Operation: Nürnberg
Date: 30/31st March 1944 (Thursday/Friday)
Unit: No. 12 Squadron
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: ND562
Code: PH-D
Base: RAF Wickenby
Location: I Km. North of Holzeim, Germany
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Alistair John Cook 87071 RAFVR Age 32. Killed
Pilot 2 (U/T): P/O. Christopher Humphrey Cotton Minchin 172470 RAFVR Age 23. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Kenneth Launcelot Summerscale 1862419 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Nav: P/O. Maurice Rene Nicolas Mouchet J/85366 RCAF Age 26. Killed (1)
Air/Bmr: P/O. Robert Timperley 173558 RAFVR Age 26. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Bernard Salt 54522 RAF Age 23. Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: P/O. Jack Ernest McInnes J/88856 RCAF Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Richard Frederick Bayley 658573 RAF Age 25. Killed
The family of P/O. Bernard Salt would very much like to hear from other relatives in particular during his time at RAF Wickenby - contact us and your details will be forward.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Wickenby at 21:55 hrs to bomb Nuremberg - the greatest loss of the second world war to Bomber Command with 101 claims by the Luftwaffe night fighters, a further 6 probables. 545 allied airmen lost their lives during this operation - more than all their losses during the Battle of Britain in 1940!
Above L-R: Sid, P/O. Bernard Salt and Francis (courtesy Martin Brown)
Shot down by Hptm. Gerhardt Raht (4) of 4./NJG3 at 00:26 hrs during the outward bound flight.Lancaster III ND441 PH-Z Flown by 22 year old, Fl/Lt. Douglas Mintie Carey DFC (3) J/16480 RCAF of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada - killed with all 6 other crew.
(1) Mouchet Lake east of Nueltin Lake was renamed after P/O. Maurice Rene Nicolas Mouchet in 1975.(2) The family also lost another of the 3 sons that served in the RAF. 32 Year old, Fl/Lt. navigator Francis Charles Salt 1300629 RAFVR killed with 156 Squadron on the 03rd February 1945. Details on this website.
(3) Carey Lake southeast of Churchill was renamed after Fl/Lt. Douglas Mintie Carey DFC. in 1948.
Left: Hptm. Gerhardt Raht with his Bordfunker, Ofw. Anton Heinemann (courtesy Kracker Archive)
Operations undertaken by P/O. Bernard Salt with his fellow crew members:
15th March 1944: Stuttgart ND572 PH-D F/L Cook A. J. Sgt Farman K 2nd Pilot, Sgt. Summerscale R. L. W/O Mouchet, M. R. RCAF, W/O Timperley R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. Fl/Sgt. Bailey R. F.
18th March1944: Frankfurt ND562 PH-D F/L Cook A. J. Sgt. Summerscale K. L. W/O Mouchet M. R. RCAF W/O Timperley R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. Sgt. Bayley R. F.
22nd March 1944: Frankfurt ND562 PH-D F/L Cook A. J. Sgt.Summerscale K. L. W/O Mouchet M. R. RCAF W/O Timperley R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. Sgt. Bayley R. F.
24th March 1944: Berlin ND562 PH-D F/L Cook A. J. Sgt.Summerscale K. L. W/O Mouchet M. R. RCAF W/O Timperley R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. Sgt. Bayley R. F.
26th March 1944: Essen ND562 PH-D F/L Cook A. J. Sgt.Summerscale K. L. W/O Mouchet M. R. RCAF W/O Timperley R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. Sgt. Bayley R. F.
30th March 1944: Nürenburg ND562 PH-D F/L Cook A. J.P/O Cotton-Minchin C. H. 2nd P. Sgt. Summerscale K. L. W/O Mouchet M. R. N. RCAF W/O Timperly R. W/O Salt B. Sgt. McInnes J. E. RCAF F/Sgt. Bayley R. F.
Originally all the crew were buried on the 1st April 1944 at the Municipal Cemetery Holzeim - reinterred after war end at Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Fl/Lt. Alistair John Cook. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.17. Son of David and Nettie Cook, husband of Winifrede Isobel Helene Cook, of Edinburgh, Scotland. Total 20 operations with 12 Squadron.
P/O. Christopher Humphrey Cotton Minchin. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.14. Son of James Humphrey and Violet Ada Cotton Minchin, of Kansas City, Missouri, USA. First operation, prior to taking his own command.
Sgt. Kenneth Launcelot Summerscale. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.16. No next of kin details - are you able to assist? Total 12 operations with 12 Squadron.
P/O. Maurice Rene Nicolas Mouchet. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.18. Son of Suzanne Jacques, of St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada. First operation with 12 Squadron.
P/O. Robert Timperley. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.15. Son of George and Agnes Rose Timperley, husband of Edith Edna Haynes Timperley, of Whalley, Blackburn, Lancashire, England. Total 6 operations with 12 Squadron.
P/O. Bernard Salt. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.21. Son of Thomas and Gertrude Ellen Salt of Littleover. Derby, England. Total 6 operations with 12 Squadron.
P/O. Jack Ernest McInnes. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.20. Son of Arthur and Hettie E. McInnes, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Total 5 operations with 12 Squadron (23 in total). Born in June 1920 in Uxbridge, England, Mother was English. Enlisted July 1942, commissioned 29th March 1944.
Fl/Sgt. Richard Frederick Bayley. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 14.D.19. No next of kin details - are you able to assist? Total 6 operations with 12 Squadron.
Fl/Lt. Douglas Mintie Carey DFC. Hanover War Cemetery. Grave 15.K.8. Son of William Lawson Carey and Myrtle Eva Carey, of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. (Shown Left)
Researched by Martin Brown for Aircrew Remembered, July 2015, further details added July 2018. For further details our thanks to the sources shown below. Also to the curator of the RAF Wickenby, Anne Law, for her help with assisting Martin.
KTY 07.07.2015
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed
by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior
permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2021
Last Modified: 31 July 2018, 14:27