period'. All parts of the city were hit but the greatest weight of the attack fell in the western districts. The report particularly mentions severe damage to the industrial areas along the main road to Mainz. 162 B-17s of the Eighth Air Force used Frankfurt as a secondary target when they could not reach Schweinfurt 36 hours after this RAF raid and caused further damage. The Frankfurt diary has this entry: "The three air raids of 18th, 22nd and 24th March were carried out by a combined plan of the British and American air forces and their combined effect was to deal the worst and most fateful blow of the war to Frankfurt, a blow which simply ended the existence of the Frankfurt which had been built up since the Middle Ages."


    Extract from 'The Bomber Command War Diaries' - M. Middlebrook / C. Everitt
     
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