Operation: Amiens, France

Date: 12th/13th June 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 78 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LV820

Code: EY:F

Base: RAF Breighton, Yorkshire

Location: Bosc-Mesnil, North East Rouen, France

Pilot: Fg Off. Henry Thomas Hills 151071 RAFVR Age 26. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Robert Jackson Campbell MiD, 917815 RAFVR Age 24. KiA (1)

Nav: Fg Off. Kenneth Charles Morris Hayman 153006 RAFVR Age 22. KiA (2)

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Eric Albon 152969 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. William McKay Biehl 622666 RAF Age 26. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Maurice Francis Dilkes 1584011 RAFVR Age 20. KiA (4)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Stanley George Rayner Barham 1307841 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Above Fg Off. Henry Thomas Hills (Courtesy of James Hills)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22:13 hrs from RAF Breighton to bomb the communication and rail facilities at Amiens.  671 aircraft took part in this and other raids during the night. Bombing of this target had been classed as reasonably accurate.

The losses from Bomber Command though were huge with 30 aircraft lost.  A total of 140 aircrew were killed, 22 being made PoW, however, a further 31 managing to evade capture.

78 Squadron lost 3 aircraft during this raid, the other two were:

• Halifax III LV915 EY:H - Flown by 28 year old, Fg Off John Frederick Wyllie J25814 RCAF from Saskatchewan, Canada.  He and his crew were KiA;

• Halifax III MZ631 EY:Y Flown by 29 year old, Flt Sgt. Stanley Allan Rae 423420 RNZAF from Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.  He and his crew were KiA.

Halifax LV820 was initially claimed by Ofw. Reinhard Kollak of 8./NJG4, his 3rd of the night, at 2,000m between 00:35 - 00:40 hrs.  The aircraft crashed between 5 - 35 kilometres NNE of Rouen. Ofw. Kollak’s claim at  00:22 hrs was not identified in Ref 1, pp55-58.

Halifax LV820 was claimed by Uffz. Johann Hans Werthner his 3rd Abschuss  from 7./NJG2.  20-30km West of Amiens: 800m at 00:21/22.  The aircraft crashed at Bosc-Mesnil (Seine-Maritime) 4km ESE of St Saens (Ref 1, p55).

• Fw. Werthner was wounded on the night of the 1st/2nd January 1945 when his Ju88 G-6 R4+NR was shot down at Dolphia, 3 km east of Enschede by 604 Sqn Mosquito HK526 flown by Flt Lt. Reginald J. Foster DFC & Bar, AFC 106065 RAFVR and Flt Lt Maurice F. Newton DFC & Bar, 116700  RAFVR.  He baled out but his crew were killed. (Ref 2, p105 & Ref 3, p6).

Silk evasion maps recovered from the crash site.

(1)  As an acting Corporal Sgt. Campbell was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 11th June 1942.

(2)  Fg Off. Hayman’s older brother, 29 year old, Engineer Officer Harold John Hayman Merchant Navy, was killed aboard the SS Oronsay on the 9th October 1942 when the unescorted ship was torpedoed by the Italian submarine, Archimede (AH, I.31) 500 miles SW of Freetown, Africa.

(3)  Enlisted in July 1938 as ground crew.  Re-mustered as Air gunner in 1942.  Commended for his actions in rescuing people who were buried in rubble after an air raid in London.

• Biehl Lake northwest of Sprott Lake was named after Sgt. William McKay Biehl in 1995. This was his 29th operation.

(4)  Peter Inman was his best friend and his son, Bob, sent in additional details and photographs in January 2018:

• 05/11/42 – posted to Hereford for Armourer’s course;
• 26/11/42 – passed Air Crew Selection (ACS) Board Medical;
• 04/01/43 – started 20mm Hispano cannon training;
• 14/01/43 – started in hangars (?);
• 25/02/43 – started on carriers (?);
• 04/03/43 – started on pyrotechnics;
• 15/04/43 – passed Armourer’s Track Test Board as Armourer;
• 21/04/43 – left Hereford;
• 30/07/43 – heard that Maurice was posted to ACRC (Air Crew);
• 07/10/43 – posted to No. 11 Air Gunnery School of Training Command at RAF Andreas, I.O.M;
• 03/12/43 – passing out parade as Air Gunner at RAF Andreas.

