Royal Air Force

James P. McKAY-Royal Canadian A.F.-Died 03/09/1941--Dunkirk Town cemetery.
2-3 September 1941

214 Squadron
Wellington IC R1717 BU-
Op. Frankfurt.

Took off Stradishall. Presumed crashed in the sea off the French coast.

BCL Vol.2 - W R. Chorley

 

W.J.Mckay(Bill)-10th Sqd R.A.F.-Died 20/06/1943--Bretteville-sur-Laize cem.
19-20 June 1943

10 Squadron
Halifax II JD109 ZA-Y
Op. Creusot

Tool off 2215 hrs Melbourne. (No further details)

BCL Vol.4 W R. Chorley

.............................

Creusot raid 19/20 June 1943

290 aircraft - 181 Halifaxes, 107 Stirlings, 2 Lancasters - to bomb the Schneider armaments factory and the Breuil steelworks at Le Creusot. The tactics for this raid were that the Pathfinders would only drop flares and that each crew of the Main Force was to identify their part of the target by the light of these flares. The Main Force crews were then to make 2 runs over the target area, dropping a short stick of bombs on each run from altitudes between 5,000 and 10,000ft. By this stage of the war, however, Main Force crews were used to bombing target indicators and many had difficulty in making a visual identification of their target. Lingering smoke from the large number of flares was blamed for most of the difficulty. Bombing photographs showed that all crews bombed within 3 miles of the centre of the target but only about one fifth managed to hit the factories. Many bombs fell on nearby residential property but no report could be obtained from France to give details of casualties. 2 Halifaxes lost.

 

John McKinstry--35th Sqd R.A.F.V.R.-Died 08/06/1942-Heverelee Cemetery
8-9 June 1942

35 Squadron
Halifax II W7701 TL-U
Op. Essen

took off 2310 hrs Linton-on-Ouse. Believed shot down and crashed 0150 hrs between Meeuwen and Gruitrode (Limburg) 15 km NNE of Genk, Belgium.

BCL Vol.3 - W R. Chorley

.............................

Essen Raid 8/9 June 1942


170 aircraft - 92 Wellingtons, 42 Halifaxes, 14 Stirlings, 13 Lancasters, 9 Hampdens. 19 aircraft - 7 Wellingtons, 7 Halifaxes, 3 Lancasters, 1 Hampden, 1 Stirling - lost.
Yet again, this target was not identified accurately and bombing was scattered over a wide area. Essen suffered further light housing damage, 13 people killed and 42 injured.

 

Hugh Mitchell--214 Sqd-R.A.F.-Died 01/04/1942--Middelkerke Cem.
1-2 April 1942

214 Squadron
Wellington IC Z1052 BU-
Op. Hanau

Took off Stradishall. Crashed between Wilskerke and Leffinge (West Vlaanderen) 3 km ESE of Middelkerke, Belgium.

BCL Vol.3 W R. Chorley

........................

Hanau, Lohr raid 1-2 April 1942


35 Wellingtons and 14 Hampdens to carry out low-level attacks on railway targets. 22 aircraft reported that they had carried out this task but 12 Wellingtons and 1 Hampden were lost. 57 Squadron, based at Feltwell, lost 5 of the 12 Wellingtons it sent on this raid and 214 Squadron, from Stradishall, lost 7 of its 14 Wellingtons.

 

Wing Comm. Malcolm M.McMULLAN-Men in Dis.-R.A.F.-Died 17/07/1942-Hawarden Cem.

17 July 1942

24 Squadron
Hudson N7253

Transitflight to Hendon, Middlesex. Took off from Sydenham, County of Down, N.Ireland. Control lost in cloud and wing broke off, Tyn-y-Bryne, Glamorganshire.

 

Thanks for all your help Peter--will post more Raf soon.
Wesley Wright

 

R.N. L.Spooner---R.A.F.V.R.--Died 12/11/1945-Oslo Western Civil Cem.
William J. Spence-35th sqd-R.A.F.V.R.-Died 30/07/1943--Becklinhem War Cemetry
Basil Sherry--R.A.F.V.R.-Died 07/05/1943--Tripoli war Cem.
Walter Fred.Rusk--R.A.F.V.R.--08/10/1940-Peterborough Eastfield Cem.
Richard H.Richmond--R.A.F.V.R. Died - 08/07/1943-Madras War Cemetery
John G.Reid-12th Sqd R.A.F.V.R.-Died 14/07/1942-Runnymede Mem.
Thomas Nelson-R.A.F.V.R-Died 20/02/1944-Hanover War Cem.
David Nelson--R.A.F.-Died-23/02/1944-Singapore
Edwad McLoughlin-R.A.F.V.R.-03/01/1944-Runnymede Mem.
Alan J.Tait--R.A.F.V.R.-Died 03/10/1943--Woods C.of Ireland


Wesley Wright

 

William J. Spence-35th sqd-R.A.F.V.R.-Died 30/07/1943--Becklinhem War Cemetry
29-30 July 1943

35 Squadron
Halifax II HR906 TL-L
Op. Hamburg

Took off 2158 hrs Graveley. Shot down by a night-fighter.

