Operation: Rüsselsheim, Germany

Date: 25/26th August 1944 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit No: 90 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM588

Code: WP:F

Base: RAF Tuddenham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Location: 500m. SW of Groß-Gerau railway station

Pilot: Plt Off. Arthur Vernon Simmons 182445 RAFVR Age? KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Kenneth Christopher Richards 1892836 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Roy Warren Melvin Fulford 1601768 RAFVR Age 30. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Alan Martin 153897 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

W/Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. Robert Hamilton Finlayson 1568579 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Frederick Gordon Owen 1102986 RAFVR Age 30. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Hubert Ernest Newman 925797 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Tuddenham at 20:21 hrs to join a force of four-hundred and eleven (411) to bomb the Opel factory at Rüsselsheim in Germany.

Lancaster LM588 (courtesy of Alan Brown)

The results of the operation was classed as a success with some parts of the factory put out of action for several weeks. Although the assembly line for trucks recommenced work some 2 days later. 179 people were killed on the ground during this raid, but the bombers also lost some 17 aircraft with 97 aircrew being killed, 22 became PoW and 2 others evading capture.

LM588 was claimed by 5./schw. Flak Abt. 322, 1., 2., 5. & 8./schw. Flak Abt. 637 and schw. Hei. Flakbattr. 241/VII. The aircraft crashed 500m. SW of Groß-Gerau railway station at 01:08 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten).

LM588 was one of two bombers from the Sqn that failed to return:

The second was Lancaster I ME802 WP:S flown by Sqn Ldr. Henry Lee-Warner DFC, AFC. He and his crew were KiA. ME802 was claimed by Ofw. Walter Exner, his 3rd Abschuss, from 7./NJG2 over Wiesbaden at 01:20 hrs.

Note: Coned by 4./Flakscheinw. Abt. 299, also claimed by flak of 5./schw. Flak Abt. 322, 3., 4. &7./schw.Flak Abt.637.2./schw. Flak Abt. 255, 2./schw. Flak Abt. 435, schw Hei. Flakbattr. 241/VII (Lancaster Nordenstadt, 7 km E. Wiesbaden 01.21 hrs) . The victory for Ofw. Exner was confirmed on the 8th November 1944. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten)

Note: The Ju88 G-6 4R+PR flown by Ofw. Walter Exner was shot down and crashed at Lollar near Giessen at 02:50 hrs the same night. He and one of his crew were KiA. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten)

Burial details:

The crew were initially buried at the Groß-Gerau Civilian Cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Durnbach War Cemetery on the 1st November 1947.

Graves of the crew: Any relative who would like a higher resolution they will be supplied to you free of charge (courtesy David Franklin)

Plt Off. Arthur Vernon Simmons. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 18-22. No on-line information found.

Sgt. Kenneth Christopher Richards. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 12-17. Grave Inscription: “LOVED IN LIFE, HONOURED IN DEATH, TREASURED IN MEMORY”. Born on the 20th May 1925 in Kingston, Surrey. Son of John Christopher and Alice Maud (née Parker) Richards of Hampton, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Roy Warren Melvin Fulford. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 12-17. Grave Inscription: “I THANK MY GOD UPON EVERY REMEMBRANCE OF YOU”. Born on the 13th January 1915 in Wandsworth, London. Son of Sydney Edmund and Ethel Maud Caroline (née Monk) Fulford of Exeter, England.

He was a Chartered Accountant in Islington prior to enlisting in the RAFVR

Fg Off. Alan Martin. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 12-17. Grave Inscription: “HE LEAVES BEHIND HIM FAR WORTHIER THINGS THAN TEARS. HE ANSWERED THE CALL”. Born on the 5th February 1921 in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Son of John Thomas and Hannah (née Walton) Martin of Fawdon, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Sgt. Robert Hamilton Finlayson. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 7-11. Son of Robert Hamilton and Jessie Finlayson of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sgt. Frederick Gordon Owen. Durnbach War Cemetery, Grave: 7.F. 6. Born on the 8th August 1914 in Coventry, Warwickshire. Son of Jasper William Hanmer and Clarice Madeline (née Davis) Owen of Coventry, Warwickshire, England.

Sgt. Hubert Ernest Newman. Durnbach War Cemetery, Coll. Grave: 7.F. 12-17. Grave Inscription: “AT REST, IN SLEEP, UNTIL CALLED AGAIN: THEN TO THE PEACE OF GOD FOR EVERMORE”. Born in the 2nd Qrt of 1920 in Lewes, Sussex. Son of Alfred William and Laura (née Beck) Newman of Lewes, Sussex, England.

Both his parents pre-deceased him, his father in July 1927 and his mother in March 1938.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for relatives and friends of the crew. With thanks to Alan Brown (and his father, who had previously flown this aircraft) (Aug 2015). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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