Chapter Six
The New Year brought a brief respite from operations for the squadron, after a weather front postponed its first raid of 1943 for a week. In the meantime the Canadian 6 Group officially came into being on New Year’s Day, and the Pathfinder Force finally attained group status as 8 Group on the 8th. That night nine 218 Squadron crews were detailed to mine the Kadet Channel and the north-eastern Frisian Islands, but three were forced to abandon their sorties due to engine problems. The port-outer propeller of veteran Stirling N3721 HA-P flew off over the North Sea, resulting in an engine fire, which S/Ldr Ernest Sly AFM managed to bring under control, before making a safe return to Downham Market on three. The remaining crews all planted their mines as briefed, albeit with considerable difficulty in atrocious weather conditions.
Short Stirling MkI N3721 HA-P seen here with “Digger James and Johnnie Wortley. N3721 completed a further thirteen operations before being sent to 1651 CU. John Wortley would train as a flight engineer and return to 218 Squadron in 1945 to commence a tour of operations on the Avro Lancaster.
A new Air Ministry directive issued on the 14th called for the area bombing of those French ports acting as home to U-Boat bases and support facilities, and a list of four such targets was drawn up accordingly. It was headed by Lorient, and the campaign against it was put immediately into action that very night, when a mixed force of over a hundred aircraft, including six from 218 Squadron, delivered a scattered and only modestly effective attack. It was a different story on the following night, however, when a force of 157 bombers was sent back to the port, among them eight Stirlings from 218 Squadron, two of which returned early. The Stirlings were the last wave over the target, and they found the port area ablaze. Flares and incendiaries were considered to be well placed, and the Stirling element had no difficulty in identify the aiming point. Opposition had increased markedly since the previous night’s attack, and light flak in particular was evident, as were additional searchlights. Over eight hundred buildings in the town were destroyed, but fortunately most of the residents had fled during the day.
Stirlings were excluded from two disappointing raids on Berlin on the 16/17th and 17/18th, but they continued with their very profitable mining operations. Four crews carried out a successful mining operation on the 18/19th, when fourteen mines were planted in the Nectarines II area. It was back to Lorient on the 23/24th, when 116 aircraft attacked in good visibility, and inflicted yet more damage upon the town. Eleven 218 Squadron aircraft eventually made it into the air, but one was soon back in the circuit with an engine problem. Those reaching the target found it well marked by a series of accurately placed red target indicators, and S/Ldr Sly watched his bomb load explode directly on the docks. The squadron was left off the order of battle for Düsseldorf on the 27/28th, when Oboe ground marking was employed for the first time, but participated in mining operations instead. Two Garden areas were chosen, Sweet Peas in the Baltic, to which five 218 Squadron crews were assigned, while three others were sent to the Nectarines area off the western Frisian Islands. 3 Group’s chief medical officer, W/Cdr Huins, accompanied S/Ldr Hiles to conduct a trial of the stimulant, Benzedrine to observe its effects at first hand. Each crew member was given a tablet two hours after departure, but the results were inconclusive. Half felt no discernible change, while others claimed to feel less sleepy. Huins added in his report that the results may have been effected by the fact that the crew members were delighted and excited at operating a new aircraft, BF443 HA-H, which had only been on the squadron a matter of days. A Flight’s S/Ldr Hiles DFC reported that “the aircraft was 25 mph faster than any other on the squadron!”
Among the trio heading for the Nectarines garden were F/O G Berridge and Sgt G Ratcliffe, both of whom were on their maiden operation. Sadly this final raid of the month resulted in the squadron’s first operational loss of the year. N6077 HA-V flew into high ground in Germany during the return flight, and only the rear gunner, Sgt Jackson, survived from the eight man crew of twenty-year old P/O Arthur Gough. “Jacko” Jackson had arrived with the rest of the crew from 1651 Conversion Unit on August 23rd 1942, and they had completed nineteen operations together. The squadron welcomed S/Ldr Anthony Beck in late January, and his arrival heralded the addition of a third, or C Flight, to the squadron, which he was to command. 218 Squadron was required to launch forty-nine sorties during the month, and suffered the loss of the aircraft and crew just mentioned.
February started with a series of high level training flights on the 1st, followed on the 2nd by a number of Bullseye exercises. Hamburg opened the month’s operational activities on the night of the 3/4th, and involved eight 218 Squadron crews led by W/Cdr Morris. Severe icing was encountered outbound, and this resulted in an alarming twenty-five early returns from the group, two of which were from 218 Squadron. Wing Commander Morris was attacked by a JU88 while outbound, and on return the crew claimed it as a probable. Accompanying the commanding officer was S/Ldr Beck as second pilot, and occupying the rear turret was the squadron gunnery leader, F/L Birbeck. The target was hidden by ten-tenths cloud, and, as no ground features could be identified, bombs were delivered on the glow of flares from the 7 and 35 Squadron Pathfinder element. In the event W/Cdr Morris was unable to drop his full load of incendiaries after experiencing technical difficulties with a bomb door. Two aircraft failed to return from this disappointing attack, and there were no survivors from the crews. BF406 HA-E crashed at 20:41hrs near Deelen airfield in Holland, possibly as the result of an encounter with Oblt Horst Pause of 1/NJG1. Sergeant Leslie Dodd and his crew, which included two Americans, were on their fourth operation. The second crew to be lost was that of F/L Stanley Treves, whose BF408 HA-T came down in the English Channel off the Straits of Dover. Flying as 2nd pilot was F/O Peter Astrosky who was on his first operation with the squadron.
The Command returned to Italy on the night of the 4/5th for an attack on Turin. The operation involved 188 aircraft, of which six Stirlings were provided by 218 Squadron, led by B Flight commander S/Ldr Sly. Solid cloud was encountered for most of the route out, with tops over the Alps at 17,000 feet. Once across this natural barrier the conditions cleared, and visibility became perfect in the target area. A concentrated bunch of red target Indicators and a modest defence afforded the crews an ideal opportunity to inflict serious damage on the Fiat works. Returning crews reported a number of large fires north of the aiming point, and there were no losses from the squadron or group. An all 3 Group mining operation was carried out on the following night involving nineteen Stirlings drawn from 75, 90, 149, 214 and 218 squadrons. The crews were briefed to target Young Yams, the shipping lanes north of the West Frisians. 218 Squadron was represented by S/Ldr Beck and Dutchman P/O Ter Averst, both of whom were on their first operation with the squadron as crew captains. Low cloud over the entire route and target area resulted in both crews having to deliver their six mines on ETA, before returning without incident.
Lorient on the receiving end. Pilot Officer Ratcliffe’s all incendiary load is dropped over the docks on January 16th from 13,000ft, note the bend in the river and bridge.
A devastating two-phase attack was carried out on Lorient on the 7/8th, for which the 3 Group contingent attacked in the second phase, with the Keroman submarine base as its aiming point. Nine 218 Squadron aircraft took part, led by S/Ldr Beck on his second freshman trip. Two returned early, while in contrast, P/O Pettit RCAF, despite the loss of his starboard-inner engine while outbound, opted to continue on to the target, where the all-incendiary load was delivered onto the aiming point from 7,500 feet. A number of well-established fires were evident across the target area and old town, and a particularly large blaze was seen at the Port Militaire complex. Returning crews reported that the fires in Lorient could be seen from half-way across the Channel. Just two 3 Group crews operated on the 12th, both of them from 218 Squadron. Pilot Officer Davies and Sgt Webb each successfully dropped their six mines in the shipping channels off the West Frisian Islands.
Bomber Command carried out its heaviest attack of the war on Lorient on the 13/14th, when around 450 aircraft delivered a record one thousand tons of bombs. 218 Squadron supported the three phase operation with fifteen Stirlings, and proceedings opened with the marking of the aiming point by twenty-four Pathfinders, after which over 200 aircraft from 1, 3 and 6 Groups attacked the old town and the Keroman peninsular. Finally, a further 230 aircraft from 4 and 5 Groups hit the same aiming points in the face of what was described as heavy naval flak operating in conjunction with searchlights. Pilot Officer Cozens reported flak damage, and S/Ldr Beck’s BF446 HA-H sustained a shattered windscreen, which resulted in a very draughty trip home. Visibility was perfect over both aiming points, and most crews reported dropping their loads from between 6,000 and 13,500 feet, and described the target as a mass of flames.
The long awaited debut of the Mk III Stirling was finally realised on this night. The Austin Motors-built BK650 had arrived from 44MU on February 6th, followed by BK687 on the day after. BK650 was allocated the individual letter L and BK687 R. The honour of being the first to become airborne on operations was won by BK650, with A Flight’s S/Ldr Hiles DFC at the controls. On leaving the target area Hiles impulsively descended to ground level to shoot-up and stop a train ten miles east of Lorient. On his return Hiles commented that he was “very pleased with the Mk III”, a sentiment echoed by S/Ldr Sly in his report.
Wing Commander Morris took command of Downham Market from G/C “Square” McKee on the 14th, on the latter’s posting to 3 Group Headquarters for duties as S.A.S.O. An inconclusive attack was carried out on Cologne that night, involving twelve 218 Squadron aircraft and all three flight commanders. Once over enemy territory German fighters were active throughout, and two crews had encounters. Another large-scale attack was unleashed upon Lorient on the 16/17th, when the eight 218 Squadron crews carried out a timed run from north to south using the lattice B or C lines in good visibility. Large fires, explosions and a dense volume of smoke were seen in the target area, on a night when the flak was described as weak and ineffective. Contrary to orders S/Ldr Hiles brought BK650 down to below 4,500 feet in an attempt to pinpoint the target, and, with the majority of aircraft operating above 8,000 feet, he was extremely fortunate not to be hit by falling bombs. While this operation was in progress three other 218 Squadron crews were engaged in the mining of the Deodars area at the mouth of the Gironde Estuary.
The important port of Wilhelmshaven was attacked on the 19/20th, when crews encountered thick haze in the target area. The raid opened with Pathfinder sky markers, but this was changed to ground markers, a decision which may have been responsible for most of the effort finding open country. Considerable opposition was encountered from both night fighters and flak in the target area, and later the flak defences of Heligoland and a convoy sailing near the North Frisians. Squadron Leader Hiles’ aircraft was hit by light flak from the convoy which holed the port wing tank and cost the right thumb of F/Sgt De Silva, the 22 year old rear gunner born in British Guiana. The Hon Mr Hodge of the Colonial Office inspected the squadron on the 19th, he spoke at length with the crews during his inspection and informed all present that the work and contribution of the squadron was of great interest and pride to all those on the Gold Coast. The following day after a brief period as SASO at 3 Group Headquarters G/C McKee returned to Downham Market to relieve W/Cdr Morris as station commander.
Nuremberg, the scene of Nazi pre-war rallies, was attacked on the night of February 25/26th. Over three hundred aircraft set out for this distant target, but bad weather on the outward journey and a misunderstanding at the rendezvous point caused the Pathfinders to arrive late. The initial ground markers were dropped two miles north-north-west of the aiming point, and subsequent marking fell well short. One group of TIs was concentrated on a village five miles from the target, and they attracted the majority of the bombs. Fourteen 218 Squadron Stirlings supported the operation, but soon after crossing the coast three of these were forced to jettison their bombs and turn for home. The remainder arrived over Nuremburg just after 23.00hrs, and it was immediately obvious that the marking was scattered. The recent run of loss-free operations ended on this night, after Sgt Raymond White and his crew were shot down by flak at 01.14hrs local time. BF450 HA-X crashed near the Mannheim power station on the right bank of the River Rhine, and there were no survivors. Next morning the only wreckage visible was the tail section which was found still occupied by the nineteen-year old rear gunner, Sgt John Hearn.
Eight 218 Squadron Stirlings joined an operation to Cologne on the 26/27th, when slight haze in the target area made pinpointing almost impossible, and none of the returning crews was enthusiastic about the prospects of a successful outcome. On the same night Sgt Hailey carried out a successful mining sortie in the Young Yams area, delivering six mines from 1,000 feet. Flying Officer Stewart was also gardening when attacked by a FW190 twenty miles east of Rotterdam at 20.40hrs. The gunners opened fire at 150 yards range, and numerous strikes were seen all over the engine and wings of the fighter, which immediately dived into the haze below, and was not seen again. A large scale mining operation involving ninety-one aircraft was carried out on the following night, when two areas were allocated to the 218 Squadron element. Four crews each were briefed to sow their mines in the Gironde Estuary and the West Frisians, but one was forced to abort before the English coast was reached. The remaining aircraft planted a total of 55,500lb of mines, and all returned from what appeared to be an incident-free operation.
Having dealt with Lorient, Bomber Command now turned its attention upon St Nazaire on the last night of the month, and an estimated 60% of the town was destroyed on this one night alone. Ten 218 Squadron crews were briefed, but R9189 HA-K swung violently to starboard without warning when almost airborne, and the attempt to straighten it up caused the undercarriage to collapse. Fortunately there was no fire and the crew of Canadian P/O Cozens was able to walk away, but R9189 was beyond repair. Another aircraft returned early with a defective engine, but the remaining crews found the target and carried out a successful operation. Numerous fires were reported in the docks area, particularly on the east side of the complex, and a large one on the southern side with black, acrid smoke billowing upwards.
It had been a record month for 218 Squadron with 124 sorties, the highest among the Stirling squadrons. In the process it had dropped a new record of 628,000lb of bombs, the second highest in the group to 214 Squadron. The squadron also topped the table of gardening sorties with twenty-six, 94% of which were successful. This increase came as a direct result of the formation of the third flight, which had been made possible by the gradually increasing production rate of the Stirling. At the same time Bomber Command was undergoing expansion, and both 218 and XV Squadrons were increased to a strength of twenty-four aircraft plus reserves. There was a change of command at 3 Group HQ on the 27th with the departure of AVM Cochrane to 5 Group as A-O-C. Cochrane’s forthright and no-nonsense approach had given the group the impetus it so desperately needed, at a time when it had reached a low ebb. The group’s new commanding officer was fifty-year-old Yorkshireman, AVM Richard Harrison CBE DFC AFC. Prior to Harrison’s appointment he had served as SASO at HQ 1 Group from December 1940 until his appointment as Deputy SASO at HQ Bomber Command in January 1942. Harrison had been considered as successor to Baldwin back in 1942, but Harris wanted Cochrane and got his wish. In a letter to Portal dated July 5th 1942 Harris wrote of Harrison:
“Alternatively, Harrison my Deputy SASO would entirely suit me as AOC 3 Group. He is a fine commander, though rather junior. He would be the first AOC in this war with personnel operational experience of the war, and that of itself has many attractions.”
March would bring with it the first major bombing campaign of the war for which Bomber Command was adequately equipped and prepared. By the beginning of 1943 Harris had a predominantly four-engine bomber force at his disposal, with an unprecedented bomb carrying capacity. The blind bombing device, Oboe, had demonstrated its potential to negate the ever-present industrial haze blanketing the Ruhr, and protecting the likes of Essen and Duisburg. Bombers, particularly Lancasters, were now rolling out of the factories in large numbers, while the Empire Training Scheme guaranteed an endless supply of fresh, eager crews, and all of this meant that the time was right to demonstrate just what Bomber Command could achieve.
Short Stirling R9189 HA-K flown by Pilot Officer Cozens RCAF the morning after it swung off Downham Markets runway while taking off for St Nazaire. The Stirling was Struck off Charge after completing 31 operations with 218 Squadron.
Before Harris embarked on the Ruhr offensive he committed his crews to a major operation against Berlin on March 1st. A force of three hundred aircraft set off for the Reich Capital either side of 19.00hrs, among them nine Stirlings belonging to 218 Squadron. As briefed the squadron contingent crossed the North Sea below 5,000 feet until a hundred miles from the enemy coast. It was during this leg that two of them turned back with technical problems. The force was arranged according to aircraft type, the Halifaxes of 4 and 6 Groups opening proceedings, followed by the Stirling force with the Lancasters of 1 and 5 Groups bringing up the rear. Visibility was good over the target, and several fires were reported in districts east of the centre, while a large explosion was witnessed in the Spandau area. The attackers were subjected to heavy and accurate flak over the target, and Sgt Cobb and crew reported seeing the demise of a bomber. So clear was the visibility that they could count the parachutes of its crew. On return BK666 HA-Q struck trees near Fakenham in Norfolk and crashed, but F/O Berridge and his crew were able to walk away. This was the first Mk III to be written off by the squadron.
An attack on Hamburg followed on the 3/4th, when over four hundred aircraft took part in excellent weather conditions. 218 squadron provided eleven Stirlings, 3 Group’s largest contribution, although two returned early. The Stirlings were part of the third wave, and the crews identified the Alster Lake and bombed on a number of scattered green TIs in moderate to intense flak. The squadron dropped thirty tons of bombs, but the raid was largely disappointing, after the Pathfinders misidentified the target. The majority of the crews bombed the town of Wedel, situated some thirteen miles north-east of the intended target, and only Sgt Tomkins among the 218 Squadron contingent managed to bomb within two miles of the correct aiming point.
The Ruhr campaign began on the night of the 5/6th, when 442 aircraft took off for Essen. For the first time in a main force operation Mosquitoes equipped with Oboe would be used to locate and ground mark the target. The heavy crews had been informed at briefing that a new marking method was to be used, and that they should only bomb on red markers using maximum precision. The main force was to bomb in three waves according to aircraft type, with the Halifaxes of 4 and 6 Groups taking the lead between 21.02hrs and 21.20hrs. The Wellingtons and Stirlings of 1, 3 and 6 Groups were briefed to attack between 21.15hrs and 21.25hrs, before the Lancasters of 1 and 5 Groups concluded the attack between 21.25hrs and 21.40hrs. Three of 218 Squadron’s eleven Stirlings were forced to return early with technical malfunctions, P/O Pettit, S/Ldr Sly and P/O Fennell all making it safely home. On reaching the target the 218 Squadron crews were confronted by a carpet of flames and intense flak, the latter accounting for R9333 HA-Y, which crashed in Essen-Kray, an eastern suburb, and there were no survivors from the crew of P/O George Ratcliffe. Pilot Officer Ratcliffe had completed twelve operations and his crew nine. An unusually high number of early returns reduced the size of the force arriving over the target, and just 367 crews bombed as briefed. Damage was exceptionally severe and widespread, with at least fifty-three separate workshops of the Krupp works sustaining heavy damage, while thirteen main buildings were virtually destroyed. Several smaller factories were partially gutted, together with gasworks, power stations and the municipal tram depot.
