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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
Further data available at Allied Losses & Incidents database
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115 Squadron Crest
06/07.10.1944 No. 115 Squadron Lancaster I LL880 KO-D W/O. William Erickson

Operation: Dortmund

Date: 06/07th October 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 115 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LL880

Code: KO-D

Base: RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire

Location: Target area?

Pilot: W/O. William Erickson 655068 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Harry Thomson Dickson 1897116 RAFVR Age 38. Missing - believed killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Jack Lee 1128432 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Arthur John Tippin 1581522 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Frederick Burgess 1624834 Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Truby 1595391 RAFVR Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Michael Convy 1824996 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Relatives of Fl/Sgt. Jack Lee would very much like to hear from other relatives of the crew - please contact us in the first instance.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 16:45 hrs from RAF Witchford in Cambridgeshire. 523 aircraft, 248 Halifaxes and 247 Lancasters with 28 Mosquitoes from 3, 6 and 8 Group were to bomb the industrial and transport areas of the city. Bombing was undertaken in clear weather conditions.

The Pathfinders marking the area accurately, reports state that the bombing caused severe damage to the target area. 2 Halifaxes from 6 Group, 2 Lancasters and a Mosquito were also lost from the other Groups.

Casualties on the ground were reported as 191 civilians killed, 38 missing with a further 418 injured.

Lancaster LL880 is thought to have been hit by flak in the target area.

Burial details:

W/O. William Erickson. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.B.1. No further details - are you able to assist?

Sgt. Harry Thomson Dickson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 228. Son of Andrew and Annie Dickson, husband of Mary Elizabeth Dickson, of Chiswick, Middlesex, England.

Fl/Sgt. Jack Lee. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.17. Son of Charles Herbert and Elsie Lee, husband of Joyce Lee, of Middleton, Manchester, England.

Sgt. Arthur John Tippin. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.18. Husband of Doris Felicia Tippin, of Erdington, Birmingham, England.

Sgt. George Frederick Burgess. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.15. Son of Fred and Jane Burgess, of Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. James Truby. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 239. Son of William and Theresa Truby, of Esh Winning, Co. Durham, England.

Sgt. Michael Convy. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 227. Son of John and Margaret Convy, of Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland.

Researched for Mark Woodhouse, nephew of Fl/Sgt. Jack Lee and dedicated to all the relatives of the crew. Sources as quoted below.

Acknowledgements: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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