BCL Vol.4 W R. Chorley

.................................

Hamburg raid 29/30 July 1943

The Battle of Hamburg continued with 777 aircraft - 340 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 119 Stirlings, 70 Wellingtons, 4 Mosquitos being despatached. The marking for this raid was again all by H2S. The intention was to approach Hamburg from almost due north and bomb those northern and north-eastern districts which had so far not been bombed. The Pathfinders actually came in more than 2 miles too far to the east and marked an area just south of the devastated firestorm area. The Main Force bombing crept back about 4 miles, through the devastated area, but then produced very heavy bombing in the Wandsbek and Barmbek districts and parts of the Uhlenhorst and Winterhude districts. These were all residential areas. There was a widespread fire area - though no firestorm - which the exhausted Hamburg fire units could do little to check. 28 aircraft - 11 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters, 4 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons - lost, 3.6 per cent of the force.

 

John G.Reid-12th Sqd R.A.F.V.R.-Died 14/07/1942-Runnymede Mem.
13-14 July 1942

12 Squadron
Wellington II W5397 PH-
Op. Duisburg

Took off 0009 hrs Binbrook. Crashed in the sea off Oksby, Denmark.

BCL Vol.3 W R. Chorley

.......................

Duisburg raid 13/14 July 1942

194 aircraft - 139 Wellingtons, 33 Halifaxes, 13 Lancasters, 9 Stirlings - on the first of a series of raids on this industrial city on the edge of the Ruhr. 6 aircraft - 3 Wellingtons, 2 Stirlings, 1 Lancaster - were lost and 4 more aircraft crashed in tons England.

The force encountered cloud and electrical storms and reported that their bombing was well scattered. Duisburg reports only housing damage - 11 houses destroyed, 18 seriously damaged - and 17 people killed.

 

Hi Wesley

Just a little comment-only the US Sqns had th after the Sqn numbers our had either No. 35 Sqn or as Peter has been listing them on his postings. You are both doing such good work there that I will butt out now and let you get on with it!
Have a great Xmas and New Year
Dee

 

29-30 July 1943

35 Squadron
Halifax II HR906 TL-L
Op. Hamburg

Took off 2158 hrs Graveley. Shot down by a night-fighter.

BCL Vol.4 W R. Chorley

.................................

Hamburg raid 29/30 July 1943

The Battle of Hamburg continued with 777 aircraft - 340 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 119 Stirlings, 70 Wellingtons, 4 Mosquitos being despatached. The marking for this raid was again all by H2S. The intention was to approach Hamburg from almost due north and bomb those northern and north-eastern districts which had so far not been bombed. The Pathfinders actually came in more than 2 miles too far to the east and marked an area just south of the devastated firestorm area. The Main Force bombing crept back about 4 miles, through the devastated area, but then produced very heavy bombing in the Wandsbek and Barmbek districts and parts of the Uhlenhorst and Winterhude districts. These were all residential areas. There was a widespread fire area - though no firestorm - which the exhausted Hamburg fire units could do little to check. 28 aircraft - 11 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters, 4 Stirlings, 2 Wellingtons - lost, 3.6 per cent of the force.

Thought I would see if there were any Aussies in these crew and came up with one first up.

PERRETT, REX GORDON Warrant Officer 404983 35sq RAF 30/07/1943 24 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 14. E. 4. BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY Rex Gordon PERRETT was born on 1 Mar 1919 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Airborne 2158 29Jul43 from Graveley. Shot down by a night-fighter. Crash-site not established. Those killed are buried in Becklingen War Cemetery.
F/S R.Spooner KIA
Sgt E.C.Fox KIA
F/L W.L.Breckell PoW
F/O D.J.Anderson KIA
Sgt W.J.Spence KIA
F/S R.G.Perrett RAAF KIA
Sgt R.Webb KIA
F/L W.L.Breckell was interned in Camp L3. Pow No.2912.