The squadron was not required to operate for the next two nights, and crews took a well-earned breather from operations while the hard working ground crews caught up on long-overdue servicing and repair work. The respite did not last long of course, and the squadron was called upon to operate again on the 8th. The target for this night was the distant southern city of Nuremberg, for which the squadron provided twelve Stirlings. One returned early to Downham Market with an undercarriage malfunction, but the remainder pressed on by an almost straight route across France to the target. Sergeant Webb was attacked by a twin engine fighter, which the rear gunner beat off, and was able to report the fighter diving away with what appeared to be flames emanating from the fuselage. Pilot Officer Smith and crew were attacked by a JU88 at 01.28hrs, ten miles east of Laon, but crew discipline and accurate shooting by the rear gunner, F/Sgt Holland, resulted in the fighter being shaken off.
The red and green Pathfinder flares were found to be scattered across Nuremberg, and two fires were seen to be burning, one in a northern district and another to the south. Flak was moderate but accurate, and Sgt Webb and crew watched a bomber explode over the target, while BF446 HA-H was severely hit by flak on the run into the target area. Damage in Nuremberg was not on the scale of Essen, but over six hundred buildings were destroyed, and the M.A.N and Siemens factories sustained damage. Ten crews joined a disappointing raid on Munich on the 9/10th, when inaccurate marking by the Pathfinders resulted in bombing being rather scattered. On the positive side the squadron dropped 44,640lb of bombs without loss. On the 10th Sgt Bryans and crew undertook their first freshman operation since being posted to the squadron from 1651 CU on February 28th. They were one of four crews to carry out a successful mining operation in the Deodars area.
For a fourth consecutive night, the squadron was required to operate on the 11th, when contributing ten aircraft on the third trip in a row to southern Germany. This time the target was Stuttgart, which the crews found covered in haze. Although impossible to identify the aiming point, fairly concentrated Pathfinder flares were seen and bombed in the face of intense light flak. Pilot Officer Cobb was on his bombing run when another Stirling was shot down in flames less than four hundred yards ahead. The pilot took violent evasive action, which resulted in overshooting the markers, and the bomb load was dropped on surrounding fires. Flight Lieutenant Pettit’s BF468 was badly hit by flak over the target, while S/Ldr Sly reported seeing seven bombers shot down in the area. If accurate flak in the target were not enough the crews had to contend with night fighters all the way home. Fijian F/O Davis was attacked by a JU88, and F/L Pettit by a Bf110 a few miles from the French coast. The mid-upper gunner, Sgt Sommerville, was wounded in the hand and leg in the encounter. On return he was transferred to the RAF Hospital at Ely. The squadron lost the experienced crew of F/Sgt Gerald Parkinson RNZAF on this night, while on their twenty-first operation. BF343 HA-M crashed south of Dieppe, possibly the victim of a prowling night fighter, and there were no survivors.
Eager to take advantage of his earlier success at Essen, Harris returned on the night of the 12/13th with over four hundred aircraft. Again 218 Squadron was required to operate, and provided eight aircraft for this Oboe ground marking attack. On reaching the target the crews found a concentrated mass of red and green markers. Flak and searchlight activity was intense, but some crews bombed from below the briefed height in an effort to achieve better accuracy. Flying Officer Arthur Davis was coned on his bomb run and bracketed by both light and heavy flak, which inflicted damage to his port wing. His all-incendiary bomb load was dropped into a mass of flames and markers from 6,480 feet. A number of aircraft were hit by ground fire on the way home, and Arthur Davis came back at less than two hundred feet, shooting at everything that moved. This was in fact, the final operation with 218 Squadron for the Davis crew, as they were about to be posted to 7 Squadron of the Pathfinders. They would fail to return from an operation to Wuppertal on June 24th. The squadron had dropped a total of 62,280lb of bombs during the Essen raid without loss. Wing Commander Morris again assumed command of Downham Market on the 12th, as G/C McKee departed on some well-earned leave, and S/Ldr Anthony Beck took temporary command of the squadron. There was a lull in major operations during the mid-month period, and the squadron was not required to operate again until March 22nd. On the 20th McKee was attached to Mildenhall, and four days later was promoted to the acting rank of air commodore to assume command of Base HQ at Mildenhall.
Canadian Mo Pettit at the controls of his regular aircraft Stirling R9189 HA-K aloft over the East Anglian countryside. On completion of his tour of 26 operations Maurice Pettit was awarded a well-deserved DFC. After a spell as instructor he return for a 2nd tour with No.432 RCAF Squadron flying Halifaxes, he completed a further 22 operations and survived the war and was award a Bar to his DFC.
A return visit to the U-Boat yards at St Nazaire was planned for the 22/23rd, and ten 218 Squadron aircraft took off in marginal weather conditions. Such were the conditions, in fact, that group sent out a recall message to all crews, who were by then within twenty miles of the French Coast. Pilot Officer Becroft and crew did not receive the recall signal, and continued on to the target to deliver their all-incendiary load. This was the last raid undertaken by one of the squadron’s more press-on and audacious captains, S/Ldr Waldo Hiles DFC, who was posted to 3 Group HQ at Exning Hall. Waldo “Wally” Hiles would be awarded a DSO in recognition of completing his second tour. Occupying the second pilot’s seat on Hiles’ final operation was W/Cdr Jack Sims, who had been attached to the squadron from 1657 Conversion Unit for operational experience since March 11th. On March 30th he would take command of the Lancaster II-equipped 115 Squadron. A Flight would be taken over by the experienced acting S/Ldr Geoff Rothwell DFC.
A small-scale mining operation was laid on for the 23/24th, for which four 218 Squadron crews were allotted the Nectarine I area. It was an opportunity for four recently arrived captains to gain operational experience, P/O Meiklejohn, F/Sgt Richards and P/O Crooks, who came from training establishments, and P/O Brown, who had operated before. Pilot Officer Leslie Smith was posted to 1657 Conversion Unit as an instructor on the 26th on completion of his tour of twenty-three operations, and he would be awarded a DFC in May. Sadly he was to lose his life on September 7th 1943, when he entered a blazing Stirling to extricate a trapped crew member. In doing so Leslie Smith sustained such terrible burns that he succumbed to his wounds on the following day.
3 Group dispatched sixty-six Stirlings and six Lancaster Mk IIs to Berlin on the 27/28th, for what turned out to be a disappointing raid. Twelve 218 Squadron crews participated, and they found the defences around the Capital as formidable as always. BF452 HA-Y was hit by flak on leaving the target area, and the bomb aimer sustained a leg wound. Flight Lieutenant Neilson lost his starboard-outer engine, and had to make the long flight home without it. The Squadron ORB simply recorded “A Good Show”. While this operation was in progress, three other 218 Squadron aircraft successfully planted nine mines in the Young Yams area.
On March 28th W/Cdr Morris moved on attachment to Mildenhall, and was succeeded as “station master” at Downham Market by G/C “Speedy” Powell DSO OBE. Group Captain Powell was the well-known wing commander from the 1942 propaganda film, “Target for Tonight”, which starred G/C Percy Pickard as the captain of Wellington F for Freddie. Powell was an inspirational leader, who liked to lead by example. On the departure of W/Cdr Morris the squadron welcomed thirty-nine-year-old Australian W/Cdr Donald Saville DFC. Saville was born in 1903 in Portland, New South Wales, and joined the RAAF in May 1927 at Point Cook. He was granted a short service commission in the RAF in February 1928, and served with a number of fighter and bomber squadrons in the UK until his transfer back to the RAAF in February 1932. On leaving the RAAF he became a flying instructor with the Tasmanian Aero Club, and in 1937 joined the Australian National Airways, where he remained until the outbreak of war. On re-joining the RAF Saville was posted to 2 Ferry School, where he could utilize his vast experience of 8046.35 flying hours.
In August 1941 Saville got his wish to be put in the front line, and after completing his course at 21 OTU at Moreton-in-Marsh, he was posted to 12 Squadron at Binbrook to fly Wellingtons. On December 2nd 1941 he was posted as a flight commander to the newly formed 458 RAAF Squadron at Holme-on-Spalding Moor, and in early 1942 was given command of a detachment of the squadron sent to operate in the Middle-East. When 458 was handed a new role in August 1942, he was posted to command 104 Squadron at Kabrit. He was awarded a DFC, and by the completion of his tour in February 1943, he had forty-seven operations to his credit. Inexplicably Saville was not screened from operations for the usual six month rest period, and within weeks of his arrival back in the UK, the tough, no-nonsense Australian was commanding 218 Squadron. Some found his style of leadership refreshing, while to others he was a typical Aussie, loud, rude and self-opinionated. However, all agreed he was a first rate pilot and a true leader of men.
Another crack at St Nazaire was undertaken on the 28/29th, when 322 aircraft were dispatched, including six from 218 Squadron, with W/Cdr Saville accompanying C Flight’s S/Ldr Beck. The crews found red and green target indicators concentrated over the docks area and the U-Boat yards, and bombed accordingly in good visibility. Pilot Officer Howlett reported two aircraft going down in flames over the target, and others said that the glow of the fires from St Nazaire were visible from mid-Channel on the way home. Ten of the squadron’s aircraft took off for Berlin on the 29/30th, the second trip to the Capital in three nights. 3 Group’s contribution amounted to fifty-three Stirlings and eight Lancaster IIs of 115 Squadron. Weather over the North Sea and the Continent was bad, with severe icing conditions, and this may have contributed to the high number of early returns afflicting the group. It was only during the last twenty miles to the target that the weather began to improve. Crews pinpointed Berlin’s largest lake in the haze, and red TIs were initially well-placed in preparation for the arrival of the main force. Unfortunately, they did not turn up in sufficient numbers to capitalize on the opportunity, and the majority of bombs fell into open country, after flares dropped by H2S were six miles south-east of the intended aiming point attracted attention. This last operation of the month accounted for the loss of two 218 Squadron aircraft without survivors. Nothing was heard from F/O John Harris and crew in BK716 HA-J after take-off, and it is believed they were shot down over the North Sea on the way home. Harris and his crew had completed eight operations together. Tragically, of the seven men on board, five, including twenty-nine-year-old Harris, were married. Flak claimed Sgt William Hoar RCAF in BK702 HA-O, which crashed south of Bremen at 03.42hrs. The crew was on its fourth operation together, and Hoar was on his sixth. Two DFCs were awarded to the squadron in March, one to the gunnery leader, F/L John Birbeck, and the other to mid-upper gunner, P/O Lionel Newbury.
The crew of Sergeant William Hoar RCAF. William was initially attached to the squadron during December 1942 for operational experience on posting from No.1651 Con Unit. He returned with his crew on February 8th 1943.
April would prove to be the least rewarding month of the Ruhr period, but this was largely because of the number of operations to targets in regions of Germany beyond the range of Oboe. It began in encouraging fashion, however, with another successful tilt at Essen on the 3/4th, which destroyed over six hundred buildings. The Stirling brigade sat this one out, but ninety of them, including twelve from 218 Squadron, were included in a raid on Kiel on the following night, which employed a new record non-1,000 force of 577 aircraft. Weather conditions were unhelpful, and, unable to identify any ground details, the crews had to rely on yellow Pathfinder route markers. At the target bombing took place on Red Wanganui TIs (skymarkers), which drifted away from the aiming point in the strong wind and caused the bombing to be scattered. 218 Squadron delivered 80,880lbs of incendiaries, but returning crews reported the raid to be a failure.
Wing Commander Saville DFC captained one of three aircraft from the squadron to carry out a successful mining operation in the Deodars area on the 6/7th, before Bomber Command switched its attention back to the Ruhr on the 8/9th. Nine 218 Squadron crews took part in the attack on Duisburg, after two had returned early, and in total fifteen out of fifty-four 3 Group aircraft abandoned their sorties. Once again unfavourable weather conditions contributed to the early returns, and also resulted in scattered bombing. Wing Commander Saville was leading the 218 Squadron element, and, finding the target covered in thick cloud, had to bomb on scattered TIs in the face of an intense flak defence. Among the nineteen missing aircraft from this raid, and lost without trace was BF502 HA-P, flown by twenty-two year old Sgt Douglas Tomkins. This all-NCO crew had arrived on the squadron on Christmas Eve, and had flown a total of sixteen operations, including two to Berlin. While the majority of the squadron’s crews were over Duisburg, two others made a return visit to the Deodars area, where eight mines were successfully planted.
Downham Market was visited on the afternoon of the 10th by the Secretary for Air, RT Hon Sir Archibald Sinclair and the A-O-C of 3 Group, AVM Harrison,. Both arrived by air to watch that night’s briefing for an operation to Frankfurt. Fourteen crews departed Downham and almost immediately disappeared into thick cloud that persisted for the entire outward flight. An unusually high number of early returns depleted the force of five hundred aircraft, and within fifteen minutes the first of four 218 Squadron “boomerangs” was back over the aerodrome. The remaining crews found the target blanketed in cloud up to 8,000 feet, which made identification impossible. To add to the problems the Pathfinder sky markers were quickly lost in the clouds, and illuminated whole swathes to further confuse the bomb-aimers and hinder accurate bombing. Squadron Leader Rothwell reported that the flares over this notoriously difficult target were scattered and confusing, and the raid ultimately became a failure after all but a handful of bombs fell into open country and outlying communities. The disappointment was compounded by the loss of nineteen bombers, 3.8% of the force dispatched. Second tour veteran Geoff Rothwell DFC had arrived from 75 (NZ) Squadron on April 1st. He was an experience pilot, having completed his first tour with 99 Squadron flying Wellingtons in 1940. He began his second tour with 75 (NZ) Squadron in February 1943, but as New Zealand policy required that all senior commanders on the squadron be New Zealanders, Geoff was posted to Downham Market with forty-six operations already under his belt.
Squadron Leader Geoff Rothwell DFC “A” Flight Commander. Together with S/Ldr Ryall DFC steered the squadron through its toughest period.
Sergeant Allan and crew carried out a mining sortie off the Frisians on this night, and a similar small-scale operation took place on the following night involving three 218 Squadron crews in the Deodars area. Sergeant Hoey was on his way home at 01.40hrs when he was attacked by a JU88, which was hit by return fire from the rear turret, and broke off the engagement. Later the Stirling was attacked again by two FW190s, which were also driven off. The only damage to BF413 HA-T was a bullet hole in the perspex of the mid-upper turret and a hole in the loop aerial. All three crews returned safely to Downham Market. On the early evening of the 11th W/Cdr Saville led two other aircraft on a fruitless air-sea search, it is believed for the crew of a 75 (NZ) Squadron Stirling that had ditched short of fuel on return from Frankfurt.
Sixteen 218 Squadron crews were briefed for an attack on Stuttgart on the 14th, and this was the largest contribution from the group. A new tactic was to be employed to confuse the German defences, in which the Lancaster force would fly at 20,000 feet, with the Halifaxes at 10,000 feet and the sixty-nine Stirlings at tree-top level until climbing to bombing height for the attack. The Pathfinders were to open proceedings at 00.45hrs followed by the Lancasters of 1 and 3 Groups. The third wave, comprising the Stirlings and Wellingtons of 3 Group and Wellingtons of 6 Group, were scheduled to attack next, followed by the Halifaxes of 4 and 6 Groups, and finally the Lancasters of 5 Group to bring the curtain down between 01.17hrs and 01.27hrs. The Stirlings were to attack from between 12,000 and 13,000 feet, almost 5,000 feet below the Halifaxes and Lancasters, and timing was therefore critical. Once again a high number of early returns blighted the squadron’s effort, and three came back with various technical problems.
A fourth crew had other reasons for not making it to the target. Geoff Rothwell was hedge-hopping his way across France and Luxembourg in almost daylight conditions, shooting up a train, a signal box, river barges and a military camp along the way. On approaching the town of Junglinster in central Luxemburg, they chanced upon a slow moving train travelling into the town. Without hesitation the bomb-aimer, Sgt “Wal” Fielding, manned the front turret and opened up, registering strikes all over the engine, which almost immediately gushed steam. While Rothwell’s attention was momentarily distracted, he failed to notice until too late that he was on a collision course with an electricity pylon. With sheer brute strength and a fair degree of luck Rothwell managed to avoid a head on collision, but he could not avert contact altogether, and a six foot long section of fabrication starting just below the bomb-aimer’s compartment was ripped off to the accompaniment of blue and white sparks. One of the incendiaries damaged in the collision burst into flames, forcing the jettisoning of the entire incendiary load. Having regained control Rothwell turned for home, climbing to an altitude of 5,000 feet in preparation to re-cross the coast. However, ten miles north-east of Sedan they were attacked by a JU88, but crew discipline, superb airmanship and accurate return fire saved the day. It was a close shave, evidenced by a cannon shell smashing the cockpit canopy and sending a piece of shrapnel into Rothwell’s neck. The gunners poured fire into the fighter, which was seen to shudder and omit red and orange flames as it was lost to sight. BK650 eventually landed safely after being aloft for a hectic four and a half hours.
At the target the Pathfinders dropped a number of concentrated red TIs over the aiming point by H2S, in the face of what was reported to be a surprisingly subdued defence, with only moderate flak and practically no searchlight activity. More by luck than judgement the bombing crept back over the industrial suburb of Bad Canstatt, and some useful damage was inflicted. A number of 218 Squadron aircraft were hit by flak in the target area, while others took advantage of the low-level return trip to indulge themselves in ground strafing. It was an exhilarating and unusual raid for the Stirlings of 3 Group. Given the opportunity to operate at low level, the crews had needed very little encouragement to take the war directly to the Germans on the ground.