Peter Inman continued supporting the war effort as a valued armourer with 95 squadron. It is sad that the ground crew who, after all, made all the air operations work are hardly recognised.

Without them, without the WAAF's who packed parachutes, others who packed the crew sandwiches for the long bomber flights - we would simply have not overcome the threat!

BURIAL DETAILS:

Fg Off. Henry Thomas Hills.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row C, Joint Grave 18.  Grave Inscription: “MY BELOVED SON WHO GAVE HIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. MOTHER, SISTERS AND BROTHER”.  Birth registered in the 3rd Qtr of 1917 in Richmond, Surrey.  Son of Thomas William and Gertrude (née Digby) Hills of Richmond, Surrey, England.

Sgt. Robert Jackson Campbell MiD.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row C, Joint Grave 18.  Grave Inscription: “MEMORIES OF OUR DEAR SON ARE A KEEPSAKE WITH WHICH WE WILL NEVER PART”.  Born on the 12th March 1920 in Cumberland, England.  Son of Robert Ellerton and Helen Rowland (née Jackson) Campbell of Feltham, Middlesex, England.

Fg Off. Kenneth Charles Morris Hayman.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row D, Grave 32.  Grave Inscription: “IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR KENNETH, KILLED ON AIR OPERATIONS”.  Born on the 31st July 1921 in Gravesend, Kent.  Son of Frederick Edward and Ada Nellie (née Morris) Hayman.  Husband of Edna Muriel (née Gray) Hayman of Great Sutton, Cheshire, England.

Fg Off. Eric Albon.  Runnymede Memorial, Panel 204.  Born on the  2nd April 1923 in Halifax, West Yorkshire.  Son of Albert and Lily (née Brier) Albon of Halifax.  Husband of Audrey (née Green) Albon of Halifax, England.

Sgt. William McKay Biehl.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row C, Grave 24.  Born on the 24th July 1916 in Morden, Manitoba, Canada.  Son of Ezra Conrad and Jessie Mae (née McKay) Biehl of Winnipeg, Canada.

Sgt. Maurice Francis Dilkes.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row D, Grave 14.  Grave Inscription: “OUR DEAR SON AND BROTHER. IN MEMORY WE WILL KEEP HIM AS LONG AS THE YEARS ROLL ON”.  Born on the 30th June 1923 in Leyton, Essex.  Son of Christopher and Rosa Gertrude (née Powell) Dilkes of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England.

Sgt. Stanley George Rayner Barham.  Poix-De-Picardie Churchyard Row C, Grave 34.  Born on the 3rd August 1920 in Shoreditch, Middlesex.  Son of John Robert and Matilda Alice Eva (née Pain) Barham of Shoreditch, London, England.

• He had worked with the Liverpool Insurance company and also played in a band.

Researched for Jan Spink, niece of Sgt. Stanley Barham (who has also supplied us with further information), Mr Alan Brier, relative of Fg Off. Albon, Beverley Hooper relative of Sgt. Campbell MiD (16th Jan 2028) .  With thanks also to Miles Dilkes who contacted us in Nov 2016 and advised correct spelling of Sgt. Maurice Dilkes dedicated to all relatives / friends of the crew.  Thanks to John Jones for the update to the German night-fighter claim (30th Mar 2021).  Reviewed and updated with thanks to James Hills for the photographs of Fg Off. Hills (12th Nov 2026).

Other sources listed below:

References:

1.         Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten.

2.         Nachtjagd Combat Archive  - Biographies - Theo Boiten.

3.         Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January 1945 -  3 May 1945)  - Theo Boiten.