 

Thomas Nelson-R.A.F.V.R-Died 20/02/1944-Hanover War Cem.
19-20 February 1944

158 Squadron
Halifax III LW501 NP-M
Op. Leipzig

Took off 0006 hrs Lissett. Shot down by night-fighter and crashed 0240 hrs near Beedenbostel, 4 km NNE of Lachendorf.

BCL Vol.5 W R. Chorley.

.........................................

Leipzig raid 19/20 February 1944

Leipzig: 823 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 255 Halifaxes, 7 Mosquitos. 78 aircraft - 44 Lancasters and 34 Halifaxes - lost, 9.5 per cent of the force. The Halifax loss rate was 13.3 per cent of those dispatched and 14.9 per cent of those Halifaxes which reached the enemy coast after 'early returns' had turned back. The Halifax IIs and Vs were permanently withdrawn from operations to Germany after this raid.

This was an unhappy raid for Bomber Command. The German controllers only sent part of their force of fighters to the Kiel minelaying diversion. When the main bomber force crossed the Dutch coast, they were met by a further part of the German fighter force and those German fighters which had been sent north to Kiel hurriedly returned. The bomber stream was thus under attack all the way to the target. There were further difficulties at the target because winds were not as forecast and many aircraft reached the Leipzig area too early and had to orbit and await the Pathfinders. 4 aircraft were lost by collision and approximately 20 were shot down by flak. Leipzig was cloud-covered and the Pathfinders had to use skymarking. The raid appeared to be concentrated in its early stages but scattered later.

 

Edwad McLoughlin-R.A.F.V.R.-03/01/1944-Runnymede Mem.

Wesley, could you please confirm the above details, can't seem to find him on the CWGC site.

Regards
Peter

 

Peter

Found this chap using Geoff's Search engine, hopefully the same person.

CWGC :: Casualty Details

100 Sqn Lancaster III JB549 HW-C Op: Berlin

P/O G W Henderson RCAF +
Sgt L J Loewenson +
F/O J M Olgilive RCAF +
Sgt G H Hendry +
Sgt N Bowman +
Sgt R E L Stoneman +
Sgt E C McLaughlin +

T/o 2339 Grimsby. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Loewenson enlisted in Rhodesia circa June 1940.

BCL 1944 Vol 5 W R Chorley

Regards,

Nick

 

Looks like the man Nick, thanks.

Regards
Peter

PS.

Would just like to add ........

Berlin raid 2/3 January 1944

383 aircraft - 362 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitos, 9 Halifaxes - return to Berlin. German fighter controllers followed the bombers all the way to the target. Night fighters were sent to a radio beacon between Hannover and Bremen but these fighters missed the bomber stream and did not come into action until they were directed to Berlin. Most of the bomber casualties were in the Berlin area. 27 Lancasters were lost, 10 per cent of the force. The casualties included 10 Pathfinder aircraft; No 156 Squadron, from Warboys, lost 5 of its 14 aircraft taking part in the raid.

 

Thanks Oggie FOR KEEPING ME RIGHT.
Wesley Wright

 

Alan J.Tait--R.A.F.V.R.-Died 03/10/1943--Woods C.of Ireland
3 October 1943

103 Squadron
Lancaster Mk.III JB346

The aircraft, which was on an air test, crashed shortly after take off from Elsham Wolds.

Lancaster Museum record has crash site as Turnpike Farm, Lincolnshire.

 

Wilson Lilly-R.A.F.V.R.-Died 11/08/1945--Labuan War Cem.-Malaysia
I can't see that anyone else has posted this information, so for what it is worth here 'tis:

LILLY, Aircraftman 2nd Class, WILSON, 1028484. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 11th August 1945. Age 22. Son of William and Ellen Lilly, of Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Section 5. Row A. Plot 14.

Hope that is of some help

 

I can't see that anyone else has posted this information, so for what it is worth here 'tis:

LILLY, Aircraftman 2nd Class, WILSON, 1028484. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 11th August 1945. Age 22. Son of William and Ellen Lilly, of Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Section 5. Row A. Plot 14.

Hope that is of some help

Hello and welcome to the forum

Andy

 

Walter Fred.Rusk--R.A.F.V.R.--08/10/1940-Peterborough Eastfield Cem.
8 October 1940

Hart Special K4368
7 FTS

Flew into ground Tilton-on-the-Hill, Leics.

Rusks death is registered at Leicester and it could be he was involved in the above incident at Tilton.

LAC (Pilot u/t) Walter F. RUSK - 966122, died of wounds or injuries received on active service.