Bomber Command had two main targets for the night of the 16/17th, the Skoda works at Pilsen, to which over three hundred Lancasters and Halifaxes were assigned, while 271 Stirlings and Wellingtons were given Mannheim as a diversion. 3 Group contributed ninety-five aircraft to Mannheim, and ten Lancaster IIs of 115 Squadron to Pilsen. The largest individual contribution was again by 218 Squadron, which dispatched seventeen aircraft led by W/Cdr Saville, and, unusually, just one returned early. The tactics used against Stuttgart were employed again on this night, with the group instructed to reach 13,000 to 15,000 feet over Dungeness, and then lose height and gain speed to cross the enemy coast. Once over enemy territory they were to maintain an altitude of no more than 2,000 feet until reaching a predetermined point, then to climb quickly to a bombing altitude of 9,000 feet. At the coast the weather conditions were found to be ideal for the German defenders with little cloud and a near full moon.
Flight Sergeant Richards was attacked by two unidentified single engine fighters at 23.20hrs just north-west of Compiegne. A series of attacks developed in which one fighter attacked, while the other held back and fired from long range with cannons. Return fire from the Stirling’s rear turret was seen to enter one of the fighters, which dived to port and a minute later the wireless operator reported an explosion on the ground, which developed into a fire. At 00.14hrs BF514 HA-X was attacked and shot down by Major Kurt Holler of Stab III/NJG4. It crashed near Raucourt, ten miles south of Sedan, there were just two survivors from the crew of P/O David Howlett, who were on their fourth operation. Both men ultimately made their way to Switzerland, and remained there until being repatriated on August 20th 1944. The raid was relatively successful after accurate Pathfinder marking allowed some well-placed bombing, and over 130 buildings were totally destroyed, with a further three thousand reported damaged to some extent. Destruction was particularly heavy around the inland port area, and over 5½ acres of the Joseph Vogele A.G tank and tractor factory was reduced to rubble.
The squadron lost the services of the experienced Australian P/O Meiklejohn and crew on the 20th, on their posting to 7 Squadron of the Pathfinders. Sadly the crew failed to return from an attack on Krefeld on June 21st 1943, the victim of Hptm Siegfried Wandam of Stab I/NJG5. This was the second crew from 218 Squadron to join 7 Squadron, and the second to be lost on operations.
With the departure of G/C Powell in early April to the Middle East, the responsibility of running the station fell to W/Cdr Don Saville DFC, while S/Ldr Beck ran the squadron. This change of role was short lived, however, and ended with the arrival of G/C Eric Delano Barnes AFC, MiD on April 23rd. The night of the 26/27th brought an operation against Duisburg by over five hundred aircraft, fourteen of which represented 218 Squadron. A disappointingly high number of four crews returned early to Downham Market with various technical malfunctions. Flying on this night with F/L Berridge was a young Sgt Arthur Aaron, who had arrived from 1657 CU on the 17th. Returning crews were enthusiastic about the outcome of the operation, which took place in conditions of intense flak and searchlight activity. There were also night fighters, and a number of the squadron’s aircraft returned with battle damage. Reconnaissance showed the main weight of the attack to have fallen to the north-east of the city, but three hundred buildings had been destroyed at this elusive target. Three crews were dispatched to the Nectarines mining area on the 27/28th, for what was the largest mining operation to date involving 160 aircraft. It was on this occasion that Sgt Aaron operated as crew captain for the first time.
Photograph of Arthur Aaron seen here while in training at Love Field, Dallas, Texas 1942.
On the following night the Command undertook an even larger mine-laying operation, which involved 207 aircraft from all groups. They managed to deposit 593 mines in enemy sea lanes, but lost twenty-three of their number in the process, a very high price and one which illustrated the dangerous nature of mine-laying. It was the final operation of a hectic month for 218 Squadron, which dispatched eight crews to the Sweet Pea II area in the Fehmarn Belt, lead by S/Ldr Sly. Tragically the squadron was to lose three crews under circumstances that would be officially investigated post raid. The operation began favourably, and there was little opposition in the target areas, but the homebound leg would see a desperate battle between the Stirlings and the JU88s and Bf110s of NJG3. BK447 HA-F was shot down near Vronding in Denmark, after being attacked from below by Lt Gunther Holtfreter of II/NJG3, while crossing the east coast of Jutland at 00.12hrs, and there were just two survivors from the crew of P/O Denis Brown, who were on their tenth operation.
Three-quarters of an hour later BF515 HA-N exploded in mid-air during an encounter with Uffw Berg of 7/NJG3, and crashed near Taagerup Moor, north of Skelledjerg, taking with it to their deaths F/L Gordon Berridge and his crew. This had been Berridge’s twenty-second operation and the crew’s eighteenth together. A little over an hour after this incident, EF356 HA-O was attacked and shot down by Lt Gunther Rogge of 12/NJG3, crashing near Aadum, south-east of Tarn in Denmark. The wireless operator had requested a fix at 01.48hrs, which was received at Hull, and, interestingly, the Bomber Command loss card also records an SOS being received at Tangmere at 02.30hrs. There was only one survivor from the crew of Sgt Kenneth Hailey, who were on their twelfth operation together, and that was Sgt Harry Bliss, the mid-upper gunner. He was taken into captivity, and died on March 30th 1945 from acute appendicitis, while travelling in a filthy rail cattle wagon bound for Fallingbostel. Squadron Leader Sly was very nearly the fourth casualty, after his aircraft was attacked by an unseen night fighter at 01.45hrs. Thankfully, the first burst of cannon fire missed the port wing by a few feet, and Sly immediately dived into the clouds just a 1,000 feet below to pull off a narrow escape.
Immediately following this operation an investigation was carried out by Bomber Command to try to establish the cause of the high loss rate. 3 Group had the highest losses with eight failures to return, the New Zealanders of 75 (NZ) Squadron being particularly unlucky with four missing crews, while 90 Squadron made up the numbers with a single loss. An official enquiry concluded that the squadrons assigned to the Cadet Channel and Fehmarn Belt were given return routes that brought them over a number of very heavily defended areas. All aspects of the operation were investigated in detail, including the number of operations flown and the experience of the participating pilots and crews. After an extensive examination of all available information the eight page report concluded that the major cause of the losses was light flak and sheer bad luck! It was also observed that 3 Group’s track down the Great Belt appeared to bring its aircraft closer to the enemy coast than was desirable.
The squadron topped the group for sorties during April with 127, and this produced a new record of 708 flying hours. It also topped the table for monthly mine-laying sorties with twenty-six. Four DFMs were awarded to the squadron in April, all to experienced wireless operators and air gunners, three of which had completed their tours. Flight Lieutenant Maurice Pettit RCAF and P/O Colin Jerromes were both awarded the DFC during the month in recognition of their courage and conduct. Both had encountered their fair share of danger and near misses over the previous few months.
May would bring a return to winning ways, with a number of spectacular successes, and it began with a new record non-1,000 force of 596 aircraft taking off for Dortmund in the late evening of the 4th. Eleven Stirlings represented 218 Squadron, and on arrival at the target the crews found a number of well placed green TIs delivered by seven Oboe Mosquitoes. However, these quickly became extinguished, and the following crews were obliged to bomb on a number of red TIs, which, as it turned out, were two miles north of the intended aiming point. Never the less, the target was left with fires raging and covered in smoke. Over twelve hundred buildings were destroyed, and a further two thousand sustained serious damage. On the debit side the loss of thirty-one bombers was the highest to date in the campaign, and one of the missing aircraft belonged to 218 Squadron. BF505 HA-Z was attacked by Lt Robert Denzel of 12/NJG12, and exploded in mid air over Holland. Twenty-eight year old Canadian, F/L Wilbur Turner was one of the squadron’s most experienced captains, having joined the squadron from 218 Conversion Flight in August 1942, since which time he had completed twenty-two operations as crew captain, and a further seven as second pilot. Just three men survived from the eight on board, and these were taken into captivity.
Flight Lieutenant Turner had been heavily involved with a recent investigation into the problems encountered by the squadron with the Mk XIV bombsight. In early April the squadron had reported problems in the form of a frequent desynchronisation of the standard repeater on the then relatively new Mk XIV device, when used in conjunction with the compass system. Other squadrons within the command had expressed similar concerns, and a full-scale investigation began on April 23rd. The task of finding a solution was given to the boffins at R.A.E. At the time over three hundred Mk XIV bomb sights were in service, and of these only six showed consistent de-synchronisation, and all of these were on 218 Squadron. The Boffins of R.A.E worked feverishly to resolve the problem, which, by early May, was becoming wide-spread throughout the Command. By June 3rd the fault had been eliminated throughout Bomber Command by the simple expedient of fitting a suppressor to the master unit transmitter. A R.A.E report dated December 1943 compiled by F Twiney B.Sc., made particular mention of 218 Squadron:
The de-synchronisation failure reported in this note was cured only through the assistance of 218 Squadron, Downham Market, before universal fitting of the Mk.XIV bombsight could make it generally available in Bomber Command. The trouble was discovered because of the excellent maintenance there showed that a definite causes must exist, and the co-operation in making flight tests enabled the simplest remedy to be introduced quickly. Acknowledgment is due, in particular to F/Lt Turner (pilot of I-Ink) F/Lt Jones and P/O Ambrose (Electrical Officers) and F/Sgt Jacobs (Instrument N.C.O)
Four all-NCO crews were dispatched to the Nectarine I and II mining areas on the 5/6th, and twenty-four mines were successfully planted in their allotted positions. The squadron was not required to operate again until the 12th, and this lull in operations gave the squadron the opportunity to catch up on urgently required maintenance. Perhaps more importantly it gave the influx of recent arrivals the chance to carry out a number of fighter affiliation exercises. It was back to Duisburg on the 12/13th for 562 aircraft, for the fourth operation against the city since the Ruhr campaign began. 3 Group contributed seventy-five Stirlings, eleven of them from 218 Squadron. There was just one early return to Downham Market, a marked improvement on recent experiences. The squadrons of 3 Group were scheduled to be the last over the target, by which time it was blanketed in smoke and difficult to identify. Fortunately this was not important, as the Oboe-equipped Mosquitoes of the Pathfinders had dropped a series of extremely well placed red TIs. Flak was heavy and accurate, and it was estimated that more than two hundred searchlights were active. Five 218 Squadron aircraft were coned and hit during the bombing phase, but none of these incidences resulted in injury to crew members. A spectacular explosion was reported by two crews at 02.18hrs, and this may have been from a munitions factory located in the old town.
Over forty-eight acres of built-up area were left devastated, and damage to the local industry was particularly severe. Four factories owned by the Vereinigte Stahlwerke A.G (August Thyssen) were badly damaged, as were a number of chemical workshops and coke and benzol purification plants. Further damage was caused in the docks area, where a number of timber yards and storage facilities were destroyed. Twenty-one barges and thirteen smaller ships were also destroyed, with a further sixty reported as damaged. Also hit were marshalling yards, in which rolling stock was destroyed and railway tracks torn up. For the first time Duisburg had endured an effective and destructive attack, which brought to an end what had seemed to be a charmed life. The defenders fought back to claim thirty-four aircraft, another new record for the campaign, and 218 Squadron was again represented. BK705 HA-K was shot down into the North Sea by Lt Robert Denzel of 12/NJG1 at 03.28hrs, and there were no survivors from the crew of P/O Robert Bryans RCAF, who were on their thirteenth operation.
It was the turn of Bochum to host a visit from the Command on the following night, when fourteen 218 Squadron crews participated, including all three flight commanders. Three aircraft returned early on this night, all with engine malfunctions, while the remainder joined the other Stirling contingents bringing up the rear of the attack. Sergeant Carney lost his Gee set outbound, and the Stirling stumbled into the Düsseldorf defences, where it was coned by over twenty searchlights. The pilot struggled to find a way out as the aircraft was hit by flak, and believing in his agitated state that there was no escape, he gave the order to bail-out. Tensions between the pilot and bomb-aimer, Spud Taylor, had surfaced during the previous operation when the pilot had opted to return early because of oxygen problems. Taylor had written,
“Set out for Duisburg tonight but had to turn back because Jock (Rear Gunner) and Len (Mid Upper) could not get any oxygen. They had forgotten to withdraw their bobbins. Shorty (Nav) and I egged Bill on to complete the trip at 10-11,000 feet, but he is too damn windy”.
Taylor pointed out that they would not reach the ground alive in such heavy flak, but Carney was beyond reason and began to extricate himself from his seat harness and make for the front escape hatch. Seizing the control column Taylor brought the Stirling onto an even keel, and steered a straight course through the inferno of flak until they were clear. With no Gee set and the navigation charts and equipment in disarray, the crew struggled to locate the target. They found themselves over the outskirts of Essen, and again the target for trigger-happy flak crews on the ground. Lucky to survive, they spotted a number of red TIs in the distance identifying Bochum, and the Stirling was steered directly towards the markers with complete disregard for the briefed approach. The bombs were delivered, and on clearing the defences Taylor called each crew member to check on their status. He received no answer from the rear gunner, so handed back the controls to the pilot, who had regained his composure and made his way down the fuselage. On reaching the rear turret Taylor found Sgt Stewart jammed half in and half out of the escape hatch and being buffeted by the slipstream. Stewart had attempted to comply with the bail-out order, but had pulled his ripcord too early and become jammed in the doorway. Taylor managed to drag the dazed and frozen gunner back inside, and took him to the rest station to recover, while the pilot set a course for home. We will return later to this crew.
The rest of the 218 Squadron contingent found the city covered in smoke and flames, with a large billowing tower of black, acrid smoke hanging over it. Bombing from a little over 10,000 feet and well below the majority, P/O Cochrane’s BF452 HA-M was hit in the wing by three 4lb incendiaries, which thankfully passed through without damaging the fuel tanks. An inspection at home on the following morning found the tails of the incendiaries still embedded. EF367 HA-G skippered by Sgt Nicholls was attacked and damaged by a night fighter while crossing the Belgian-German border outbound. Sergeant John Howard, the rear gunner, was killed instantly. The badly damaged Stirling managed to evade further attention from the fighter, and, after the bomb load was jettisoned, it turned for home. Nicholls nursed the aircraft over the English coast with diminishing fuel reserves from ruptured tanks, and decided to divert to Chedburgh. With flaps and undercarriage damaged, he lined up for a belly landing, but in the final moments of his approach all four engines cut out, and the Stirling crashed on the edge of the airfield after hitting a tree. Five of the crew were flung clear of the wreckage, which began to burn, but the pilot had to be pulled out in a severely injured state. He was admitted to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, and categorized as dangerously ill. Three of the crew died on impact, and a fourth succumbed to his injuries shortly after being admitted to hospital. Miraculously, the navigator, who had not been catapulted out on impact, sustained only a sprained left ankle and emotional shock. It was not all one-sided, however, as S/Ldr Sly claimed the destruction of a Bf109 north of Terschelling at 02.51hrs.
Having endured the defences of Düsseldorf, Essen and Bochum, the Carney crew arrived over Downham Market at 04.55hrs with fuel gauges showing almost zero. With no means to communicate with the ground, the landing was undertaken without permission, and initially, everything appeared to be under control. Inexplicably at the last moment, the pilot took his hands off the controls and placed them over his eyes. The Stirling swerved suddenly to port cutting a parked lorry in two and then ploughed into two parked cars. With the undercarriage collapsed the bomber hit and partially demolished the briefing room, killing two airmen, who had just returned from a mining operation. The Stirling finally came to a halt with the port wing embedded in the watch office. The crew of BF480 managed to scramble clear, dazed but otherwise uninjured, and “Spud” Taylor’s dairy records the sombre and emotional scene on the following morning:
Short Stirling BF480 HA-I “Ink” seen here on the morning of May 14th 1943.
“The kite I’m afraid has had it. We walked around counting flak holes and there were about 100, several extraordinarily close to where we were sitting. Len’s turret has 5 or 6 holes in it, one piece of shrapnel grazed his nose on its way through. The astro dome was whipped away while Paddy was looking through it and Jock has a deep cut on his head. I was lucky to escape injury myself as a six inch piece of metal from my compartment hit me on the head, fortunately my leather helmet saved my bacon.”
On the morning of May 16th Spud Taylor and the remnants of his crew were ordered to report to W/Cdr Saville’s office. Spud recalls:
“After breakfast we were told to report to the wing co. In his officer we gave our account of events to do with the raid on Bochum. I told him I had no confidence in Bill and did not wish to fly with him again. The Wing Co looked at some papers on his desk and told us that we were Bill’s sixth crew and that he had crashed the lot. This was news to us, but the main thing we were granted our wish. This interview was followed by a morale flight which went off ok. Jock is in the sick bay at present and Bill is hanging on in the hope that we will have him back.”
The pressure of operational flying had obviously taken its toll on this young pilot. He had volunteered for aircrew and successfully managed to achieve his wings, but the demands were obviously just too much for him, and he was posted from the squadron.
Six crews were briefed for a mining effort in the Nectarine II area on the 16th, but P/O Ter Averst crashed on take-off when the starboard-inner engine cut as he was about to become unstuck. The Stirling swung wildly off the runway, before crashing into a building, fortunately without seriously damaging the crew. EF353 HA-O was damaged even beyond the capabilities of the squadron’s ground crew’s, and it was taken away for repair by SEBRO, and was ultimately returned to service with 1657 CU on November 3rd 1943. The remaining five crews each planted their six mines in their allotted garden areas and returned safely. The squadron was stood down thereafter, until mining operations involved seven and four crews respectively on the 20/21st and 21/22nd. The target for the former was the Deodars area in the Bay of Biscay. Two crews had encounters with German night fighters, one indecisively, while BF519 HA-E, piloted by Sgt Davis, was attacked multiple times by a persistent ME210, which eventually knocked out its starboard-inner engine. After a tense and exhausting series of engagements, the night fighter was eventually shaken off, and the Stirling made it safely back to Downham Market.
Squadron Leader Ian Ryall DFC and crew. Ian commanded B Flight from the early summer of 1943 and bucked the trend of the squadron losing flight commanders.
It was back to “Happy Valley” and the city of Dortmund on the night of the 23/24th, and the 826 aircraft represented the largest non-1,000 raid so far in the war. 3 Group contributed a respectable 118 aircraft, and for the first time put up over one hundred Stirlings for a single operation, although early returns reduced the number by ten. Four of these were from among 218 Squadron’s contingent of seventeen, all of which suffered engine malfunctions. The main force was divided into three waves, the first of which consisted of 250 aircraft, whose crews were deemed to be the best from each group. The second wave consisted of the remaining Stirlings, Halifaxes and Wellingtons, and the Lancasters brought up the rear. The clear conditions over the target area were perfect for accurate marking, and by the end of the raid the city was blanketed by smoke, with one column reaching up to 12,000 feet. Flying on his first operation with the experienced Sgt J Hoey and crew was F/O Overton, and this was the start of a long and remarkable association with the squadron. BK706 HA-Y crashed in the target area, probably the victim of flak, and there were no survivors from the crew of F/O John Phillips. Post raid reconnaissance showed large parts of Dortmund to be devastated, with nearly two thousand buildings destroyed, and Germany’s biggest steel works, the Hoesch AG, and the city’s second largest, the Vereinigte Stahlwerke AG, enormously damaged. Operations over the Ruhr were never one-sided, and the defenders claimed thirty-eight bombers, six of them from 3 Group.
Düsseldorf was the target on the night of the 25/26th, when another large force of 759 aircraft was dispatched. 3 Group put up 117 Stirlings and Lancasters, of which fifteen of the former were drawn from 218 Squadron. An alarming five crews returned early, the highest abort rate in the Group. Dense cloud made ground marking impossible, and this resulted in a scattered and disjointed attack. Some red TIs were reported to have fallen twenty miles north of the intended aiming point, and Düsseldorf was spared serious damage. EH887 HA-Z fell victim to Major Walter Ehle of Stab II/NJG1, and crashed near Düren with just one survivor from the crew of Sgt Norman Collins. The two previous raids had shown an alarming increase in early returns on the squadron, amounting to a worrying 28% of those dispatched. The vast majority of them were due to engine failure. By late May the squadron was almost totally equipped with the Mk III Stirling although a number of Mk Is were still soldiering on, most notably N3721, which had joined the squadron back in February 1942.
Following a visit by the King and Queen on the 26th, three crews were given the Frisian Islands to mine on the 27th. Flight Sergeant William Mills and crew did not return from this, their first operation, having been shot down by Uffz Karl-Georg Pfeiffer of 10/NJG1 at 00.55hrs. BF405 HA-U crashed in the North Sea forty miles north of Terschelling, and there were no survivors. The Barmen half of Wuppertal was the target for the last big raid of May, when 719 aircraft were dispatched, including 109 from 3 Group. Fifteen 218 Squadron aircraft departed over Southwold, among them BK712 HA-D skippered by W/Cdr Saville DFC, who had alongside him G/C E Barnes, Downham Market’s Station Commander, and for once there were no early returns! What followed was the most successful attack of the campaign to date. The initial marking was extremely accurate and it was backed up by the heavies of 83, 156 and 405 Squadrons, which kept the aiming point well marked for the following main force. It was one of those rare occasions when an operation proceeded exactly according to plan, and it was the most devastating raid of the war thus far, laying waste to 80% of the town’s built-up area, and the catalogue of destruction included four thousand houses, five of the town’s six largest factories, and over two hundred other industrial premises. Unusually, more buildings suffered complete destruction than serious damage, but whatever the statistics, it was a tragedy in human terms, and around 3,400 people lost their lives. Thirty-three aircraft were missing on this night, nine of them from 3 Group.
The success of the raid was marred for 218 Squadron by the loss of two crews, both victims over Belgium of Lt Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab II/NJG1. There were no survivors from the crews of twenty-one-year-old P/O Stanley Allan RAAF in BF565 HA-H, who were on their tenth operation, and F/Sgt William Davis RAAF in BK688 HA-P. Davis was a thirty-one-year-old married man from Victoria. His crew on this night was a rather mixed bag, the rear gunner, a replacement for the sick regular gunner, was forty-one-year-old F/L Abbiss, who, at the time, was the oldest man on the squadron. A gardening operation brought down the curtain on the month’s activities on the 30/31st when S/Ldr Beck and Sgt Aaron delivered six mines to the Deodars area.
The burial of the crew of Flight Sergeant William Davis RAAF. Shot down by Lt Heinz Wolfgang Schnaufer, there were no survivors from BK688 HA-P. The crew had mixed fortunes since their arrival on the squadron on April 23rd, two of their number were removed due to flying stress.
The statistics told their own story of ten aircraft and eight crews lost from 113 sorties. The tempo of operations and above average losses were chipping away at morale, especially amongst the inexperienced crews. It was a testament to the leadership of the squadron that morale remained relatively high, even under such testing times. Apart from a few isolated cases, moral was holding, and the station Senior Medical Officer recorded in his monthly summery, “No new cases of “Flying Stress” have been notified to Group HQ, but the prospects for the coming months are less satisfactory, as some deterioration has been noticed in the quality of some of the recent crews posted to the squadron”. The squadron had slipped down to third place on the group table for sorties, but was in a healthy second place for mining sorties, with twenty-six carried out and a completion rate of 87%. The squadron had come second behind its old rivals XV Squadron in the monthly group bombing competition. One new record set by the group for May was the delivery of 783 mines.
Bomb aimer aboard BK688 HA-P’s was Sergeant William “Bill” Howes, the father of three young children. His letters home were more concerned about the strain on his wife than the dangers over Germany.
June began with the departure of S/Ldr Ernest Sly DFC AFM to 1665 HCU on completion of his tour. On November 25th 1943 S/Ldr Sly would return to operations as C Flight commander with 514 Squadron. At the time the squadron was commanded by W/Cdr Arthur Samson DFC, a former flight commander with 218 Squadron. Ernest would be shot down and killed on his fourth operation, during an operation to Braunschweig (Brunswick) on January 14th 1944, the victim of Hptm Walter Barte of Stab III/NJG3.
June’s operations got under way on the night of the 1/2nd with a small-scale mining effort carried out by F/L Fennell and F/Sgt Richards in the Nectarines I area. Two nights later F/L H Saunders led a relatively inexperienced bunch of sergeant pilots to the Cinnamon garden area off la Rochelle, where the only incident in an otherwise quiet operation was the explosion of Sgt Smith’s first mine on impact. On June 6th the remnant of the Carney crew, including Sgt “Spud” Taylor, was posted to Stradishall, where they would pick up a new skipper and rear gunner. Their future lay with 90 Squadron at Tuddenham, with which they would complete a full tour. Spud would return for a second tour in late 1944 with 149 Squadron, and would survive the war.
The moon period restricted major operations until the 11th, when 783 aircraft set off for Düsseldorf, among them fourteen Stirlings from 218 Squadron. Cloud conditions in the target area were ideal, but stronger than forecast winds contributed to some wayward bombing. A number of well concentrated red TIs in the north and south of the town were bombed from between 12,000 and 15,000 feet to the accompaniment of a comparatively ineffective flak defence. Shortly after leaving the target Sgt Taylor was attacked from the starboard quarter by a Bf110, which opened fire with cannons and machine guns. Return fire from the Stirling resulted in the fighter breaking off its attack with its starboard engine ablaze, and it was claimed as destroyed. Damage in Düsseldorf was heavy, with over 130 acres of the city centre devastated, and a further one-thousand acres seriously damaged. On the debit side Bomber Command losses amounted to thirty-eight aircraft.
Another trip to the Cinnamon mining area involved four crews on the 13th, when twelve mines were delivered. As part of the continuing quest to find the optimum marking method, Cologne was marked by H2S on the 16/17th for a force of Lancasters to follow up with moderate success. The Stirling squadrons returned to action on the 19/20th, when they joined Halifaxes to attack the Schneider Armaments Factory and Breuil Works, located at le Creusot. Operation Lunar required bombing to take place close to a residential area, and it was made very clear that, “operational crews must find their aiming point and hit it. No other target will do!” Wing Commander Saville led twelve aircraft away from Downham Market for the five hour outward leg, and by the time they reached the target the Pathfinders were illuminating the area with hundreds of flares. This provided the opportunity for the first wave to bomb visually, and W/Cdr Saville bombed from 3,500 feet, well below the minimum altitude instructed by group, and, as a result, he was able to see his payload straddle the factory. Flight Lieutenants Saunders and Ryall reported their bombs falling into the factory complex, and accompanying the former as second pilot was W/Cdr Donald Lee, who had arrived on the 15th for operational experience before taking command of the recently formed 620 Squadron at Chedburgh.
Conditions in the target area steadily deteriorated as the attack progressed largely, because of the smoke from the vast number of flares. To add to the problems most of the crews had little or no experience of visually identifying and bombing a target. Returning crews were sceptical about the success of the raid, believing that the greater part of the bombing had fallen on the town itself. Post raid reconnaissance showed that the majority of bombs had indeed fallen into a residential area three to four miles from the target. There was, however, some damage to the factory. Daylight reconnaissance showed the steel and processing works to be destroyed, while the steel foundry was severely hit. A further thirty-one buildings were damaged some of them severely. The Breuil Steel Works was also hit, and four large machine shops were left damaged and burning, but eleven large buildings and around 130 business/apartment buildings were destroyed in the residential district. Squadron Leader Denys Maw AFC arrived on the squadron on the 19th from 1657 Conversion Unit to assume command of B Flight. Maw had been granted a commission in the RAF in 1934 and had served with various units in the UK before being posted to Canada as an instructor. Sergeant Martin’s Stirling was attacked by a Bf110 near Rennes on the way home from a mining sortie in the Deodars area on the 20/21st. The crew fought off four determined attacks, and claimed the Bf110 as damaged, but BK737 HA-W sustained damage to flaps and undercarriage, and the port-inner engine had to be feathered.
A hectic round of four operations in the space of five nights began at Krefeld on the 21/22nd, when a force of seven hundred aircraft included fourteen 218 Squadron Stirlings. The Stirling contingent arrived over the target area unable to identify any ground details, so they focussed on a large mass of fires concentrated around three red TIs, and dropped their all-incendiary loads from between 10,000 and 14,000 feet onto a rather subdued Krefeld. By the end of the raid the target was a mass of flames with smoke rising up to 15,000 feet. Over 50% of the town centre was destroyed, more than one thousand people lost their lives, and five and a half thousand houses were destroyed, rendering twenty-five thousand apartments uninhabitable. Damage was reported as heavy in the industrial part of the city also, where eleven factories and a large gas works were severely damaged or destroyed. It was not a one-sided contest, however, and some of the 72,000 homeless residents of the city would have been cheered at the news that forty-four bombers would not be returning home either. 218 Squadron lost two aircraft, BK712 HA-D having the misfortune to encounter the Bf110 of Heinz–Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab I/NJG1. His cannon shells started a conflagration in the fuselage, and soon thereafter both wings began to burn, sending the Stirling diving into the ground near Langdorp at 01.33hrs. There was no survivors from the eight man crew of Australian P/O William Shillinglaw. The following morning Lt Kuhnel, the German fighter control officer instrumental in the demise of BK712 HA-D, visited the crash scene. The entire crew was found in the smouldering wreckage, the rear turret of which was located some 1,500 yards away. The body of the rear gunner, twenty-year-old Sgt Arthur Hart, was still strapped in his seat.
Flying as second pilot aboard BK712 was Dane, F/O Helvard, who had arrived from 1657 CU on June 13th. Arne Rhoar Helvard was born on March 10th 1915 in Hobro, Denmark. He had joined the Danish Navy and trained as a pilot in the Naval Air Service, but he was demobilized following the German occupation. He found employment at the Kastrup Airport, where he monitored arrivals and departures of German aircraft. On 28 March 1942, Arne and Thomas Sneum escape to Sweden by crossing the Sound, which, at the time, was covered by ice. They were immediately arrested by the Swedish police and imprisoned for almost two months. By luck they manage to avoid being turned over to the German authorities in Denmark. They managed to get to England, where they were initially incarcerated in London’s Brixton Prison. Arne was released in mid-June 1942, and accepted in the Royal Air Force.
Flying Officer Arne Helvard seen in the uniform of the Danish Naval Air Service. This brave young Danes time on the squadron was tragically brief failing to return from his first operation.
BK722 HA-G was attacked and shot down south-east of Eindhoven by Oblt Eckart-Wilheim Von Bonin of 6/NJG1 at 01.50hrs. Australian P/O Donald Rich and two of his crew were killed, and the body of the rear gunner was found near Sterksel on the 25th next to his unopened parachute. On March 19th 1945, a fourth member of the crew, Sgt John McDonald RCAF died of diphtheria while imprisoned in Fallingbostel. The crew was on its ninth operation together. Geoff Rothwell was Rich’s flight commander, and recalled one amusing incident relating to him.
With the Christian names Donald Robert, and initials, therefore, D.R, the only possible nickname for the chap was Doc, and, with the exception of the station commander, he was known to everyone as Doc Rich. One evening after returning from a sortie from the nearby taverns in Downham, we felt the pangs of hunger. After all, we were young and healthy and war time rations were pretty basic and far from filling for more than a couple of hours. Fortunately my New Zealand navigator had just received a food parcel from home, containing, amongst other goodies, a tin of lamb stew. The very thought of the succulent contents of the tin made my mouth water. The officers mess was a requisitioned rectory and had a large garden in which a small church was situated, unused in the war, of course! Next door to the old rectory was a hunting house, which was used by the officer commanding the station. Whilst we were congregated in the kitchen of the rectory waiting for the lamb stew to heat up, someone, I think Doc, suggested the accompaniment of some fresh asparagus would go down very well. Accordingly a foraging party set off to procure the delicious vegetable from the large kitchen garden attached to the commanding officer’s quarters. It is often the way with those who have consumed a quantity of ale that they are quite unaware that their normal voices have increased in volume by a surprising number of decibels, even though those involved would deny they were conversing in anything more than mere whispers. It was in this rather euphoric condition and producing a substantial amount of noise that we set our plan in motion. Four of us, including Doc, set off to harvest the asparagus from the kitchen garden. All was going well, or so I thought, and the asparagus was in prime condition for eating. I could not wait to get back and polish off the lamb stew and our fresh veg. All of a sudden the shutters on the first floor windows were flung open, and the imposing figure of the Group Captain in his pyjamas gazed down on the scene below. We froze for a second before legging it for the brick wall, which separated the old rectory and the garden. In a thunderous voice the Group Captain assured us that he knew who we were, and he would deal with us the next day. The remainder of his ramblings was lost to our ears as were climbed over the wall and regrouped, and it was then we discovered one of our number was missing. We quickly discovered that the missing person was Doc Rich, our Aussie mate, who embraced the “press-on regardless” school of behaviour, and delayed his departure to pick up the asparagus we had dropped in our desperate flight. We shouted to him from behind the wall to get his skates on, while trying to hide our identity, and he finally emerge with an armful of asparagus, blowing like a bellows. Happy with our lot we set off back to the stew.
The following morning I received the expected summons from the station adjutant to present myself at the Group Captain’s office immediately, and to bring with me those involved in the incident the previous evening. I told him as impolitely as possible, that there was no way I was bringing anyone with me, and the C.O could employ his own Gestapo agents, as I certainly had no intention of doing his dirty work for him. Outside the C.O’s office I found the station medical officer, S/Ldr Bachelor, waiting. In a jocular manner I asked him if he had come to repair the damage my disagreement on the telephone had inflicted on the adjutant’s heart and ears. The S.M.O was an extremely pleasant person who, at all times, behaved in a correct and professional way, but was devoid of a sense of humour. He did not take kindly to my facetiousness, but said he had been told that the group captain wished to see him. After a few moments the C.O’s door opened, and the adjutant ushered both of us into the presence of the mighty one. I was addressed in the most scathing terms, and told that my crew and I were a disgrace to the Air Force, and if anything untoward occurred on the station, such as the ringing of the church bells, setting fire to Daily Routine orders on the mess board, or causing a nuisance in Downham Market, he, the station commander, did not have to wait to find out who was responsible, he knew it would be me and my crew.!! I cheekily objected strongly to the accusation that we had caused any nuisance in the local town. Unfortunately, I was unable to absolve my crew and myself from the other crimes he had mentioned. I told him it was just harmless high spirits being allowed to escape after the rigors of the battle over the Ruhr, in which the squadron was involved nightly. My explanation was not accepted, and the C.O then turned his attention to the Medical Officer, who had been standing beside me, quite nonplussed.
I too had been wondering what the reason was for Bachelor’s presence. The reason soon become clear, when the C.O, referring to the night’s escapade, said that he was surprised that a M.O had been party to such a disgraceful behaviour, and that he thought more highly of him as an officer. Bachelor was completely speechless. It then dawned on me what had happened. The station commander was more involved with administration than the operational side, which was left to the squadron commanders. He was quite unaware that there was an Australian F/O D R Rich, who was nicknamed Doc, and he assumed it was his SMO S/Ldr Bachelor, who was involved in the asparagus raid. The C.O referred to all his services medical officers as Doc. It was with a heavy heart that I had to dob in my friend Rich, and a relieved S/Ldr Bachelor walked a free man. I and “Doc” Rich were duly punished with extra Station Duty Officer and Orderly Officer duties, and Rich being the type of bloke he was, did not say a word.
