Operation: Rostock, Germany

Date: 20th/21st April 1943 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 149 (East India) Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Stirling III

Serial: BK698

Code: OJ:O

Base: RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England

Location: North Sea off Denmark

Pilot: Flt Lt. George Ivan Ellis 414269 RNZAF Age 28. MiA (1)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Ian Allison Mervyn Holloway 1137558 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Fred Leslie Cecil Kelly 573042 RAF Age 20. MiA

Nav: Plt Off. Ernest Booth 139949 RAFVR Age 30. MiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Lt. David Ian McNarey 405299 RNZAF Age 27. KiA (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Edwin Robert Ginn 1291765 RAFVR Age? MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Frederick Sheppard 1322316 RAFVR Age 22. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Peter Banister Mills 1385980 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Above: Flt Lt. George Ivan Ellis (Courtesy of Jan Dodgson)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22:03 hrs from RAF Lakenheath to attack the town of Rostock 600 miles from England and one of the furthest targets for Bomber Command. Weather was good with a full moon and no cloud so target markers were accurate, resulting in the total devastation of the centre of the town. The attack took place between 00.59 hrs and 01.45 hrs. German reports at the time state that 13 Industrial units and 380 houses completely destroyed. A large chemical plant was also hit halting all production. 586 people were killed on the ground.

It also cost the allies - out of 339 aircraft that left on the raid 22 aircraft were lost, 130 aircrew were killed, 20 made PoW and 7 interned for a short while in Sweden. The majority succumbed to the very heavy Flak encountered and others to the Luftwaffe night fighters who had a difficult time locating them, as the allied bombers had been instructed to fly in and out at between 1,000 and 5.000 ft making them difficult for the German controllers to track. This the reason the majority fell easy prey to the Flak units operating with co-ordinated searchlights.

Homebound the bomber stream was attacked by German night fighters and BK698 was claimed by Oblt. Günther Köberich from 11./NJG 3 as his 3rd Abschuss over the sea west of Ringköbing at 600 m. at 03:54 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January - 22 June) 1943 Part 1 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Köberich was killed during a bombing raid on Quakenbrück Airfield by B17s of the 8th USAAF on the 8th April 1944. He was credited with seven (7) confirmed Abschüsse with seven (7) awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

A second aircraft from the squadron failed to return:

Stirling III BK714 OJ:L - Flown by Sqn Ldr. Thomas Howell who along with five (5) of his crew became PoWs with one (1) of the crew being killed in the crash landing.

(1) The brother of Flt Lt. Ellis, Flt Sgt. Charles Raymond Ellis 422379 RNZAF was posted missing in action on the 11th June 1944 when 228 Sqn Sunderland III ML762 failed to return from an operation over the Bay of Biscay.

(2) The body of Flt Lt. David Ian McNarey was washed ashore near Thyboron on the east shore of Denmark, on the 11th May 1943.

David was engaged to Lucy Edith Egan who was heartbroken after his death and never married.

Burial details:

Flt Lt. George Ivan Ellis. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 197. Birth registered in the 3rd Qtr of 1915 in Geraldine, Canterbury, New Zealand. Son of Charles Robert and Jane (née Cadwallander) Ellis of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.

491 flying hours logged and on his 24th operation.

Plt Off. Ian Allison Mervyn Holloway. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 132. Birth registered in the 2nd Qtr of 1922 in Woolwich, London. Son of Harold and of Florence Mary (née Rayner) Holloway of Blackheath, London, England.

Sgt. Holloway was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to 147192 Plt Off. with effect 7th April 1943 (London Gazette 23rd July 1943)

Sgt. Fred Leslie Cecil Kelly. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 155. Birth registered in the 4th Qtr of 1922 in Edmonton, Essex. Son of Fred Leslie and Ellen Kathleen Rose (née Baker) Kelly of Guildford, Surrey, England.

Plt Off. Ernest Booth. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 130. Born on the 22nd February 1913 in West Hartlepool. Son of Frederick and Elizabeth Booth of West Hartlepool, Co. Durham. Husband of Eva Parsons (née Morson) Booth of West Hartlepool, England.

Above: Lemvig Cemetery which has just thirty-nine (39) Commonwealth war graves. (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Flt Lt. David Ian McNarey. Lemvig Cemetery, Grave 703. Born on the 5th February 1916 in Dunedin, Southland, New Zealand. Son of John and Mary McKenzie (née Ross) McNarey of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.

443 flying hours logged and on his 22nd operation.

Sgt. Edwin Robert Ginn. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 150. No further details - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Frederick Sheppard. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 164. Birth registered in the 2nd Qtr of 1921 in Bristol, Gloucestershire. Son of Isaac Samuel Holbrook and Sarah Elizabeth (née Bryant) Sheppard of St. George, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.

Sgt. Peter Banister Mills. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 159. Born on the 27th August 1921 in Barnet, Hertfordshire. Son of Thomas Henry and Annie Louisa (née Board) Mills of Church End, Finchley, Middlesex, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Olwyn (Feb 2017). Thanks to Jan Dodgson for the new photograph of Flt Lt. Ellis which has been added to the reviewed and updated report (Jul 2026)

Other sources listed below:

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