Operation: Berlin
Date: 29/30th December 1943 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 115 Squadron
Type: Lancaster II
Serial: DS834
Code: KO-F
Base: RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire.
Location: Tungelroij, Holland
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. J.Y. Lee 1480142 RAFVR PoW No: 269857 Camp: Stalag Muhlberg-Elbe (4B)
Fl/Eng: Sgt Anthony F. Gunnell 1625022 RAFVR - Evaded capture via Comet Line
Nav: Sgt. H.L. Pike 1396474 RAFVR PoW No: 270070 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria (L3)
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Keith Selwyn Bell AUS/414457 RAAF Age 23. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Laurence Havard Jones 1576162 RAFVR Age 21. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Arthur Morley Wilkinson R/182329 RCAF Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Graham Johnson 1818684 RAFVR Age 19. Killed (1)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 17:28 hrs. from RAF Witchford near Ely to bomb the heart of Germany, Berlin. Carrying a bomb load of 1 x 4000 lb, 32 x 30 lbs incendiaries, 720 x 4 lb incendiaries. A long approach route from the south, passing south of the Ruhr and within 20 miles of Leipzig, together with Mosquito diversions at Düsseldorf, Leipzig and Magdeburg, caused the German controllers great difficulty, leaving Berlin defended by few fighters. Bad weather on the outward route also hindered German fighters finding the bomber stream.
Right: Lt Otto Fries (2) of 5./NJG1 (courtesy Tom Kracker collection)
The aircraft crashed at 22.16 hrs. The Luftwaffe pilot commented that the Lancaster put up a huge fight lasting over 10 minutes - the pilot Fl/Sgt. Lee was corkscrewing as if in a fighter aircraft, so much so the Lt. Fries noticed the wings flexing during the engagement.
(2) This was the 5th victory for Lt Otto Fries making him an ace. He went on to claim a total of 14 kills and survived the war, despite being shot down 4 times, the second of which was by catapult ejection seat out of the He219 - only the third such ejection in combat in the world. His story is told in the publication 'Under A Bombers Moon'.
Fl/Sgt. Keith Selwyn Bell. Tungelroij Roman Catholic Cemetery Row 1. Grave 4. Born on the 03rd May 1920 at Ipswich, Queensland, the son of Gordon Percy and Minnie Bell, of Cunnamulla, Queensland, Australia. Prior to service worked as a clerk with Shire Council.
Sgt. Laurence Havard Jones. Tungelroij Roman Catholic Cemetery Row 1. Grave 3. Son of Francis Arthur and Elizabeth Jones, of Bournville, Birmingham, England.
Fl/Sgt. Arthur Morley Wilkinson. Tungelroij Roman Catholic Cemetery Row 1. Grave 1. Son of Walter Morley Wilkinson and Zilpah H. Wilkinson, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt. Graham Johnson. Tungelroij Roman Catholic Cemetery Row 1. Grave 2. Son of Esmond and Elsie Mary Johnson, of King's Heath, Birmingham, England.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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