Australian Sergeant Donald Robert Rich RAAF seen here a few months before his death. He was along with his crew shot down by Oblt Eckart-Wilheim Von Bonin of 6./NJG1 at 01.50 hours. Their Short Stirling BK722 HA-G crashed near Eindhoven. Note the Horsa gliders in the back ground.
While six crews went mining in the Nectarines area on the following night, the 22/23rd, eight others from the squadron joined in the night’s major operation at Mülheim. 3 Group contributed 104 aircraft to the total force of 557, and they encountered an increased measure of heavy and light flak on the way to target, with searchlights and night fighters particularly active. Oboe Mosquitos had delivered a number of accurate red TIs for the crews to aim at, but the bombing run was accompanied by well-aimed flak. Returning crews reported the fires to be as concentrated and intense as those at Düsseldorf on the 11th. Yet another of 218 Squadron’s Australian pilots failed to return, and this time it was twenty-year-old Sgt James Smith. He and his crew were the victims of an encounter with Hptm Heinrich Wittgenstein of Stab IV/NJG5, who at the time was on detachment to II/NJG1. BF572 HA-K crashed into the sea north-west of the Hoek Van Holland at 02.09hrs and only the rear gunner survived. It was the crew’s eighth operation and the pilot’s eleventh. This had been a rather unlucky crew, who had received more than their fair share of bad luck. Their original pilot was a Sgt F Robinson, who had failed to return from his second dickie operation with F/L Turner on May 4th. Then two other crew members had been killed on May 14th in the earlier-mentioned crash-landing incident involving BF480 HA-I and Sgt Carney.
The Elberfeld half of Wuppertal was selected as the target for the 24/25th, when 218 Squadron contributed fourteen Stirlings to another highly successful attack, in which thirteen factories and 137 other industrial concerns were destroyed or damaged. Residential districts were also hit severely, and it was estimated that 94% of Elberfeld had been reduced to ruins. Again it was not a one-sided affair, and thirty-four bombers failed to return, of which two were from 218 Squadron. EH892 HA-U contained the crew of S/Ldr Anthony Beck, and was attacked at 01.50hrs by Uffz Herbert Hubatsch on detachment to I/NJG1, before crashing into a forest near the village of Vettelschob near Kalenborn Germany. After the war F/O R.N Nuttall, the rear gunner and one of just three survivors reported that the Stirling had already been damaged by flak prior to the fighter attack, and that the bomb aimer had suffered a head injury, which required him to be taken to the rest position for medical attention. It was his opinion that the front escape hatch was either damaged or jammed, because S/Ldr Beck’s order to bail out was clearly heard by all the crew, and yet none of those in the front of the aircraft managed to escape. This was the twentieth operation undertaken by the flight commander, who was thirty-one years of age. BF501 HA-N was shot down at 01.59hrs by Oblt Hans Autenrieth of 6/NJG4, and crashed west of Diest with no survivors from the eight-man crew of Sgt James Hoey RCAF. This was the twenty-two-year-old Canadian’s seventeenth operation and his crew’s fifteenth. Squadron Leader Geoff Rothwell had S/Ldr Maw alongside him in BK803 HA-D, and they ran into searchlights over Düsseldorf while closing in on the target. For five minutes the Stirling was bracketed by flak, and Rothwell used every bit of his experience as a pilot to escape it. Finally, after surrendering three thousand feet of altitude, he managed to slip away, but it had been a close call, which would be self-evident in the cold light of the following morning, when twenty holes would be found in the wings and fuselage, some of them the size of dinner plates. A few days later Rothwell was told to report to W/Cdr Saville, which he duly did, uncertain as to the reason for the summons. Expecting the worst, Rothwell was delighted to hear from his commanding officer and friend that he was now to be screened after completing his second tour. Elberfeld had been his fifty-fifth and final operation.
The crew of Sergeant James Hoey RCAF at the rear exit door of Short Stirling BK613 of 1657 Conversion Unit. The crew would not survive their tour falling victim to Oblt Hans Autenrieth of 6./NJG4 on June 26th 1943.
There was to be no let-up for the hard-pressed men of Bomber Command as attacks on the Ruhr continued with a visit to the thus far elusive oil town of Gelsenkirchen on the 25/26th. Weather conditions deteriorated as the Dutch coast was reached, and ten-tenths cloud covered the track to the target. The seven 218 Squadron crews attempted to bomb on the skymarkers, some of which appeared above and behind them. Equipment malfunctions among the Oboe Mosquitos contributed to ineffective marking of the target, and Gelsenkirchen escaped again. Losses, however, remained high and the thirty aircraft missing from this operation represented 6.3% of those dispatched. 218 Squadron again posted missing two of its own, the first of these to go down was EH898 HA-G, which stumbled across Oblt Werner Husemann of Stab NJG1 while outbound at 13,000 feet. The encounter resulted in a raging fire in the cabin, which forced the New Zealander navigator, P/O Boulton RNZAF, to bail out from the front hatch seconds before the Stirling exploded over Zieuwent, in Holland, taking with it Sgt Eric Hughes and the rest of his crew. The second loss occurred soon afterwards and involved EF430 HA-W, which had S/Ldr Denys Maw AFC at the controls. An attack by Oblt August Geiger of 7/NJG1 started a fire within the all-incendiary load, and it became immediately apparent to Maw that the Stirling was not going to recover. He quickly gave the order to bail out, and the entire crew responded and arrived safely on the ground. The Stirling crashed at Empe, five kilometres north-north-west of Zutphen, and the crew was taken into captivity. It was Maw’s second operation as captain since his arrival from 1657 CU on 19th June. While a PoW Maw was involved in the Great Escape from Stalag Luft III at Sagan on March 24/25th 1944. His escape number was 81, and he was almost at the foot of the ladder and about to leave the tunnel when escapee 77 in front of him was discovered. He was fortunate in being able to get back to his hut without being discovered, and he spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner. Flight Lieutenant Ian Ryall was promoted and given command of B Flight.
A series of three operations against Cologne spanning the turn of the month began on the night of the 28/29th, and involved six hundred aircraft, including seventy-five Stirlings. Ten 218 Squadron aircraft took off, and one returned early. Those crews reaching the target were greeted by complete cloud cover, and only six of the Oboe Mosquitos were able to mark as planned. Despite this, the much bombed city suffered the most horrendous assault of the war thus far, with a level of devastation quite unprecedented at a German urban target. 6,400 buildings were reduced to rubble and forty-three of them were of an industrial nature. A total of fifteen thousand buildings were damaged to some extent, 4,377 people lost their lives while a further 230,000 were rendered homeless at least for a period. There were no losses this time for the squadron, for which this was the last operation of a month costing seven crews, including two captained by flight commanders. The squadron came third in the monthly group table with an impressive 107 sorties dispatched, but it topped the table with a remarkable 98.1% completion rate. The squadron’s mining efforts throughout the month also received some welcome praise from Group HQ; No.218 Squadron’s contribution being outstanding in quality and quantity”. The squadron had finally pipped its old rival XV Squadron into first place with twenty-eight sorties completed with a 100% success rate. The announcement of the DSO to S/Ldr W Hiles DFC was gazetted in June, part of the citation read; “He always presses home his attacks in the most determined manner flying at low level regardless of enemy opposition”.
July began with the posting in of the veteran S/Ldr Frederick “Bunny” Austin, who had been in temporary command of 620 Squadron at Chedburgh, and was now to take over A Flight. He had flown an impressive sixty-six operations since 1940, and had served in both the Middle and Far East. Flying Officer Frederick Fennell was posted to 11 OTU on the 2nd on completion of his tour, and he would be awarded a well-earned DFC in August. The second operation against Cologne went ahead on the night of the 3/4th, when the squadron dispatched thirteen Stirlings led by the recently promoted Canadian S/Ldr Howard Saunders, who was now C Flight commander. They contributed to another disastrous night for the city which suffered the destruction of 2,200 houses and twenty industrial premises. A mining operation was carried out on the night of the 4/5th, before the final raid of the series against Cologne took place at the hands of an all-Lancaster force on the 8/9th. Once the dust had settled and the fires had burned out, the city authorities were able to assess that eleven thousand buildings had been destroyed over the three raids, five and a half thousand people had been killed, and 350,000 others had lost their homes. While the main force was at Cologne on this last occasion, further mining operations were conducted, and again twenty-four hours later, and all 218 Squadron aircraft completed their sorties without loss.
On the 10th S/Ldr Geoff Rothwell DFC was given fourteen days well-earned leave, and Saville signed off his Form 414 Assessment of Ability as “Excellent”, high praise indeed from someone of Saville’s stature. Such are the fortunes of war that, sadly, these two friends would never meet again. Rothwell had been among the most charismatic officers in the squadron, and had passed on the fruits of his operational experience to those under his care. When not on duty he and his crew, the “Rothwell’s Ruffians” were the life and soul of the mess and local pubs. The Ruhr offensive had now effectively run its course, and Harris could look back over the past five months with a genuine sense of achievement at the performance of his squadrons. Perhaps he would derive particular satisfaction from the part played by Oboe in the devastation of Germany’s industrial heartland. Losses had been grievous, and “Happy Valley’s” reputation well earned, but the factories had more than kept pace with the rate of attrition, and new crews continued to flood in to fill the gaps.
With confidence high in the ability of the Command to deliver a knockout blow at almost any target, Harris sought an opportunity to send shock waves through the Reich by destroying one of its major cities in a short, sharp series of raids until the job was done. Having been spared by the weather from hosting the first one thousand bomber raid in May 1942, Hamburg was the ideal choice to host Operation Gomorrah. As Germany’s Second City, Hamburg’s political status was undeniable, as was its position of prominence as a centre of industry, particularly with regard to U-Boat construction. Its location near a coastline was an obvious aid to navigation and it could be approached from the sea without the need to traverse large tracts of hostile territory. It was also close enough to the bomber stations to allow a force to approach and withdraw during the few hours of total darkness afforded by mid summer. Finally, beyond the range of Oboe, which had proved so crucial at the Ruhr, it boasted the wide River Elbe to provide a strong H2S signature for the navigators high above. In each year of the war to date, Bomber Command had visited Hamburg during the last week of July, and so it would be in this year.
In the meantime, Lancasters were sent to Turin on the 12/13th, while a mixed force, including over fifty Stirlings, raided Aachen on the following night, largely because of its importance as a communications centre. Nine of the ten participating 218 Squadron crews were captained by NCOs, and they contributed to a devastating attack. The target lay beneath seven-tenths low cloud, but excellent Oboe marking put red TIs over the aiming point. The crews dropped their all-incendiary loads from between 11,000 and 15,500 feet over a city in flames. Almost three thousand buildings were reduced to a state of ruin, and many large industrial premises and public buildings sustained heavy damage. Apart from a large Halifax operation against a motor factory in southern France on the 15/16th, minor operations then held sway until Harris was ready to launch his “Big Week”.
Operation Gomorrah began on the night of the 24/25th, and was attended by the first operational use of Window, the aliminium-backed strips of paper, which, when released into the air stream, descended slowly in great clouds, swamping the enemy’s night fighter control, searchlight and gun-laying radar with false returns. The device had actually been available for a year, but its employment had been vetoed, lest the enemy copy it. The enemy had, in fact, already developed its own version code-named Düppel, which had also been withheld for the same reason. A force of 791 aircraft stood ready for take-off in the late evening of the 24th, twenty of them Stirlings from 218 Squadron, led by W/Cdr Don Saville on his ninth operation with the squadron and his fifty-seventh in all. Take-offs began at 22.15hrs, and just one crew returned early, while the remainder encountered little contact with enemy night fighters during the outward flight. A number of aircraft were shot down during this stage of the operation, but each was many miles off course, and outside of the protection of the bomber stream.
The efficacy of Window was immediately apparent to the crews on their arrival in the Hamburg defence zone, where the usually efficient co-ordination between the searchlights and flak batteries was absent. The defence was accordingly random and sporadic, thus giving the Pathfinder crews a rare, almost unhindered run at the aiming point. The markers were a little scattered, but most fell close enough to the city centre to provide a strong reference point for the main force crews, and over the next fifty minutes, almost 2,300 tons of bombs were delivered. The bombing began near the aiming point, but a pronounced creep-back developed, which cut a swathe of destruction from the city centre along the line of approach, across the north-western districts, and out into open country, where a proportion was wasted.
The 218 Squadron crews dropped their high explosive and incendiary payloads from heights ranging from 14,500 to 16,500 feet. The attack was highly destructive and conducted for a loss of a very modest twelve aircraft, for which much of the credit belonged to Window. At a stroke the device had rendered the entire enemy defensive system impotent, but an advantage was rarely held for long before a counter-measure was found, and this would eventually see the balance swing back in Germany’s favour. It was a sad night for 218 Squadron, whose crews waited in vain for the return of their popular commanding officer. BF567 HA-P had been shot down by Fw Hans Meissner of 6/NJG3 at 01.10hrs, and crashed one kilometre south-west of Einfeld in Germany. There was just one survivor from the eight man crew, the bomb-aimer, F/O Cedric Eyre, who was flying with his commanding officer for the first time. Having landed on a Luftwaffe station building and smashed his knee cap, he was destined to spend the rest of the war in captivity. As often happened when a commanding officer went missing, section leaders were lost also, and 218’s gunnery and signals leaders, F/L Birbeck DFC and F/L Stanley DFC respectively had been on board. It was reported that Birbeck and F/Sgt Adam Howat, S/Ldr Rothwell’s former rear gunner, had died in hospital.
S/Ldr Rothwell, himself an experienced and battle-hardened veteran, had this to say about Saville.
“The lack of bull and his friendliness were features that endeared Don to all who served under him. I remember how I admired the way he was able to run the squadron so effectively without relying on tight discipline as many others in his position did. It was the free and easy atmosphere which brought out the best in the crews.”
Squadron leader Ian Ryall said of his former squadron commander:
I knew Don Saville well. I was his senior flight commander on 218 squadron. He was a good chap and I remember him as a good friend. He was a good CO, the sort of chap that made Bomber Command tick by giving the lead both on and off duty. He liked his pint and was always there with the boys when there was a night off. I had lots of commanding officers, but quite honestly, he was the most outstanding, without a shadow of doubt.
The loss of Donald Saville was a blow not only to the squadron but to Bomber Command too, as men of his calibre were few and far between. He would almost certainly have risen through the ranks, and might easily have become a house-hold name, just like Gibson and Cheshire. Shortly after his death Saville was awarded the DSO, the citation for which is quoted in A.M.B.10952, dated July 1943.
This officer has completed a large number of sorties, and has displayed outstanding determination to achieve success. He is a fearless commander, who invariably chooses to participate in the more difficult sorties which have to be undertaken. Whatever the opposition, W/Cdr Saville endeavours to press home his attacks with accuracy and resolution. By his personal example and high qualities of leadership, this officer has contributed materially to the operational efficiency of the squadron.
Within twenty-four hours a new squadron commander had arrived from 620 Squadron. Wing Commander William Gordon Oldbury had only completed his conversion to the Stirling on July 9th, before being posted to Chedburgh with the rank of acting squadron leader. His promotion to wing commander had followed quickly thereafter, and by the time of his departure from 620 Squadron he had undertaken just a single mining sortie. Wing Commander Oldbury had learned to fly in 1936 at the Airwork Reserve Training School in Perth. He had been granted a short service Commission in the RAF in March 1936, and in 1937 joined his first unit, 38 (B) Squadron. The prospect of taking over 218 Squadron would have been daunting for the relatively inexperienced Oldbury, who must have been aware of his predecessor’s reputation.
Geoff Rothwell returned to a very subdued Downham Market on the 25th to learn that his friend, Don Saville, was missing. There was an air of disbelief that the loss of a pilot and commander of Saville’s stature was even possible. Rothwell took the news very hard, and instinctively wanted to remain with the squadron, but orders dictated otherwise. Fortunately, he did not have time to dwell on the matter, as S/Ldr Ian Ryall flew him and his remaining crew to 11 OTU at Westcott later that afternoon.
It had been Harris’s intention to follow up the success at Hamburg immediately, but lingering smoke over the city and less favourable weather conditions persuaded him otherwise. Instead he switched his force to Essen, to take advantage of the body blow dealt to the enemy’s defences by Window. It was another massively concentrated assault on this city, and the Krupp complex sustained its heaviest damage of the war, while over 2,800 houses and apartment blocks were destroyed. It was on this night that 218 Squadron’s longest serving Mk I Stirling N3721 ended its service after being hit by an incendiary bomb. The tail sustained damage and the port flap was set on fire, but the flight engineer brought the fire under control, and Sgt Goodman opted to continue to the target, where a successful attack was carried out. N3721 HA-J had been taken on charge on February 23rd 1942, and would be struck off charge on May 1st 1944 while serving with 1651 Conversion Unit. The Stirling had participated in sixty-two operations, all with 218 Squadron, amassing a grand total of 610 hours 55 minutes flying time.
After a night’s rest, 787 aircraft took off to return to Hamburg, eighteen of them from 218 Squadron, of which one returned early. What followed the force’s arrival over the city was both unprecedented and unforeseeable, and was the result of a lethal combination of circumstances. A period of unusually hot and dry weather had left tinderbox conditions in parts of the city, and the initial spark to ignite the situation came with the Pathfinder markers. These fell two miles to the east of the planned city centre aiming point, but with unaccustomed concentration into the densely populated working class residential districts of Hamm, Hammerbrook and Borgfeld. The main force crews followed up with uncharacteristic accuracy and scarcely any creep-back, and delivered most of their 2,300 tons of bombs into this relatively compact area. The individual fires joined together to form one giant conflagration, which sucked in oxygen from surrounding areas at hurricane velocity to feed its voracious appetite. It is believed that at least forty thousand people died on this one night alone, on top of the fifteen hundred killed three nights earlier, and the horrific events triggered the start of an exodus of an eventual 1.2 million inhabitants from the city. A number of 218 Squadron crews were involved in inconclusive brushes with enemy night fighters, but all returned safely.
