My mother's cousin, Sergeant William Meikle McIntyre, R.A.F.V.R.1785330, 106 Squadron, R.A.F. was the wireless/operator in Lancaster LL953 Z N - O and was killed along with the other six men of the crew when the aircraft was shot down on the night of 6-7 November 1944 during a raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. I would be very grateful if any member could shed any light on the circumstances of the aircraft's loss, such as whether she fell victim to flak or a night fighter, and where she crashed. I believe the squadron Record Book might survive in the National Archives, but that is beyond reach at the moment.
For record Casualty Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) MCINTYRE, WILLIAM MEIKLE Service Number 1785330 Died 06/11/1944 106 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Buried at REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Location: Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Number of casualties: 7500 Cemetery/memorial reference: Coll. grave 23. F. 5-8. See cemetery plan
It was F/Off Clarke's 5th Operation, presumably similar for the rest of his crew. The CWGC Cncentration tab shows that the crew were initially buried at Nienborg (assume somewhere near Gravenhorst) Sgt Croll was the only crew member identified by the Germans, presumably as he may still have been in the rear turret and thus may have suffered less from the impact. Regrettably the rest of the crew were buried in a communal grave with a Memorial to 4 "Unknown" British airmen. The CWGC exhumation in March 1947 was then able to individually identify all the crew from the communal grave. For what it is worth, they were carrying 13 x 1,000lb and 1 x 500lb bombs, equipped with Fishpond and H2S The Salford Lancaster by Joe Bamford "In an attack on Stuttgart on 28/9 July LL953 (coded "C") had been attacked by 2 night fighters, but F/Off Browne had managed to make it back to base despite sustaining severe damage". No doubt that's why it returned after these repairs to be coded as "O" (there are 9 references to LL953 in "The Salford Lancaster" but other than as quoted above, I can't access the other 8) EDIT TO ADD: Nienborg is approx 50km south west of Gravenhorst, which I assume was the Aiming Point on the Dortmund Ems canal.
RAF Squadron ORBs are viewable online/for download at a fee from the National Archives. This link says all of them are available. Royal Air Force operations record books 1911-1963 - The National Archives There was talk of NA making viewing/download of already digitised material free during the current crisis, but the site still seems to quote a fee. This link says that the Air Bomber of LL953 was 22 year old Sydney Napier HILDER, brother of 22 year old Flt/Sgt William Leslie HOLDER 1684920 RAFVR from Linton-on-Wharfe, Yorkshire. William was killed flying Lancaster III PB153 AS-J2. 166 Squadron Lancaster I PA234 AS-M F/O. Muncer, RAF Kirmington, Großhabersdorf, Germany Sergeant William Clyde was an Air Gunner serving with 106 Squadron, Royal Air Force. He was in Lancaster LL953 ZN-O which took off from R.A.F. Metheringham at 16.30 on 16th November 1944 on a mission to Gravenhorst. The aircraft was lost over Gravenhorst and is believed to have been shot down by Hauphtmann Modrow of 1 Nachtjagd Force at 19.24 hours. William was the son of William and Francis Maud Clyde and was from Bushmills foreign-fields. (scroll down about a third of the page) Also William Patrick Clyde - WartimeNI 1944 6/7 November The Nachtjagd force of elements of NJG1, 2, 3 and 4 caught the bombers as they approached the target area. Only 31 Lancasters bombed due to target marking difficulties but a short intense battle lasting about 20 minutes took place as the bomber force started to return home, Nachtjager claiming at least 11 kills including the possible destruction of 214 squadron Fortress III engaged on an electronic screening mission. With Lancasters falling by the minute it's not surprising that Nachtjager claims for individual aircraft are confusing. Fg Off NEALE, CONRAD DENIS (182745) age: 24 RAFVR Flt Sgt HARDY, WALTER (1323620) age: 23 RAFVR Flt Sgt HILDER, SYDNEY NAPIER (1520932) age: 22 RAFVR Sgt ARMSTRONG, ROBERT LIONEL (1674487) age: 22 RAFVR Sgt CLYDE, WILLIAM (1798065) age: 20 RAFVR Sgt CROLL, JAMES MACGREGOR (1825824) age: 21 RAFVR Sgt McINTYRE, WILLIAM MEIKLE(1785330) RAFVR killed whilst flying in Lancaster I, LL953 ZN-O of No 106 Sqn, which was lost on a raid to Gravenhorst, buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Probably shot down by Hptm Modrow of 1./NJG1 at 19.24. https://www.ordinarycrew.co.uk/bomber-command-losses A photo of Mcintyres grave is here Bomber History - Lancaster LL953......16th November 1944 may also be of interest: A Narrow Squeak Over Stuttgart | Scottish Saltire Branch | Aircrew Association
Thanks, confirms my guesses... For the records, the surname has been corrected by CWGC in their records HILDER, SYDNEY NAPIER. Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber). Service Number 1520932 Died 06/11/1944. Aged 22 106 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of George and Elizabeth Hilder, of Springhill, Berwickshire. His brother William Leslie also fell. HILDER, WILLIAM LESLIE. Flight Sergeant (Pilot). Service Number 1684920 Died 17/03/1945 Aged 22 166 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of George and Elizabeth Hilder, of Linton-on-Wharfe, Yorkshire. His brother Sydney Napier Hilder also fell.
Gentlemen. Thank you very much for the additional information which helps fill out the picture considerably. Does anybody know if there is any available information on Hptm. Modrow's claim, perhaps in a NJG 1 unit history? Malcolm
He claimed 2 bombers that night Aces of the Luftwaffe - Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow Wiki says: Modrow was the leading proponent of the Heinkel He 219. All but one of his 34 successes were claimed in this aircraft. Probably explains his interception of a Mosquito.....
LL 953 Lancaster B1 was a Metheringham ,RAF No 5 Group ,aircraft from a group of 450 Lancasters ordered in April 1942 (note order laid down as soon as the Lancaster had shown promise with the first to be equipped Lancaster squadrons ...No 44 and No 97 Squadrons) and delivered from November 1943 to August 1944. The aircraft was first issued to No 166 Squadron at Kirmington in May 1944 but must have suffered damage on the operation to the Wesseling synthetic oil plant on 21/22 June 1944.It would have been repaired possibly at the AVRO repair centre at Bracebridge Heath,Lincoln or at Langar,off the A46 near Nottingham but the former would be most likely.Its service hours with No 166 squadron were 44 hours and when it was lost with No 106 Squadron on 6/7 November 1944,it had accumulated 375 hours service. The raid on the Mittelland Canal on 6/7 November 1944 was aborted by the Master Bomber after the marking force of 235 Lancasters had difficulties in identified the target for the 235 Lancasters taking part.Of the 7 Mosquito markers engaged.only one was able to indicate the target from a very low height but the marker fell into the canal and deprived the main force of accurate marking .At this point the Master Bomber called off the operation with only 31 aircraft able to bomb.Not a successful night for Bomber Command who ran up 10 Lancaster losses and No 100 ECM Group who lost one No 214 Squadron Fortress engaged in the Jostle support role.