Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 23rd/24th August 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 75 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Stirling III

Serial: BF564

Code: JN:W

Base: RAF Mepal, Cambridgeshire

Location: Märtensmühle, Germany

Pilot: Plt Off. Alan Joseph Lyall Sedunary DFC, 416619 RAAF Age 20. KiA (1)

2nd Pilot: Flt Sgt. Francis Patrick Lundon 404718 RNZAF Age 25. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Frank Kitchener Alcock MiD, 532245 RAF Age 28. KiA (2)

Navigator: Plt Off. Aubrey Lens 149672 RAF Age 22. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Cecil Reginald Parish 1332576 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Plt Off. Douglas Hamilton Moss 404653 RNZAF Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Sgt. Jack Ernest Nicholson 1800467 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John James Gratton 1351568 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Stirling III BF564 took off from RAF Mepal at 20:51 hrs. Part of a huge raid on Berlin on which seven-hundred and ten (710) Lancasters, Halifaxs and Stirlings took part plus a further seventeen (17) Mosquitos. A total of fifty-six (56) aircraft failed to return, thirty-one (31) came down over the target area. Four (4) were claimed by German Flak and fifty-one (51) claimed by the German night fighters.

BF564 was claimed by Oblt. Heinz Ferger of 3./NJG3, his 1st Abschuss SW of Berlin at 3.000 m. at 00.51 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 June - 22 September) 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Ferger was mortally wounded, but his crew survived, on the night of the 9th/10th April 1945 when his Ju88 G was intercepted whilst on finals to Lübeck-Blankensee airfield. The aircraft exploded at 00:10 hrs after being hit by 406 Sqn Mosquito NT325 flown by Flt Lt. Donald Aikins MacFadyen DSO, DFC & Bar, J3103 RCAF and Flt Lt. Vernal Garnet Shail DFC, J20663 RCAF. Hptm. Ferger was credited with 17 confirmed Abschüsse with 2 awaiting confirmation (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

(1) Acting Flt Lt. Sedunary was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 75 Squadron (London Gazette 3rd April 1945):

Citation:

‘Pilot Officer SEDUNARY has taken part in many successful operational sorties including attacks on heavily defended targets in the Ruhr Valley and Hamburg. An outstanding Captain of aircraft, he has invariably displayed determination of the highest order.

On one occasion when detailed for an attack on Dortmund, his aircraft was attacked by an enemy night fighter while on the way to the target, but this officer skilfully manoeuvred his aircraft and enabled his gunner to shoot the attacker down in flames.

On another occasion, Pilot Officer SEDUNARY displayed superb airmanship in flying his bomber safely back to base after it had been seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire whilst attacking the target’.

(2) The then Cpl. Alcock was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 11th June 1942.

Burial details:

Above the Berlin War Cemetery (archives)

Above the original grave marker for the crew (courtesy Marilyn deMamiel)

The crew were initially buried at the Wiesenhagen Neundorf Cemetery, 4km NE of Martensmuhle, in a in a collective grave. Finally laid to rest at the Berlin War Cemetery on the 19th September 1947.

Plt Off. Alan Joseph Lyall Sedunary DFC. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Grave Inscription: ‘DUTY NOBLY DONE’. Born on the 23rd December 1922 at Victoria Harbour, South Australia. Son of Alfred Lyall and Caroline Agnes (née Cakebread) Sedunary of Victoria Harbour, South Australia.

Flt Sgt. Francis Patrick Lundon. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Born on the 3rd November 1917 in Waimate, Canterbury. Son of David James and Catherine Lundon of Pareora, Canterbury, New Zealand. Husband of Winifred E. Lundon of Suva, Fiji, Pacific Islands.

Sgt. Frank Kitchener Alcock MiD. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Grave Inscription: ‘WHEN DAY IS DONE AND SHADOWS FALL I THINK OF THEE’. Born on the 6th September 1914 in Ipswich, Suffolk. Son of John Henry and Alice Kate (née Pratt) Alcock. Husband of Dora Beatrice Ethel (née Day) Alcock of Kellerberrin, Western Australia.

Note: On the date of this loss the family were then living in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Not migrating to Australia until 1950.

Plt Off. Aubrey Lens. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Grave Inscription: ‘MOURNED BY HIS LOVING PARENTS & SISTERS. "MAY HIS DEAR SOUL REST IN PEACE"’. Born on the 7th May 1921 in Hackney, Middlesex. Son of John and Hetty (née Kinsler) Lens of Brixton Hill, London, England.

Sgt. Cecil Reginald Parish. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Grave Inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER HIM’.Born on the 30th March 1921 in Norwich, Norfolk. Son of Robert James and Alice (née Blyth) Parish of Norwich. Husband of Olive Edith (née Greenacre) Parish of Norwich, Norfolk, England.

Plt Off. Douglas Hamilton Moss. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Born on the 10th December 1919 in Wallasey, Cheshire. Son of Brian Hamilton and Mabel Madoline (née Mabel) Moss. Husband of Joan Florence (née Kennedy) Moss of Auckland City, New Zealand.

Sgt. Jack Ernest Nicholson. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Grave Inscription: ‘TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WE LOVE IS NOT TO DIE’. Born on the 12th July 1921 in Clapham. Son of Herbert Leggatt and Alice Nicholson (née Tuner) of North Cheam, Surrey, England.

Sgt. John James Gratton. Berlin War Cemetery, Collective grave 6.E. 12-19. Born during April 1921 in Llanbradach, Glamorgan. Son of Charles and Maria (née Hotchkiss) Gratton. Brother of Emma May (1915), Charles William Melville (1917) and Betty Ruth (1929).

The Gratton family lived in Llanbradach during the 1920's but by the time of the 1939 England & Wales Register they were in South Molton, Devon.

Researched for relatives of the crew including Marilyn deMamiel, daughter of Sgt. Alcock, Lesley Avery who's husband is third cousin to the pilot Plt Off. Sedunary and Roger Parish, son of Sgt. Parish. Thanks to Paul Markam for the course photograph and next of kin details for Sgt. Gratton with other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Apr 2026).

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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