The third Hamburg raid took place on the 29/30th, for which eighteen 218 Squadron aircraft contributed to a total force of 777 aircraft. One returned early with a number of malfunctions, but the remainder were among 707 aircraft to arrive over the city from the north with 2,300 tons of bombs to deliver. The markers again fell two miles east of the intended aiming point, and a little to the south of the firestorm area. A creep-back developed across the devastation of two nights earlier, before falling onto other residential districts beyond, where a new area of fire was created, although of lesser proportions. The city’s fire service was already exhausted, while access to the freshly afflicted districts was denied by rubble-strewn and cratered streets, and there was little to be done, other than to allow the fires to burn themselves out. The defences were beginning to recover from the shock of Window, and as they did so, the bomber losses began to rise. Once again a number of 218 Squadron crews returned with reports of being harassed by enemy fighters, but two others were among the twenty-eight that failed to return at all. BF578 HA-A was damaged by flak before falling into the clutches of Uffz Walter Rohlfing of 9/NJG3, who shot the Stirling down at 01.26hrs south-west of Buxtehude. Sergeant Raymond Pickard and his rear gunner lost their lives, while the remainder of his crew became PoWs, after what was just their second operation. EE825 HA-S was brought down by flak and crashed near Billstedt in Hamburg’s eastern suburbs. There were no survivors from the crew of Sgt James Clark, who was on his fifth operation, while his crew were on their fourth.
July ended with an attack by a fairly modest force of 264 heavies and nine Mosquitoes on Remscheid on the night of July 30th. 218 Squadron put up eighteen Stirlings as part of the second wave, and they benefitted from concentrated Pathfinder flares, which had been scattered in the early stages. Flight Sergeant Aaron’s aircraft was hit by two incendiaries during the bombing run, which caused a fire to break out in the fuselage. The starboard-inner engine sprang a major fuel leak, but Aaron pressed on with his run while the flight engineer and wireless operator tackled the fire. Having dropped the all-incendiary load from 15,000 feet they were coned by searchlights and bombarded with flak, but managed to drag themselves clear and ultimately extinguish the fire. Such was the damage to BK761 HA-Q that it required major repair, and would not return to front line service until mid-August. Arthur Aaron would receive a DFM for his effort. BF519 HA-E fell victim to Fw Helmut Ternieden of E/NJG2 at 01.50hrs while homebound, and crashed near Dinteloord Holland. Sadly there were no survivors from the crew of F/Sgt Robert Taylor, who were on their sixteenth operation. The night ended with Sgt Knight making a heavy landing upon his return to Downham Market, and BF440 HA-T was declared a write-off. This highly successful raid, which brought down the final curtain on the Ruhr offensive, destroyed or damaged over three thousand houses, an estimated 80% of the town’s built-up area, and killed eleven hundred people.
The Stirling brigade sustained the highest numerical and percentage losses for this operation, and it was a trend that would continue. It was becoming apparent to Harris that the Stirling was not suitable for further development, and the type’s future was the subject of a meeting on July 30th. The squadron set a new record of 130 sorties during the month, second overall in the group to 75 (NZ) Squadron, which managed 135. It was the same in the mining category, with 75 Squadron in first place with eighteen sorties, followed closely by 218 Squadron on fifteen. Seven DFCs were announced in July to former squadron officers, sadly, four of whom had already been killed on operations. S/Ldr Harold Ashworth, P/O Richard Medus, P/O William McCarthy and, finally, P/O George McAuley, would never wear their awards. There were, however, three DFC recipients who were able to collect their awards, Canadian F/L Ross Campbell, bomb-aimer F/L Dennis Booth, who had just completed his first tour, most of which was undertaken as the squadron’s bombing leader, and P/O Henry Morrison, wireless operator who had completed his tour of thirty-one operations.
Operation Gomorrah was concluded somewhat inauspiciously on the night of the 2/3rd, when violent electrical storms and icing conditions persuaded many crews to abandon their sorties and turn for home. Some bombed alternative targets, while others jettisoned their bombs over the sea, and little fresh damage was inflicted on Hamburg. 218 Squadron dispatched fifteen crews, of which one returned early, eight jettisoned their loads and four pressed on to bomb the target. 218 Squadron’s contribution to the campaign was seventy-one sorties, fifty-seven of which were completed as briefed, with three aircraft failing to return.
The squadron was not called into action to support operations against Italian targets on the 7/8th or Mannheim on the 9/10. The squadron welcomed the arrival of F/L Arthur “Peter” Piper from 1651 CU on the 9th, an experienced gunner, who would fill the vacant post of gunnery leader. Before the squadron went into battle again, and in an effort to expand the number of squadrons within the group, it was decided that XV and 218 Squadrons would lose a flight each to help form two new Stirling units to be numbered 622 and 623 Squadrons. Both units would be to establishment WAR/BC/337, with sixteen aircraft and four in reserve. 623 Squadron was formed on August 10th from 218 Squadron, and would share the facilities at Downham Market. Seven crews, including one flight commander, and eight Stirlings formed the nucleus of the squadron, and the pilots were as follows; S/Ldr F Austin, F/O J Overton, F/O N Humphreys RNZAF, P/O G Jenkins, F/Sgt K Shaw RNZAF, F/Sgt J Wallace RAAF, and Sgt M Nesbitt. Ground crews painted out the red HA code and applied the new code of IC. Until the arrival of 623 Squadron’s own commanding officer, it fell under the control of W/Cdr Oldbury, and the two units would be linked over the next few months. As the seven transferred crews were operationally experienced, 623 Squadron was able to operate alongside 218 on the very day of its formation, when the target was the distant southern German city of Nuremburg.
Seen here at Bone airfield, Arthur Aarons Short Stirling EF452 HA-O. Note the ground crews pointing at the bullet holes in the cockpit canopy.
Wing Commander Oldbury led fourteen crews from 218 Squadron and four from 623 Squadron, but three of the 218 Squadron contingent returned early suffering from engine malfunctions. The Stirlings were scheduled to attack in the third wave, at which point they found the target to be largely obscured by cloud, and inadequately illuminated and marked. While running in to the aiming point EE885 HA-W was hit by incendiaries from above, and the wing tanks immediately caught fire. The Stirling crashed near Offenhausen east of the target, and all but the pilot survived to become PoWs. The body of the twenty-four-year-old captain, F/L Stuart Fillmore RCAF, was found with his partially opened chute on the following day. One of the survivors was the second pilot, Sgt Moyneux, who was on his first operation, having arrived from 1651 Conversion Unit on August 5th.
An all-3 Group operation to Turin was mounted on the 12th,, for which 218 Squadron provided thirteen Stirlings and 623 Squadron four in an overall force of 112 aircraft. The Downham Market contingent was still intact as it made its way across France, where a number of combats took place with enemy night fighters, one of which was claimed as destroyed. On approaching the target with the bomb doors open, EF452 was hit by fire from another Stirling 250 yards ahead. The navigator, Sgt Cornelius Brennan RCAF, was killed instantly by a bullet through the heart and the pilot, F/Sgt Arthur Aaron, was hit in the face, chest and arm. His jaw was shattered and exposed and he was unable to use his right arm which had been almost severed below the elbow. Other crew members transferred him to the rest position away from the freezing air blasting through the shattered windscreen. The flight engineer, F/Sgt Larden, took over the controls of the Stirling, which now had only three good engines. The bomb load was jettisoned, and with the crew unsure of their exact location, it was decided to attempt to reach the North African coast. The Stirling steadily lost height, but it held together, and was within forty miles of the Italian coast by the time a QIM was picked up.
A course was set for Bone aerodrome in Algeria, and, after what seemed an eternity, the crew could make out the pyramids in the early morning light, and finally Bone was in their sights. For the next forty-five minutes they circled the aerodrome, until Aaron, who was unable to speak, insisted on trying to take control. Although in a desperate condition, he wanted to carry out the landing, and made a number of unsuccessful approaches. Conscious of the lack of fuel, Larden seized the controls and pointed the aircraft towards Bone’s seven hundred foot-long runway. He pulled off a belly-landing at 06.15hrs on rough ground north of the runway, and they came to rest fifty yards from a lightly raised flood bank. Aaron was taken away by ambulance, and sadly succumbed to his wounds nine hours later. Had he rested and not insisted on taking control himself, he may well have survived. The landing was a remarkable example of airmanship by Larden, and it was discovered only afterwards that two bombs had hung up and were still in the bomb bay. For his devotion to duty Aaron became the second and last Stirling crewman to be awarded the Victoria Cross. He had arrived at the squadron from 1651 CU on April 17th 1943, and by the time of his death had flown three operations as second pilot and eighteen as captain, including all four raids on Hamburg. MZ263 HA-Y was also forced to head for the safety of Bone, after suffering a starboard-outer engine failure over the Alps while at 15,000 feet. The propeller eventually flew off, and F/O McAllister ordered the all-incendiary load and ammunition and guns to be jettisoned to reduce weight. The journey to Bone was carried out at 500 feet, and a safe landing was made at 05.15hrs in another fine display of airmanship.
After a four day break a 3 Group force returned to Turin with a Pathfinder element to conclude the campaign against these distant Italian targets. In a force of 140 aircraft nine were from 218 squadron and five from 623 Squadron, and by the time they reached Southern France they were bathed in bright moonlight. It was while approaching Amberieu at around 00.43hrs that EH884 HA-X was attacked and shot down by Oblt Hans Kulow of 9/NJG4. A raging fire developed in the bomb bay area, which the flight engineer, Sgt Deans, fought with the extinguishers until realizing it was a lost cause. He instructed the pilot to jettison the all-incendiary load, by which time the fire had completely engulfed the engineer’s cabin and was working its way back towards the mid upper turret. Twenty-three-year-old W/O Stanley Chudzik RCAF ordered the crew to bail-out, but only the rear gunner and the navigator managed to do so safely before the Stirling crashed. The pilot and the mid-upper gunner were still on board, and the remainder had jumped too late for their chutes to save them. The navigator managed to evade capture and returned to the UK in January 1944.
The rear gunner, Sgt McKinnon RCAF, recalls the events:
“We were flying at 6,000ft crossing enemy coast, the weather was clear with a full moon. There were numerous aircraft in the air around us which were identified as four engine bombers. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until attacked by an enemy aircraft, I did not see anything until the guns opened up. I was hit in the left eye, left leg and lost all senses. I then tried to contact the pilot over the intercom but failed to do so. The aircraft was on fire at this time and it was impossible to reach any of the crew. I then put on my chute and went out through the turret. On the way down I saw what appeared to be our aircraft crash. I landed in a ploughed field and was later picked up by the Germans”
This had been Stanley Chudzik’s eleventh operation and his crews tenth. The remaining crews pressed on and arrived over Turin to find it accurately marked with green marker flares. The Downham Market crews bombed from between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in hazy conditions, S/Ldr Saunders making six runs across the target before dropping his all-incendiary load on a well-grouped cluster of green TIs. The city’s defences had slightly increased since the previous attack, but were generally inaccurate.
Since the start of hostilities, intelligence had been filtering through concerning German research into rocket weapons. Through the interception and decoding of signals traffic, the centre for such activity was found to be at Peenemünde, an isolated location on the island of Usedom on the Baltic coast. Regular reconnaissance flights helped to build up a picture of the activity there, and through listening in on signals, the brilliant scientist, Dr R V Jones, was able to monitor the V-1 trials being conducted over the Baltic, and gather much useful information on the weapon’s range and accuracy. Churchill’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Lindemann, or Lord Cherwell as he became, steadfastly refused to give credence to rockets as weapons, and even when confronted by a photograph of a V-2 on a trailer at Peenemünde, taken by a PRU Mosquito as recently as June, he stubbornly remained unmoved. It required the urgings of Dr Jones and Duncan Sandys to persuade Churchill of the need to act, and it was finally agreed that an operation should be mounted at the first available opportunity. This arose on the night of the 17/18th of August, for which a detailed plan was meticulously prepared.
The Peenemünde research and development establishment consisted of three main areas, the housing complex, where the scientists and workers lived, the assembly buildings, and the experimental site. The operation was, therefore, to take place in three waves, each wave assigned to a specific aiming point, beginning with the housing estate, and the Pathfinders were charged with the responsibility of shifting the point of aim accordingly. 3 and 4 Groups were to go for the housing estate, 1 Group was assigned to the assembly sheds, and 5 and 6 Groups were to bring up the rear at the experimental site. The entire operation would be controlled by VHF by a Master of Ceremonies, or Master Bomber, in the manner of Gibson at the Dams, and the officer selected was G/C John Searby of 83 Squadron. He would be required to remain in the target area throughout the raid, within range of the defences, directing the marking and bombing, and exhorting the crews to press home their attacks.
Many of the Stirling contingent involved in the previous night’s operation to Turin had arrived home late, and some were dispersed on airfields to which they had been diverted due to the wide spread fog over East Anglia. This meant that they could not be made ready in time to participate in this most important of operations, and in the event, only sixty-nine of the group’s Stirlings and Lancasters were available, of which just five were from Downham Market. Sadly, the initial marking of the housing estate was inaccurate, and the first markers fell onto the forced workers camp at Trassenheide, more than a mile beyond the planned aiming point. This inevitably attracted a proportion of the 3 and 4 Group bombs, and heavy casualties were inflicted upon the friendly foreign nationals trapped inside their wooden barracks. Wing Commander Oldbury had been forced to return early with a malfunctioning intercom, but the four remaining crews bombed on schedule, S/Ldr Ryall commenting on a red glow beneath the clouds as he departed the target area. Once rectified, this phase of the operation proceeded according to plan, and a number of important members of the establishment’s technical staff were killed.
1 Group attacked the V-2 construction sheds, and despite a crosswind, managed to inflict substantial damage. It was while 5 and 6 Groups were in the target area that the night fighters belatedly arrived on the scene, and they proceeded to take a heavy toll both in the skies above Peenemünde and on the route home towards Denmark. Twenty-nine of the forty missing aircraft were from this final wave, but the losses were deemed acceptable in the light of the importance of the operation, and the fact that it took place in bright moonlight. Flight Lieutenant Kingsbury and F/Sgt Adams reported the glow of large fires still visible from between fifty and seventy miles on the return trip. The operation was sufficiently successful to set back the development program of the V-2 by a number of weeks, and the testing was moved east into Poland, out of reach of Harris’s bomber force, while production was transferred to hastily constructed underground facilities.
On the following day W/Cdr Edwin “Jack” Little DFC arrived from 1657 CU to assume command of 623 Squadron. Jack Little had joined the RAF in 1936, and was an experienced pilot, who had served with 101 Squadron pre-war and completed a tour with 40 Squadron in 1941, when he had been awarded the DFC. On completion of his first tour he was screened and posted to 22 OTU as an instructor, eventually becoming chief flying instructor with 11 OTU in 1942. By January 1943 he had been three times Mentioned in Dispatches. Unlike most of his contemporaries Little was a devout Christian, who regularly visited the local church and on many occasions took the service.
Harris had long believed that Berlin, as the seat and symbol of Nazi power, held the ultimate key to victory. He maintained the belief that bombing alone could win the war, and if this could be achieved, it would remove the need for the kind of protracted and bloody land campaigns that he had personally witnessed during the Great War. At the time it was a perfectly reasonable theory, and Harris was the first commander in a position to put it to the test. On the night of the 23/24th Harris embarked on the first stages of what would be the longest and most bitterly fought campaign of the war. Nothing before or after came closer to breaking the Command, and it would bring about the end as a front line bomber for the Stirling.
127 Stirlings and thirteen Lancasters represented 3 Group’s contribution to the first attack of the campaign against the “Big City”. Thirteen 218 Squadron aircraft took part with a further five from 623 Squadron. Among the 218 Squadron contingent was S/Ldr Waldo Hiles DSO DFC, who it will be recalled, had completed his tour back in March. He was currently occupying a post at 3 Group HQ at Exning Hall, and why he was back at Downham Market with his name on the battle order is a mystery. He collected a number of spare 218 squadron airman and formed a scratch crew, who, apart from his old rear gunner, F/Sgt De Silva DFM, who had not flown since 19th February when injured by flak had only one or two operations under their belt. The eighteen aircraft departed Downham Market in light showers and headed towards the east coast. Two of the 218 contingent were forced to return, but the remainder pressed on to encounter increasing fighter activity during the outward flight. The Stirlings were part of the third wave.
Problems with interpreting the H2S returns meant that the Pathfinders were unable to locate and mark Berlin’s centre, and marked the southern outskirts instead. The main force crews, many of which approached from the south-west instead of a more southerly direction, deposited many bomb loads onto outlying communities and open country. This would become a feature of the entire campaign, but at least on this night considerable damage was inflicted on the southern districts, where 2,600 buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged, and this represented the best result yet at the “Big City”. EE937 HA-S was attacked by a twin engine fighter thirty miles south-east of Berlin, and sustained numerous hits. A fuel tank was holed and the mid-upper turret was knocked out, but an unidentified Stirling caught up with it and passed alongside firing a continuous burst of machine gun fire at the enemy fighter. A grateful F/Sgt Knight and crew ultimately arrived home none the worse for their experience.
Three crews failed to return to Downham Market from this operation, among them that of S/Ldr “Wally” Hiles DSO DFC, whose EH925 IC-C was brought down by a fighter three kilometres south of the target, and there were no survivors. A number of books ascribe this crew to the strength of 623 Squadron. The confusion arises out of the fact that the aircraft was indeed on the strength of 623, but the crew members themselves, other than Waldo Hiles himself, were from 218 Squadron. The second loss involved EH986 HA-X, which also had a fatal encounter with a night fighter, and crashed near Berlin’s Tempelhof airfield, with just two survivors from the crew of F/Sgt Walter Williams. Both sustained injuries, one in the form of severe burns and the other a broken ankle. BF522 HA-N was on its way home over the North Sea, when it crossed swords with a night fighter. Flight Sergeant William Martin RCAF and crew sent an S.O.S at around 03.34hrs, stating that they were preparing to ditch and they came down some 160 miles north-west of Heligoland.
