Operation: Hamburg

Date: 10th/11th May 1941 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: 149 Squadron

Type: Wellington Ic

Serial: R1512

Code: OJ:H

Base: RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk

Location: North Sea - West of Wesselbüren

Pilot: Sgt. John Gilbert Keymer 904428 RAFVR Age 28. Missing

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Thomas Charles Pugh 904994 RAFVR Age 29. Missing (1)

Obs: Plt Off. George Redvers Newton Adams 86722 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Charles Ockenden 910417 RAFVR Age 25. Missing

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Lewis George Sutherland 976127 RAFVR Age 21. Missing

Air Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Nathan Menage 518613 RAF Age 25. Missing

We welcome contact from other relatives in order to place new information/photographs. The British Library have adopted our website as of 'high historical importance' - meaning that they have archived our reports and will be available online - forever!

REASON FOR LOSS:

Leaving RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk at 22.37 hrs to bomb the shipyards, Altona power station with 119 other aircraft - 60 Wellingtons, 35 Hampdens, 23 Whitleys and 1 Manchester.

Bombing was carried out in near perfect visibility with 47 large fires started within the city. Kosters Department store, a bank and the Hamburg Stock Exchange were destroyed - 31 people killed on the ground, 151 injured with 837 people bombed out of their homes.

Above: area of "possible" loss and below: 149 Squadron Wellington

Whitley V P5048 ZA:H from 10 Squadron lost, 23 year old Fg Off. Peter Beckford Gough 42599 RAF from Wivenhoe, Essex missing with all his other 4 crew.
Wellington Ic R1379 KO:B from 115 Squadron lost, 26 year old Sgt. John Anderson 969380 RAFVR killed, remaining 5 taken PoW.
Wellington Ic R1435 JN:H from 150 Squadron lost, 24 year old, Fg Off. Victor G.D. Spiller 41077 RAF from Keymer, Sussex, killed with all 5 other crew.

Above: Thomas Charles Pugh from his British Aero Club registration

Above: Fred Ockenden and his wife, Doreen on their wedding day April 1941 (courtesy Andrew Ockenden)

It is thought ‘possible’ that this Wellington had been one claimed by Ofw. Johann Schönherr of 6./NJG1 at 03.03 hrs over the North Sea west of Wesselbüren. His claim was for a Blenheim (other claims were also for Blenheims which turned out to be Wellingtons).

This was the 2nd Abschuss for Ofw. Johann Schönherr (2 night/1 day claim) - he was wounded in a crash on the 2nd/3rd March 1944 after a crash at Holzelfingen near Reutlingen after engine failure. No further details if he survived the war.

(1) Sgt. Thomas Pugh was acting as ‘second dickie’ prior to having his own crew to go on operations

Burial details:

Sgt. John Gilbert Keymer. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 46. Son of Bernard William Keymer and Ellen Constance Keymer of Farnham, Surrey, England.

He lost his younger brother 24 year old, Michael (748504 RAFVR) on the 22nd August 1940. Serving with 65 Squadron, flying Spitfire Ia K9909 YT:O when he was shot down off Dover at 19.35 hrs by Bf109’s from JG26. Body recovered, buried at Bazinghen Churchyard in France. (The only CWGC grave in the cemetery)

Sgt. Thomas Charles Pugh. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 50. orn on 30th October 1911 in Hampneth, Gloucestershire. Son of Thomas Rowland and Mabel Theodor Pugh. Husband to Gwendoline May (née Burnell) Pugh of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

Plt Off. George Redvers Newton Adams. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 31. Son of Leonard Edward and Hilda Emma Adams, of Ealing, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Frederick Charles Ockenden. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 49. Son of James Ockenden, professional golfer (French Open champion -1923), wife of Dorothy Florence (née Drew) of the Empress Inn, Thoday Street, Cambridge, England. They were married shortly before he was killed, in April 1941.

Sgt. Lewis George Sutherland. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 53. Son of George and Christina Sutherland, of Sunderland, Co. Durham, England.

Sgt. Thomas Nathan Menage. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 48. Born on the 27th June 1914 in Epsom, Surrey. Son of William Frederick and Amy Lillie (née Bursnoll) Menage of Croydon, Surrey. Husband to Phyllis Eileen (née Schweim) Menage of Surrey, England.

Joined the RAF in November 1934 as an Aircraft-hand. After the outbreak of war he re-mustered as an Air Gunner and after completing his training joined 29 Squadron at Digby in September 1940. Fought in Blenheims as an air gunner during the Battle of Britain. He was posted away to 11 OTU on 4th February 1941 prior to join 149 Squadron.

For further details our thanks to the following, Mr. Andrew M. Ockenden who had been researching his family name. Update to include NoK details for Sgt. Pugh and Sgt. Menage, addition of photograph for Sgt. Pugh (Feb 2022). Other resources below: