Operation: Emden
Date: 20/21st June 1942 (Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: 10 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: BB201
Code: ZA-?
Base: RAF Leeming, Yorkshire
Location: North Sea - no exact location
Pilot: P/O. Edward Ronald Senior 107313 RAFVR Age 19. Missing - believed killed (1)
Fl/Eng: Fl/Lt. Harold Jackson 89764 RAFVR Age 42. Missing - believed killed
Nav: Sgt. George Arthur Sargan 569773 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. Absalom Samuel Williams 87802 RAFVR Age 20. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Gordon John Waller 118654 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Geoffrey Patrick Jones DFM. 611027 RAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Leslie Salisbury 746777 RAFVR Age 26. Missing - believed killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Leeming joining 184 aircraft to bomb Emden on the second of three successive night of operations against the German city. Only part of the bomber stream found the target with reports that 100 houses were damaged with just one injury. The Allies lost some 8 aircraft - 7 as a result from night fighter action, 1 hit by flak, 2 returned with problems, with one other ditching. Some 38 crew were either killed or listed as missing, 9 others taken PoW.
It is possible according to the latest edition of the Nightfighter War Diaries, that they were shot down over the North Sea some 10 km west of Petten at 02:50 hrs. This was the 3rd abschüsse for Lt. Hans-Hermann-Müller of 7./NJG2.
Right: Obllt. Hans-Hermann Müller (courtesy Kracker Archive)
(1) P/O. Edward Senior survived an earlier ditching on an operation to Essen earlier in the month on the 01/2nd June. The Halifax L9623 ZA-O was attacked by a night fighter, the pilot managed to ditch the aircraft off the Dutch coast. Rescued by a HSL some 3 days later.
(2) Obllt. Hans-Hermann Müller - survived the war with a total of 11 night abshcüsse, a further 5 during day operations. It is understood that as at January 2014 he was still living in Germany.
Burial details:
P/O. Edward Ronald Senior. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 71. Son of Edward Powell and Juanita Dora Senior of Buenos Aires. Born Buenos Aires. 19 years of age at death. He had two sisters, Dorothy May and Everyl Joyce. His earlier escape from Halifax L9623 ZA-O.
Fl/Lt. Harold Jackson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 65. Son of Frederick and Charlotte Jackson, husband of Bessie Jackson, of Shipley, Yorkshire, England.
Sgt. George Arthur Sargan. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 93. Son of Henry Alwyn Sargan and Mary Ann Sargan, of Clifton, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England.
F/O. Absalom Samuel Williams. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 68. The son of Lewis and Mary (née Jones) Williams of Aberdare, Glamorganshire. Born 20 April 1912. In 1939 he was employed in Coventry as an assistant schoolmaster.
P/O. Gordon John Waller. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 72. Next of kin details not available - are you able to assist?
Fl/Sgt. Geoffrey Patrick Jones DFM. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 75. Son of Frederick William and Marion Jones, of Hull, England.
Fl/Sgt. Joseph Leslie Salisbury. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 76. Son of Joseph and Florence Salisbury, of Coventry, England.
Researched for relatives of the crew. With thanks to Dave Champion for additional details - July 2018. Sources as quoted below.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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