While the RAF bombers were on their way home from Berlin, elements of the Luftwaffe were already over East Anglia, and a Me410 of V/KG2 dropped one heavy bomb on Downham Market at 03.10hrs, causing a crater on a runway, and also scattered anti-personnel bombs over the aerodrome. No injuries were reported, but upon their return the aircraft were diverted to Waterbeach and Stradishall. On the morning of the 24th three Downham Market dispersals lay empty, as did fifty-three others on bomber fields from County Durham to Cambridgeshire. This was a new record loss for the Command, and a tragedy for the Stirling brigade, which had lost sixteen aircraft, an unsustainable 12.9% of those dispatched.
Later in the day an aircraft each from 149 and 199 Squadrons chanced upon F/Sgt Martin’s dinghy during an air-sea search. It appeared that five survivors were on board, and two Hudsons of 279 Squadron were sent from Bircham Newton to patrol the search area. Some two hours later the dinghy and the circling Stirlings were sighted, and a special lifeboat was dropped at 16.00hrs, into which the survivors clambered. Both Stirlings then turned for home, but two Bf110s arrived on the scene at 16.30hrs, and opened fire on the lifeboat. The two Hudsons closed in to provide protection, but it was not long before one was shot down into the sea. Seven more Bf110s approached the area, but did not join in the attack, and the second Hudson ultimately managed to evade the enemy and land back at base at 17.54hrs. Ofw Brannicke and Ofw Statzinger of ErpKdo 25 reported a combat with a Lockheed and a Beaufighter. Sadly, the crew of HA-N, having survived the ditching, were all lost under these tragic circumstances. Twenty-four-year old William Martin was on his fifteenth operation, and his crew had completed fourteen.
A series of small scale mining operations were mounted over the next few days, until the next major operation was launched on the 27/28th, when Nuremburg was the target. 112 Stirlings and ten Lancasters were due to represent 3 Group, but this number was reduced by the failure to take off of eight aircraft and the early return of nine more. It was to prove a bad night for Downham Market, which waved off eight aircraft of 218 Squadron and five from 623. EE944 HA-O was involved in a take-off incident, which was witnessed by Eric Basford, a corporal engine fitter:
I was on the ground crew of O-Oboe in B Flight. EE944 was our new O-Oboe, which replaced the one so tragically lost on August 12th with F/Sgt Arthur Aaron. It was detailed for a bombing attack on Nuremburg. Only twelve days had elapsed since we took charge of EE944, but they had been busy days. During that time it had completed two mining operations and one raid on Berlin. We had also changed two engines, port-outer and starboard-inner because we had found metal in the oil filters. On this evening I happened to be on “seeing off” duty and was watching the line of fully loaded Stirling’s taxiing along the perimeter track towards the long east/west runway. As I watched, Sgt Bennett positioned O-Oboe on the end of the runway and began his take off run. The Stirling gathered speed, the tail began to lift, and then there was an orange flash followed by a loud bang. The port wing dipped, the aircraft slewed to port and hurtled across the grass towards the maintenance hangar. I dashed under the other aircraft now stationary on the perimeter track, past the end of the runway across the grass to where O-Oboe had come to rest. The port wing was only three feet above the grass and there was a huge pile of earth in front of the port leg, which had gouged a track through the soft soil. Just as I got there a small pickup was leaving, but the crew were all uninjured, and were just standing around looking a bit shaken, until rapidly recovering their composure. Already the rest of the squadron had begun to take-off. I soon heard that whilst swinging to turn into the end of the runway, Sgt Bennett had run over one of the FIDO pipes which were being laid at Downham throughout the summer. The flight engineer had jumped out and examined the wheel, saw no damage and it was decided to press on with the take-off. However, as soon as the tail wheel lifted and put the full load on the main wheels, the port wheel burst with disastrous results. This was the end of EF944’s life as O-Oboe because major repair work was necessary on the undercarriage. Later, after repair at the MU, it returned to the squadron, eventually being written off completely after a crash at Tempsford in March 1944.
The weather was clear as the remaining bombers crossed into Germany, and this brought the night fighters out in numbers. Combats took place all the way in to the target, where the attack was scattered, and most of the bombing fell beyond the city limits or across its south-eastern districts. The disappointment was compounded by the loss of thirty-three aircraft, eleven of each type, and this represented a 10.5% loss rate among the Stirling brigade. 623 Squadron posted missing its first crew on this night, the experienced Welshman P/O G Jenkins. EF448 HA-P also failed to return, having crashed in a railway culvert at Munstermaifeld in Germany, with only the wireless operator and rear gunner surviving. Flight Sergeant Noel Davis RAAF and crew had been on only their second operation together.
Bomber Command was due another success, and this came on the night of August 30/31st with a two-phase attack on the twin towns of Mönchengladbach and Rheydt. The operation started badly, when F/O J Wiseman of 623 Squadron swung on take-off and severely damaged his Stirling, but the crew walked away unhurt. At the target the main force crews exploited accurate marking to destroy over 2,300 buildings in the two locations, but another twenty-five aircraft failed to return home. 218 Squadron posted missing the crews of F/Sgt William Clague in BK650 HA-T and Sgt Stanley Bennett in EF903 HA-Q. The former was shot down by Lt Wilheim Hensler of 4/NJG1 at 03.30hrs, and fell near Wickrath, four miles south-south-west of the target area. There were no survivors from this inexperienced crew, which was on only its third operation. BK650 was engaged by Hptm Kurt Fladrich of 6/NJG4 while on the way home over Holland, and with the starboard wing on fire, the twenty-six-year-old pilot ordered the crew to bail-out. The rear gunner, navigator and wireless operator all successfully complied, but it transpired that the pilot, F/Sgt Clague, had taken off without his parachute, and there was no spare aboard the aircraft. The bomb-aimer, Sgt Lorne, pleaded with the pilot to jump attached to him, but he refused, and with the Stirling now starting to nose over, he had no other option than to leave the brave young pilot to his fate. Almost immediately the aircraft blew up, crashing into the farm “De Voorhoeve” near Dorplein. Sergeant Lorne was showered with burning wreckage as he parachuted down, and such was the force of the explosion that a piece of the Stirling struck and fractured his foot and shredded his flying boot. The wireless operator was found dead on the ground with severe head injuries, believed to have been caused by the explosion. It had been the crew’s eighth operation together. Sergeant Fredrickson RCAF, the rear gunner, describes the events leading to the Stirling’s demise.
“Everything was fine all the way to the target. We just about 20 minutes of the target on the way back when a Stirling crossed our path about 800 yards astern and below. Just at the same time the M/U called myself on the intercom asking if I had seen a plane below us. I told him what I had seen and was re-checking when there was a flash of fire from 11.30 O’clock. I fired a return burst instructing the pilot to dive to port. At the same time the servo feed began to flood the turret. Flames had started to come down the starboard side. A second burst of fire from 11 O’clock was observed, the M/U called for the pilot to dive to starboard, almost immediately the pilot gave the order to bale out, the engineer reported the fire could not be put out. I called up the pilot to see if any help was needed up front, I was told to get out quickly, I then heard the bomb aimer asking the pilot if he wanted help. The pilot replied to get out, I went out through the side hatch”.
Group Captain E Barnes AFC was succeeded as station commander by G/C H Downs AFC on the 29th, pending an overseas posting. The respected and equally well liked Barnes would become the A-O-C, No.1 (Training) Group RAAF. The last operation of the month was a GOODWOOD effort against Berlin, 3 Group supplying 101 Stirlings and five Lancasters, of which an alarming twenty-five returned early for a variety of reasons. Three of these were from Downham Market, and the two belonging to 218 Squadron returned with feathered engines. The raid was rendered ineffective, after problems with H2S led to the markers falling well to the south of the city centre, and the creep-back extended thirty miles along the line of approach. A new tactic was employed by the Luftwaffe in the form of bright flares, which were dropped above the bombers over the target area to illuminate them. The Command paid the heavy price of forty-seven aircraft for the failure, and seventeen of the missing were Stirlings, a massive 16% of those despatched. Remarkably, 218 Squadron came through unscathed, and only F/L Kingsbury reported an engagement with single and twin engine enemy night fighters, which ended inconclusively. There was one loss across the tarmac. 623 Squadron’s commanding officer, W/Cdr Edward John Little DFC and crew, were brought down near Werdig in Germany, and there were no survivors.
Seven 218 Squadron crews had been lost on operations during the month from a modest 107 sorties. The number of sorties was well down on previous months after the posting of seven crews, equivalent to a complete flight, to form 623 Squadron. The squadron had delivered just over 149 tons of bombs during the month. On the plus side an unprecedented five DFMs were awarded during the month, two of them immediate, and two DFCs were also awarded.
The current phase of the Berlin offensive was concluded by an all Lancaster force on the 3/4th, in an attack which again largely undershot the target. However, some of the bombing hit the Siemensstadt district, where a number of important war industry factories suffered a serious loss of production. 623 Squadron welcomed Canadian W/Cdr Wynne-Powell on the 9th on posting from his flight commander duties with 199 Squadron. The creep-back that attended most heavy raids was incorporated into the plan of attack at Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on the 5/6th, when the aiming point was in the eastern half of Mannheim, with an approach from the west. Nine 218 Squadron Stirlings took off, but three of them were forced to return early. The city appeared to be a ringed by searchlights, which were working closely with night fighters. Flight Lieutenant Cochrane’s EE888 HA-K was struck by a 4lb incendiary in the starboard inner-engine while on the bomb run, and this was an ever-present danger for the lower flying Stirlings. BF472 HA-D had its port-outer propeller almost shot off by flak also while closing in on the aiming point, and then the all-incendiary load hung-up, forcing Sgt Spencer RCAF to order it to be jettisoned over the target. Precisely according to plan the bombing spread back over the western half of Mannheim, before spilling across the Rhine into Ludwigshafen, and thousands of buildings were either destroyed or seriously damaged in both cities. The Stirling losses on this raid reached 7%, and the alarm bells continued to ring at Bomber Command.
The Stirling brigade took part in what became a controversial operation on the 8/9th. Operation Starkey had been devised to mislead the enemy into believing that an invasion was imminent, and it involved all of the services, including the RAF. Harris was not amused at being ordered to participate in what he described as play-acting, and when the time came, he gave it less than his full commitment. Starkey began in mid August with highly visible troop movements, and the assembly of glider fleets and landing craft, which any self-respecting enemy reconnaissance crew could not fail to notice. Attacks on heavy gun emplacements on the French coast were to have begun in the final week of August, but poor weather conditions continued into September and it was not until the night of the 8/9th that operations could take place. By this time the Air Ministry had revised its demands on Harris, and in the interests of keeping civilian casualties at an acceptable level, reduced the commitment of heavy bombers. The targets for this night were two batteries, code-named Religion and Andante, situated respectively north and south of the small resort town of la Portel near Boulogne. Phase I, against the northern site, involved Oboe Mosquitos and Pathfinder Halifaxes marking for fifty-seven 3 Group Stirlings and sixty-one Wellingtons from 91 and 93 Training Groups.
218 Squadron contributed six crews, including W/Cdr Oldbury, who was accompanied by Downham Market’s station commander, G/C Downs. All six crews carried out their assigned tasks and returned safely, having dropping thirty-six one thousand pounders and a similar number of 500 pounders. The phase II force was of similar size and make-up, except for a number of 6 Group Wellingtons, and 92 Group representing the Training Groups. Three 218 Squadron and five 623 Squadron Stirlings took part in the attack on the Andante site, and all returned. The operation was a failure, neither battery was damaged, and la Portel suffered grievously with around five hundred of its inhabitants losing their lives.
There were no further operations for the main force crews until the night of the 15/16th, when 369 crews drawn from 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups were briefed for an attack on the Dunlop Rubber factory at Montlucon in central France. The operation was controlled by W/Cdr “Dixie” Dean of 35 Squadron acting as Master Bomber, and he presided over an accurate attack, which left every building in the factory complex damaged. All fourteen 218 Squadron Stirlings returned safely, having carried out their bomb runs from as low as 3,800 feet. Flight Lieutenant Kingsbury reported the target to be a “Mass of flames”, while F/L Cochrane commented on “Scattered fires over whole of target area, also town and marshalling yards“. On the following night a similar force tried to repeat the success at the important railway yards at Modane, on the main route into Italy. The squadron dispatched fourteen Stirlings led by W/Cdr Oldbury, and for the second night running there were no early returns, and, more importantly, there were no 218 Squadron losses. Downham Market’s contribution was over 70,000lb of bombs, but the location of the target in a steep valley thwarted the crews’ best endeavours, and the operation failed. There followed a four day respite from operations for both Downham Market squadrons, during which period, on the 20th, Canadian S/Ldr Garfield Prior DFC arrived from 1657 CU to take over the vacant A Flight commander’s role.
A series of four major operations against Hanover over a four week period began on the 22nd at the hands of over seven hundred aircraft. 218 Squadron dispatched fifteen Stirlings led by S/Ldr Ryall, and they were part of an element of 137 Stirlings scheduled to attack during the second wave. Flak in the almost cloud-free target area was moderate at most, but fighter activity was reported as large-scale. Stronger than forecast winds pushed the marking and bombing onto the south-eastern outskirts, and the city escaped major damage. Two 218 Squadron Stirlings were among the twenty six missing aircraft. EF139 HA-B was believed to have been attacked and shot down by Lt Ernest-Erich Hirschfeld of 5./JG300 at around 23.30hrs crashing 3 miles south of Pohle killing twenty-one-year-old Canadian Sgt Norman Spencer and four of his crew. The two survivors were blown out of the aircraft, flight engineer, Sgt Morement, being found in a wounded condition the next day, having come down in a cherry tree near Meinsen. Sergeant Morement states that the aircraft was bombed from above and exploded mid-air, the resulting explosion blew him out of the doomed Stirling. He was at the time wearing his parachute, which ultimately saved his life. Sergeant Baker, the rear gunner, was found by school children, he was sitting on the remains of his parachute in a ditch along the Hulsede – Meinsen road suffering from shock. The crew, who had arrived from 1651 CU on August 19th, had completed eight operations before their loss.
The size of the Stirling is shown to good effect in this view of Squadron Leader Howard Saunders DFC aircraft taken at Downham Market October 1943.
The second loss involved BK700 HA-L, which was hit by flak soon after leaving the target area, and there were no survivors from the crew of Canadian, Pilot Officer Carman Colquhoun, who were on their fourteenth operation, having arrived from 1651 CU on June 13th. EJ105 was hit flak as it left the target area, and two of the crew bailed out. The body of a third member of the crew, the rear gunner, F/Sgt R Gehrig RAAF, was found by the Germans on the following day without his parachute. A number of pieces of wreckage were recovered by Luftwaffe troops, who concluded that they were from EJ105. The largest item found was the rear turret, and it was suggested that the damaged Stirling may have hit the ground near Bernstorff, while flying low on the return journey. What is clear is that F/Sgt Ronald Duffy and his remaining crew somehow managed to coax the Stirling across Germany and France and back to East Anglia, where tragically, it crashed near Hall Farm, Barrow, five miles from Bury St Edmunds, killing all on board.
Mannheim was raided for the second time during the month on the 23/24th, for which 218 Squadron put up twelve Stirlings. 106 other 3 Group aircraft contributed to the force of over six hundred, but once again 218 Squadron was beset by early returns, which on this occasion amounted to four. The Stirlings were part of the second wave, and returning crews reported a number of well placed green TIs, concentrated fires and masses of smoke, and there was general enthusiasm about the outcome of the attack. Not at debriefing was the crew of EJ104 HA-G, which exploded at 23.00hrs over Kirchheimbolanden, Germany after a possible encountering Lt Heinz Wolfgang Schnaufer of 12/NJG1. Only the wireless operator, Sgt R Smith, survived from the crew of F/O Adrian Brace, who were on their tenth operation. The raid was a success with over nine hundred houses destroyed, along with twenty industrial premises, including the important I G Farben chemicals factory located in the northern part of Ludwigshafen.
A force heading for round two at Hanover on the 27th included 116 Stirlings, of which ten returned early. The remainder found the city clear of cloud, and the defences much improved since the previous raid, with the searchlights working in conjunction with fighters. A number of fighter flares had been dropped north and north-east of the target area, and this was where most of the encounters took place. Wrongly forecast winds misled the Pathfinders, who dropped their TIs up to five miles north of the intended aiming point. The following main force crews bombed these, and consequently the majority of the effort landed in open country. The squadron lost two aircraft within minutes of each other, and both contained experienced crews. EE937 HA-A is believed to have been shot down by Uffw Ernest Reitmeyer of 3/NJG5. It crashed south of the target area at 23.25hrs, and there were no survivors from the crew of P/O William Knight, who were on their nineteenth operation. Short & Harland built BF472 HA-D was attacked by Oblt Robert Plewa of 2/JG300, and witnesses then observed the Stirling to be hit by local flak while at medium altitude, before falling into a steep dive and crashing near Bothfeld at 23.30hrs with the loss of F/L Balding, RAAF and his crew. Twenty-seven year old Keith Balding had arrived at the squadron on April 16th, and was on his twentieth operation. In October 1943 the London Gazette announced that both pilots had been awarded the DFC. The loss of two such experienced crews was particularly hard on those who were still in the early stages of their tours. It had been another testing month for the Stirling squadrons. 218 Squadron had launched ninety-four sorties for the loss of seven aircraft and six crews. The award of a bar to S/Ldr Geoff Rothwell’s DFC was announced at the end of the month, the citation reads:
“Throughout many attacks on enemy targets, Squadron Leader Rothwell has consistently displayed courage and determination of a very high order which has had an influence on the results obtained by the whole of the squadron. He is now on his third tour of operational duty, which has consisted mainly of attacks on major targets in Germany”.
