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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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12 Squadron Crest
20/21.04.1943 No. 12 Squadron Lancaster I ED326 PH-K Sgt. Keeffe

Operation: Stettin (Szczecin)

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

Unit: No. 12 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ED326

Code: PH-K

Base: RAF Wickenby

Location: Unknown - lost without trace

Pilot: Sgt. Norbert Clement Keeffe AUS/413208 RAAF Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Roy Ernest Dadd 569552 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Nav: Sgt. James Goulding 658400 RAFVR Age 25. Missing - believed killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Kenneth Cook Eagland 1531353 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arthur Bone 1029629 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Brady 657501 RAFVR Age 36. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Francis McPhillips 1574058 RAFVR Age 19. Missing - believed killed


REASON FOR LOSS:

339 aircraft sent to bomb the distant city of Stettin (over 600 miles). ED326 Lancaster leaving RAF Wickenby on the evening of Tuesday 20th April. Weather conditions were very good but the full moon created problems with both Luftwaffe night fighters and the heavy flak en route to and from the target.

The operation, despite the losses of 21 allied aircraft was classed as a success with over 100 acres of the town devastated, 13 Industrial premises destroyed, 380 houses. A large chemical works had its production completely halted. - 586 people killed on the ground. Fires were still burning in the town nearly two days later when reconnaissance aircraft overflew taking photographs.

Left: Arthur Bone (courtesy David Bone)

No details on how Lancaster ED326 was lost - no night fighter claims had been made. We do know that the bomber stream encountered flak along the route from Denmark, the Great Belt and the Western Baltic. When over the target they were then fired on by heavy flak co-operating with searchlights. This and the night fighters claimed some 20 aircraft shot down.

The squadron lost another crew on this operation:

Lancaster III ED818 PH-Y Flown by Sq/Ldr. John Colverd Richards 37480 RAF with four crew killed and 3 others missing, believed killed.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Norbert Clement Keeffe. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 193. Born on the 07th January 1923 in Goulburn, the son of William Andrew and Elizabeth Colista Keeffe, of Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Roy Ernest Dadd. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 146. Son of Albert Ernest and Nellie Dadd, of Borstal, Kent, England.

Sgt. James Goulding. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 151. Son of Joseph and Margaret Goulding, of Thornton, Lancashire, England. (Batchelor Arts Degree - London)

Sgt. Kenneth Cook Eagland. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 148. No further information, are you able to assist?

Sgt. Arthur Bone. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 143. Son of John Bone, and of Lucy Bone, of Hull, England.

Sgt. George Brady. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 143. Son of Dah and Catherine Brady, of Liverpool and husband of Marjorie Brady, of Liverpool, England.

Sgt. Francis McPhillips. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 158. Son of Edward and Agnes McPhillips, of Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Researched for David Bone, the nephew of Sgt. Arthur Bone, who contacted us some time ago and again in February 2018, and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to sources as shown below.

KTY - 03.02.2018

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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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