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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.
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Bomber Command crest
01/02.10.1943 No. 619 Squadron Lancaster III EE110 PG-U F/O. Derek M. Joss

Operation: Hagan

Date: 01/02nd October 1943

Unit: No. 619 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: EE110

Code: PG-U

Base: RAF Woodhall Spa

Location: Bristol Channel

Pilot: F/O. Derek McLean Joss 128952 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Terence Monaghan 530301 RAF Age ? Killed

Nav: F/O. Charles Francis Bale (Paddy) 141333 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

Air/Bmr: F/O. Francis Victor Anderson 132958 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Paul Engel 1381754 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Joseph Lowe 916013 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth George Mortlock 1324729 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Lancaster EE110 took off at 18.25 hrs to join from various squadron's 242 Lancaster's and 8 Mosquitoes on an operation to bomb Hagen. The raid was classed as a complete success on a target that was totally covered in cloud due to Mosquitoes using sky marking aided by the new Oboe system.

  

The Air Bomber for Lancaster EE110 F/O. Francis Victor Anderson (courtesy Andrew Anderson)
Of the town's 4 large industrial areas, 2 were severely hit and a 3rd suffered less damage. Reports from the town, post war state that 46 Industrial firms were destroyed and a further 166 damaged. The main industry taking place was the manufacture of accumulator batteries for the U-boats. Albert Speer stated after the war that this raid reduced the output of U-boats considerably. 

The raid cost the lives of 241 Germans and 25 foreigners on the ground, 2,386 Germans were wounded and a further 135 foreign workers. 30,000 people lost their homes on this single raid.

  

619 Squadron Lancaster (archives)
The RAF lost just 2 Lancasters on this operation which, compared with just about every other night operation was probably one of the smallest casualty rate per raid of the war. No interception from the German night fighters.

The other aircraft lost was a 44 Squadron Lancaster ED348 KM-M. F/O. A.C. Smith taken PoW along with 3 other crew members. The remaining 3 were killed. This Lancaster EE110 crashed into the sea on return, having completed the operation, it is possible that it had been hit by german flak during the bombing. 

  

Burial details:

F/O. Derek McLean Joss. Bath Cemetery. Plot 51. Sec H. Row P. Grave 248 (A). Son of Colin George Walters Joss and Emily May Joss, of Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Sgt. Terence Monaghan. Llantwit Major Cemetery Sec C. Grave 46. (B). NoK details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

F/O. Charles Francis Bale. Moston R/C/ Cemetery St Peter Sec. Grave 315. (C). Son of Charles Radcliffe Bale and Mary Bale, husband of Eileen Veronica Bale, of Prestwich, Cheshire, England.

F/O. Francis Victor Anderson. Woodgrange Park Cemetery, East Ham. Square 13. Grave 12105. (D). Son of Francis Alfred and Evelyn Kate Anderson, of Manor Park, London, England.

Sgt. Paul Engel. Golders Green Crematorium. Panel 2. (E). Son of Edmund and Louisa Lillia Engel, of West Kensington, London, England.

Sgt. Joseph Lowe. Bath Cemetery Plot 51. Sec H. Row P. Grave 247. (A). Son of Joseph Henry and Nellie Lowe, husband of Vera Ivy Lowe, of Kingston Vale. Surrey, England.

Fl/Sgt. Kenneth George Mortlock. City of London Cemetery. Screen Wall, Square 241. Coll Grave 108021. (G). Son of George William Mortlock, and of Peggy Florence Henrietta Mortlock, of Leytonstone, London, England.

Researched for Andrew Anderson and all the relatives of this crew. For further details our thanks to the following, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries (Updated 2014 version), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

  

Above RCAF identity card for F/O. Francis Anderson. Below 619 Squadron crews and ground staff. (courtesy Andrew Anderson)

  

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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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. 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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