Operation: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 27th/28th July 1943 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 106 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ED708

Code: ZN:O

Base: RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire

Location: The sea near Terschelling, Frisian Islands

Pilot: Flt Sgt. John Bennett Charters 1039009 RAFVR Age 21. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. George Rowland Slack 1496119 RAFVR Age 22. MiA

Nav: Sgt. Eric Bernard Jordan 1397047 RAFVR Age 23. MiA

Bomb Aimer: WO2. Thomas Joseph Roche R115295 RCAF Age 26. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. William Snowball Maben 1096832 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper) Sgt. Joseph William Doyle 1588990 RAFVR Age 19. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. David William Downes 907282 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Syerston at 23:00 hrs as part of a group of 787 aircraft comprised of 53 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 116 Stirlings and 74 Wellingtons, on one of the raids against Hamburg known as ‘Operation Gomorrah’.

Above: As described (courtesy Lynn Herron)

This was the night of the firestorm, which resulted from a combination of unusually dry and warm weather, the concentration of the bombing in one area and firefighting limitations. A total of 2,326 tons of bombs were dropped. In the period following the raid, approximately 1,200,000 people fled the city in fear of further raids.

ED708 or 106 Sqn Lancaster ED303 or 100 Sqn Lancaster EE169 was claimed by Ofw. Walter Kubisch and Bordfunker Maj. Lent, his 1st Abschuss, from Stab IV./NJG1, over the sea near Terschelling at 4.000m at 02:37 hrs (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 June - 22 September) 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

Maj. Lent was later Oberst. Helmut lent who died on the 7th October 1944 at Paderborn after a crash landing at Nordborchen on approach to Paderborn airfield 2 days earlier due to engine failure and collision with high tension cables. He was credited with 108 confirmed Abschüsse and 2 awaiting confirmation ((Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

(1) John Bennett Charters was a joiner by trade and a keen cyclist, regularly cycling the 40 mile round trip from Newcastle to Eshott Hall in Northumberland to visit his younger sister Olive who was evacuated there.

John joined the RAFVR on the 7th July 1941 at the age of 19. Started his training at the Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) at Sywell and his log book shows his first flight on the 24th September 1941 in a DH82 Tiger Moth.

Above: As described (courtesy Lynn Herron)

In February 1942 he was transferred to the USA as part of the ‘Arnold Scheme’ (named after US Army Air Force General ‘Hap’ Arnold), a programme allowing the use of American air bases to train RAF pilots. The British who trained on the scheme were known as Arnoldians.

They learned to fly in US Army Air Force planes with USAAF markings. Their flying instructors and most of the ground personnel were American. From February to June 1942, John was based at Darr Aero Tech, Albany, Georgia, training in PT17 Stearman's and BT13 Vultees, and in July and August he was based at the Advanced Flying Training School (AFTS), Moody Field, Valdosta, Georgia, training in AT9 Curtiss's, AT17 Crestna's, AT6 North American Harvards and AT10s.

There are no entries in the log book for September and October 1942. From the 1st November to the 8th December, John was based at RAF Shawbury, and from the 14th December to January 1943 at RAF Stradishall, flying Oxfords.

In February 1943 the log book shows John being part of an Operational Training Unit (OTU), flying Wellingtons. Listed as pupils/passengers on these flights are Jordan, Maben and Downes who were later to form the crew of the ill-fated Lancaster ED708. From March 1943 to the beginning of April, John was part of an OTU at RAF Station Saltby, again flying Wellingtons.

In May 1943, John was part of the 1654 Heavy Conversation Unit (HCU) based at RAF Wigsley, flying Manchester's and Lancaster's. Around this time he received news that he was to appointed to a commission as Plt Off. but sadly he was to die before it came through.

The aircraft John trained on, BT13 Vultee

An entry in John’s diary on the 5th June 1943 refers to his arrival at 106 Sqn at RAF Syerston and his first impression of the camp was that it was “rather good”! During June and July, John flew Lancaster's on 11 operations, carrying out raids against Bochum, Oberhausen, Cologne, Mulheim, Wuppertal, Gelsenkirchen, Essen and Hamburg.

Some of the entries in his diary during this period give an idea of how dangerous these missions were:

22/6/43: “NFT air firing and bombing. Mulheim at night. Very hectic trip. Got coned in search lights and nearly tore wings off to get out. Hit slightly by flak.”;
24/6/43: “Raided Wuppertal. Pretty good effort . . . Big hole in bomb doors which we didn’t discover till landed.”
25/6/43: “Gelsenkirchen tonight. Not a bad trip but experienced bags of light flak over Dutch coast. Lost 4 from the squadron tonight including Flight Commander.”
26/6/43: “Stand down. All went to Nottingham and got tight. Bill, Dick and Eric much the worse for wear.”!

By the time of John’s death, he had flown over 550 hours.

In a letter to John’s parents dated the 29th July 1943, the Squadron Wing Commander wrote, “During the six weeks your son had been with my squadron, he had taken part in 11 operational sorties and was developing into a first rate captain. He carried out his operational missions cheerfully and with confident courage and had achieved considerable success. We are most sorry to have lost him.”

John was a gentle, loving and thoughtful man and was much loved by his family and friends, especially his parents, his sisters Olive and Betty, and his fiancée Jean. He was, and always will be, a true hero.

Burial details:

Above: Runnymede memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Flt Sgt. John Bennett Charters. Runnymede Memorial Panel 135. Born on the 30th November 1921 in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Son of Thomas and Elizabeth (née Moran) Charters of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Sgt. George Rowland Slack. Runnymede Memorial Panel 165. Born on the 8th December 1920 in West Derby, Liverpool. Son of Eleanor Janet Slack of Liverpool, England.

Sgt. Eric Bernard Jordan. Runnymede Memorial Panel 155. Born on the 25th May 1920 in Lewisham, London. Son of Herbert and Mabel Jordan of Catford, London. Husband of Audrey J. Jordan of Catford, England.

WO2. Thomas Joseph Roche. Runnymede Memorial Panel 180. Born on the 23rd April 1918 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. Son of Thomas Andrew and Reney (née Foley) Roche of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. William Snowball Maben. Runnymede Memorial Panel 157. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1922 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Son of James and Jessie Louisa (née Snowball) Maben of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England.

Sgt. Joseph William Doyle. Runnymede Memorial Panel 148. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1924 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Son of John Robert and Ann (née Morgan) Doyle of Weaste, Salford, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. David William Downes. Runnymede Memorial Panel 148. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1922 in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. Son of John Henry and Eliza M. (née Wisdon) Downes of Eridge Green, Sussex, England.

Researched by Lynn Herron, niece of Flt Sgt. John Bennett Charters, for Aircrew Remembered. Also to Victor Jordan, nephew of Sgt. Eric Jordan who identified him on the photograph in September 2015. Mrs Dorothy Davison who identified her brother on the crew photo. Reviewed, updated and corrected by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2026)

Other sources listed below:

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