The award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal to Canadian Alan Larden, bomb aimer to F/Sgt Arthur Aaron, was also announced.
October began in hectic fashion for the Lancaster squadrons, which were called on to provide crews for six operations in the first eight nights. Hagen and Munich opened the month’s account, before the Halifaxes and Stirlings were called into action at Kassel on the 3/4th. This was the first truly major assault on the city, for which 218 Squadron sent nine crews led by S/Ldr Prior DFC. The Downham Market contingent joined ninety-eight other Stirlings for this “Derby” operation. A spoof raid on Hanover by ten Mosquitoes drew off the majority of the night fighters, and this enabled the Stirlings to bomb a number of well-grouped green TIs relatively unmolested and in good visibility. 218 Squadron’s EH984 was homebound when coned by searchlights, which F/Sgt John Riley initially managed to evade by corkscrewing. However, a series of flak bursts finally damaged the rudder, and shortly afterwards a large hole appeared outboard of the port-outer, and the engine erupted in flames. Riley held the bomber steady while his crew baled out, and he was the last to leave. The crew landed south of Cologne, but F/Sgt Riley sustained a broken leg and pelvis on landing. He was ultimately repatriated due to the severity of his injuries, and was awarded a DFM in May 1944 for his bravery in keeping the Stirling aloft, while his crew parachuted to safety. Two crews from 623 Squadron also failed to return from this operation, both victims of prowling night fighters.
Frankfurt suffered under a heavy assault on the following night, when 341 aircraft delivered a most concentrated attack, which devastated the eastern districts and inland docks area. S/Ldr Prior led five Stirlings from 218 squadron, and returning crews reported a number of large fires and two violent explosions that illuminated the city. A major 3 Group mining operation was undertaken on the 7/8th involving forty-eight Stirlings, of which ten were from 218 Squadron. It was to northern Germany that the crews of 3 Group headed on the 8/9th, briefed to attack the city of Bremen as a diversion for the third assault on Hanover by Lancasters and Halifaxes. The crews of one hundred Stirlings, twelve Lancasters and two B17s of the 422nd Bomber Squadron were briefed for the operation, which followed on the heels of an 8th Air Force effort against the city during the afternoon. 218 Squadron put up eight aircraft, and for once, there were no early returns. The main force found the target area almost completely cloud-covered, and the H2S-equipped blind-marker element of the Pathfinders was hampered by a combination of cloud and smoke from the earlier American raid. BK687 HA-R was shot down by Lt Hans-Heinz Augenstein of 7/NJG1 at 01.42hrs near the village of Ebersdorf, seven kilometres north-west of Bremervode. It was his seventeenth victory. The largely Canadian crew of twenty-one-year-old F/Sgt Eric Rogers RCAF were on their fourteenth operation. One of the squadron’s most experience flight commanders, S/Ldr Howard Saunders RCAF, was posted on completion of his first tour on the 11th, after undertaking twenty-eight operations. The young Canadian was posted to 1665 CU, and was one of the few to survive a tour during the five months he was operational. He would be awarded a well-deserved DFC.
A few nights of mining operations began on the 20/21st, after which fog settled over East Anglia, curtailing any further activity for a month in which 218 Squadron had launched forty-nine sorties. The squadron found itself in third place in the group sortie table, which was a considerable achievement considering that joint leaders 75 (NZ) and 90 Squadrons were both three flight units. In terms of sorties successfully completed, however, 218 led the group with an impressive 95.9%. The reduction in operations meant a fall in operational losses, and this is exactly what the squadron needed. Since June twenty-six crews had failed to return from operations, which meant, on paper at least, that it had lost one and a half times its strength.
November began as October had ended, with the Stirling squadrons sitting out the few bombing operations mounted. It was the Lancasters and Halifaxes which carried out a destructive raid on Düsseldorf on the 3/4th, while two dozen Stirlings mined the sea lanes around the Frisians. On the 4/5th the coastal waters between Denmark and Norway were targeted, and W/Cdr Oldbury took G/C R.E de T Vintras as his second pilot for a sortie to the Kattegat Channel. The crews were airborne from Downham Market at 16.00hrs, and headed north in deteriorating weather conditions. Wing Commander Oldbury became involved in a prolonged engagement with a JU88, at which over six hundred rounds were fired, and it was claimed as damaged. The German crew was unfortunate to have encountered 218 Squadron’s gunnery officer, “Peter” Piper DFC, who had seen action in the Battle of Britain in Blenheims. The commanding officer’s usual gunner, Murray Bell, was off operations at the time due to illness.
Harris was now ready for the resumption of the Berlin offensive, and in a minute to Churchill on the 3rd, he had stated that he could “wreck Berlin from end to end”. That was, of course, if the Americans were to join in. Harris acknowledged that it would cost between them four to five hundred aircraft, but he asserted that it would cost Germany the war. There was no real prospect of enlisting American support, and Harris would, therefore, go to Berlin alone.
218 Squadrons gunnery leader Flight Lieutenant Arthur “Peter” Piper DFC. A veteran of the Battle of Britain F/Lt Piper’s operational career spanned five years.
The night of the 17/18th brought the resumption of the Berlin campaign for the Lancaster squadrons, while the Stirling and Halifax brigade provided the main force for a raid on the Command’s favourite diversionary targets of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. 3 Group’s contribution to the night’s activities was fourteen Lancasters for Berlin, and an impressive 122 Stirlings and thirteen Lancasters for Mannheim. The recent lull in operations had given the hard-pressed ground crews an ideal opportunity to bring the squadrons up to full operational strength, and 218 Squadron was able to put eleven Stirlings into the air, led by A Flight’s S/Ldr Prior. Night fighters were active during the almost straight route across France, and thirty-six interceptions were recorded, with the majority taking place between Cambrai and Trier. The force, already depleted by the early return of fourteen Stirlings, including three from Downham Market, was now set upon by Wilde Sau (Wild Boar) single seat fighters in the target area, which was found to be almost free of cloud. The marking was inaccurate, and fell between two and four miles north-north-west of the planned aiming point. 218 Squadron’s EE884 HA-B crashed between the towns of Hofheim and Bodstadt, and there was only one survivor from the crew of P/O Alan Hine, who were on their tenth operation. Bomb-aimer F/O A Powell managed to travel over seventy miles from the crash site before being captured.
The chemical works at Leverkusen was the intended target on the 19/20th, for which 112 Stirlings were detailed. Twenty-six of these failed to take off, and a further nine returned early, an alarming proportion, the impact of which was not wasted on the A-O-C. Ten-tenths cloud over the target and the failure of the blind marking equipment resulted in a rather scattered attack. 218 Squadron dispatched nine aircraft, which delivered over thirty tons of bombs, and all returned safely, albeit to diversion airfields.
A maximum effort was demanded for the next raid on Berlin, which took place on the 22/23rd. 764 aircraft took off, among them an unimpressive fifty-three Stirlings, of which an alarming fifteen returned early. Nine 218 Squadron aircraft departed Downham Market led by the flight commanders. The first of five early returns headed for home soon after crossing the English Coast, and one even reached the German frontier before having to turn back. Icing and a variety of technical malfunctions were to blame. The remaining crews took an almost direct route to Berlin and encountered little fighter opposition on the way. The Stirlings arrived over the target at between 13,000 and 17,000 feet to find it completely cloud-covered. Flak was intense as the crews made their bomb runs and aimed at red sky markers. A number of crews observed a very large explosion at 20.20hrs, and those returning were generally optimistic about the success of the raid, reporting the glow of many fires visible through the cloud. In fact, this was the most devastating assault of the war on the Capital, destroying at least three thousand houses and apartment blocks, along with twenty-three industrial premises, while two thousand people lost their lives, and a further 175,000 were rendered homeless. Five Stirlings were among the twenty-six missing aircraft, and this represented a 10% loss rate for the type. 218 Squadron lost its A Flight commander, S/Ldr Garfield Prior DFC, who died with his crew when EF180 HA-D crashed in the target area. Canadian Prior was an experienced bomber pilot, who had completed a tour with 10 Squadron during the first year of war. Garfield Prior had a reputation on 10 Squadron for his tenacity in trying to identify and bomb the target, not an easy feat in a Whitley in 1940, for this he gained the nick-name “Pin-point Prior”. Prior and his crew had arrived on the squadron from 1657 CU on September 20th, and were on their sixth operation. He had completed a total of thirty-nine operations at the time of his loss, and his experience would be missed.
The crew of Pilot Officer Alan Hine stand in front of Stirling EF884 HA-B “Bertie”. They failed to return from Mannheim November 18th 1943.
Squadron Leader John Overton, with pipe. This photograph shows the crew on return from Berlin on November 23rd 1943. The stain is clearly etched on the faces. The crew were at the time operational with 623 Squadron. Seated center with a mug of tea is Canadian Sergeant Leonard McCann RCAF. He would fail to return from Berlin in March 1944 while serving with 115 Squadron.
The Group’s apparent inability to contribute a worthwhile number of aircraft regularly for operations, along with its high rate of early returns and heavy losses among the Stirling brigade, proved to be the final straw for Harris. He made the decision to withdraw the type from further operations over Germany, effectively relegating them to secondary, if useful duties. To be taken from the front line was a bitter blow to 3 Group, which, from the very start of hostilities, had been in the vanguard of the Command’s campaigns. For both Downham Market squadrons the decision to remove them from attacks on Germany was beyond their control, but over the coming winter they would come to realize that the decision was the right one. The crews, like most of war time Britain, would read with increasing dismay of the burgeoning losses being sustained by Bomber Command.
As the decreasing tempo of operations during the latter stages of the month combined with the decision to remove the Stirlings from attacks on Germany, it meant that the group’s monthly sorties figures were down on the September and October totals. 218 Squadron was placed fourth with forty-four sorties, and had slipped down to joint sixth place for mining sorties with fourteen dispatched and forty-seven mines delivered with a 92% success rate. From now on, Stirlings were to play an even greater role in mining operations, and, in fact, had already been responsible for around 50% of such sorties during 1943. A new role also beckoned at this time, as support increased for the resistance organisations in the occupied countries. This was already a 3 Group preserve in the hands of 138 and 161 Squadrons, the so-called “Moon” squadrons, operating out of their secret station at Tempsford in Bedfordshire. The restrictions placed on Stirling operations applied only to Germany, and this left the way clear for bombing operations over France, where a new menace was being prepared for use against Britain. V-1 launching sites were being constructed, and these would become targets for 3 Group’s Stirling contingent during December and January. The month of November would see the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to F/Sgt Arthur Aaron DFM. It was not only a tremendous honour to the squadron, but also to the group, and Aaron was also the first member of the Air Training Corps to be awarded this highest of decorations. The citation read:
The KING had been graciously pleased to confer the VICTORIA CROSS on the under mentioned officer in recognition of conspicuous Bravery
145818 Acting Flight Sgt Arthur Louis Aaron DFM, RAFVR. No.218 Squadron (Deceased)
On the night of 12th August, 1943, Flight Sgt Aaron was captain and pilot of a Stirling aircraft detailed to attack Turin. When approaching to attack, the bomber received devastating bursts of fire from an enemy fighter. Three engines were hit, the windscreen shattered, the front and rear turrets put out of action and the elevator control damaged, causing the aircraft to become unstable and difficult to control. The navigator was killed and other members of the crew were wounded. A bullet struck Flight Sgt Aaron in the face, breaking his jaw and tearing away part of his face. He was also wounded in the lung and his right arm was rendered useless. As he fell forward over the control column, the aircraft dived several thousand feet. Control was regained by the flight engineer at 3,000 feet. Unable to speak, Flight Sgt Aaron urged the bomb aimer by signs to take over the controls. Course was then set southwards in an endeavour to fly the crippled bomber, with one engine out of action, to Sicily or North Africa.
Flight Sgt Aaron was assisted to the rear of the aircraft and treated with morphia. After resting for some time he rallied and, mindful of his responsibility as captain of the aircraft, insisted on returning to the pilot’s cockpit, where he was lifted into his seat and had his feet placed on the rudder bar. Twice he made determined attempts to take control and hold the aircraft to its course but his weakness was evident and with difficulty he was persuaded to desist. Though in great pain and suffering from exhaustion, he continued to help by writing directions with his left hand.
Five hours after leaving the target the petrol began to run low, but soon afterwards the flare path at Bone airfield was sighted. Flight Sgt Aaron summoned his failing strength to direct the bomb aimer in the hazardous task of landing the damaged aircraft in the darkness with undercarriage retracted. Four attempts were made under his direction; at the fifth attempt Flight Sgt Aaron was so near to collapsing that he had to be restrained by the crew and the landing was completed by the bomb aimer.
Nine hours after landing, Flight Sgt Aaron died from exhaustion. Had he been content, when grievously wounded, to lie still and conserve his failing strength, he would probably have recovered, but he saw it as his duty to exert himself to the utmost, if necessary with his last breath, to ensure that his aircraft and crew did not fall into enemy hands. In appalling conditions he showed the greatest qualities of courage, determination and leadership, and, though wounded and dying, he set an example of devotion to duty which has seldom been equalled and never surpassed.
The main force went to Berlin on the 2/3rd, and received a bloody nose at the hands of the defences, and then inflicted a heavy blow on Leipzig on the following night. Some Stirlings mined in northern waters on the night of the 1/2nd, and around the Frisians on the 4/5th, before a period of inactivity took the Command through to mid-month. The changes within the group finally caught up with Downham Market, when, on December 6th, 623 Squadron and its Servicing Echelon 9623 was officially disbanded. It was a bitter blow to the whole squadron, especially the new commanding officer, W/Cdr Milligan AFC. The squadron establishment stood at twenty-one crews, and almost immediately six crews, including that of S/Ldr Overton, the only surviving operational pilot and crew from the squadron’s formation back in August, was posted back to 218 Squadron to take over the recently vacated A Flight commander role. On the night of the 16/17th Lancasters raided Berlin, while twenty-six Stirlings, including four from 218 Squadron, joined in the first of a series of attacks on flying bomb sites, this one at Tilley-le-Haut near Abbeville. Other Stirlings carried out mining sorties around the Frisians and in French coastal waters, and the squadron’s EE888 HA-K failed to return from the latter, disappearing without trace somewhere in the Bay of Biscay with the crew of F/Sgt Dennis Williams. The crew were on their first operation with the squadron since transferring in from 623 Squadron. Aboard was P/O John Taylor RCAF who was standing in for the crews bomb aimer, twenty-two-year old Taylor was W/Cdr Oldbury’s regular bomb aimer. MZ263 HA-B arrived back over Cornwall short of fuel, and in the kind of bad weather conditions that were to blight the night’s efforts for the whole Command. It was crash-landed at St Eval by F/O I Locke RNZAF and his crew, who all sustained minor injuries. The Stirling was struck off charge. The raid on the flying bomb site failed, despite being marked by Oboe Mosquitos, and this highlighted the limitations of Oboe as an aid to precision bombing. Although ideal for urban areas, where a margin of error of a few hundred yards was considered to be pin-point, a small target required absolute precision.
On Christmas Eve eight crews were detailed to carry out an attack on a special target in the Cherbourg area, while a further three crews were to mine the waters off the Ile de Re, but thankfully for all concerned, the operations were cancelled. The Station Records Book records that Christmas Day was “Bang-on in the Camp”. The fifth wartime Christmas came and went in relative peace, and the year petered out gently for the Stirling squadrons. Not so for the Lancaster Brigade, however, which faced three trips to Berlin in the space of five nights spanning the turn of the year. 218 was the least employed of the Stirling units during the month, and despatched only twenty-five sorties for the loss of two aircraft and one crew. It had been a year of steady and persistent losses for 218 Squadron, with a few bad nights, but unlike many other units there had been no catastrophes, and the coming year would bring a drastic reduction in missing aircraft and crews. Away from the station the future role of the squadron was being decided, and a memorandum dated December 10th from HQ Bomber Command stated the intention to equip 218 and 214 Squadrons who had taken up residence on the disbandment of 623 Squadron with the then new and still secret G-H apparatus.
The wreckage of Short Stirling MZ263 HA-B flown by New Zealander Flying Officer Ian Locke. Miraculously the crew walked away from this crash the aircraft was unsurprisingly written off.
Leave was usually six days every six weeks, and the majority of crews headed south for London if money permitted. This was particularly true for the Dominion and Commonwealth crews, who, not unnaturally, wanted to visit the shows and bars of the war-time capital. The capital was where almost anything went and often did, and was fast and exiting, unlike rural Norfolk. Squadron Leader Ryall DFC, one of the squadron’s more colourful characters, recalls an incident just before Christmas 1943:
I was on leave with one of the girls from the Stow Bardolph Hospital, and we came out of one of the seedy afternoon clubs, in which there seemed to be so many full of the joy of alcohol. This one was one of those off the Shaftesbury Avenue. Outside the club was a chap winding a barrel-organ, playing a popular tune of the day called “Oh Johnny” I asked him if I could play it and he was happy to let me. I then suggested that I push it down to the corner of Piccadilly. He thought this a bit daring, and he was reluctant to do so because he only had a license for playing in the side roads. However, I dropped him a quid, and the sporting chap agreed, and the effect was quite amazing. There was hundreds of uniforms around, with many Yanks, British and others gathering around to see this squadron leader playing a barrel-organ, while his girlfriend collected money in his hat. A huge crowd soon formed, and people were singing, and soon there was the beginning of a traffic jam. My hat was bulging with money, pound notes and the occasional fiver I noticed. The whole thing only lasted about five minutes. Traffic was at a standstill, and something had to give. On the outer edge of the crowd a couple of red caps appeared, trying to force their way through the crowd, and we though it time to leave. We tipped the contents of the hat, probably more than he earned in a whole year, into the man’s collection box, and then, conveniently, a brewer’s dray slowly rumbled passed, low slung with small wheels, and we jumped up onto the back, slowly pulling away to the cheers of the now massive crowd.