Operation: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 29th/30th July 1943 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit No: 78 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax II

Serial: JD252

Code: EY:W

Base: RAF Breighton, Yorkshire

Location: Lost over the North Sea

Pilot: Sgt. Peter Francis Snape 1434323 RAFVR Age 22. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Leonard James Dugard 920070 RAFVR Age 27. MiA

Nav: Fg Off. Kenneth Wilson 131566 RAFVR Age 22. MiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Charles Eric Burras 135685 RAFVR Age 20. MiA (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. George Muir Gibb 1111494 RAFVR Age 21. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Edward George Nickels 1811748 RAFVR Age 19. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Cecil Raymond Langley 1603246 RAFVR Age 20. MiA

Above left to right: Sgt. Peter F. Snape, Fg Off. Kenneth Wilson

REASON FOR LOSS:

JD252 took off at 22.30 hrs from RAF Breighton in Yorkshire to bomb the port and city of Hamburg joining 776 other aircraft on the third raid on this target within the last five days. 340 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 119 Stirlings, 70 Wellingtons and 4 Mosquitoes made up the force.

The plan was that the target be approached from the north to concentrate on the northern area of Hamburg which had not been bombed on previous occasions. The pathfinders dropped their markers too far east of the city.

707 aircraft got through to the target, dropping a total of 2,318 tons of bombs on residential areas - no figures are available as to the casualties on the ground for this raid although it is known that over 40,000 were killed during that week and over 16,000 residential buildings were destroyed.

The worst incident was when bombs hit a large department store in Wandsbek - the building collapsed and blocked exits from a shelter that was in the basement - 370 people died from poisoning by the fumes from a coke store nearby. An amazing 1,200,000 people fled the city after these raids.

The allies lost 31 aircraft on this operation with 176 aircrew losing their lives and a further 17 being made pow. Most of the aircraft were shot down by the Luftwaffe night fighters, although 14 were shot down by searchlight assisted Flak over the target area.

No details or claims have been made for this loss. The second aircraft lost from the Squadron was:

Halifax II JB798 EY:P. Flown by Flt Sgt. Peter A. Fraser RAAF who along with his crew of six (6) were KiA.

(1) Sgt. Snape Roll of Honour

Above: Courtesy of the Coventry Evening News, dated 5th August 1943

In Memoriam for Sgt. Peter Francis Snape (Courtesy of the Coventry Evening Telegraph, dated 29th September 1944)

(2) Some publications have Fg Off. Burras listed incorrectly as Fg Off. C.E. Burns.

(3) Sgt. Gibb's body was picked up by an air sea rescue launch and after identification was buried in Driffield Cemetery on Wednesday the 4th August 1943.

Burial details:

Above: The Runnymede Memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Sgt. Peter Francis Snape. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 165. Born on the 23rd May 1921 in Coventry, Warwickshire. Son of Alderman Frank (deceased June 1939) Snape and Harriett Evelyn (née Golby) Snape of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

Sgt. Leonard James Dugard. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 148. Born on the 27th February 1916 in Brighton, Sussex. Son of William Cecil (deceased in March 1940) and Julia Rose (née Miles) Dugard of Brighton, Sussex, England.

Fg Off. Kenneth Wilson. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 130. Son of Zachariah and of Winifred Wilson of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England.

Fg Off. Charles Eric Burras. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 123. Born in 2nd Qtr of 1923 in Kirkdale, Lancashire. Son of Charles (deceased in January 1940) and Elizabeth Ann (née Yelland) Burras, of Liverpool, England.

Above: Driffield Cemetery

Sgt. George Muir Gibb. Driffield Cemetery. Grave 6227. Grave inscription: “I BARE YOU ON EAGLES' WINGS AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF”. Son of John Purvis Gibb and Margaret (née Muir) Gibb of Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland.

Sgt. Edward George Nickels. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 160. Born in 2nd Qtr of 1924 in Farnham, Surrey. Son of George Edward and Florence Caroline (née Popper) Nickels of Wood Green, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Cecil Raymond Langley. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 156. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Uxbridge, Middlesex. Son of William and Francis A. (née Hollister) Langley from Hays End, Middlesex, England.

Page of Remembrance created for John Wilson (retired RAF) the brother of Fg Off. Kenneth Wilson and dedicated to the crew and their families. Thanks to Trevor Harkin for information about local reports for Sgt. Snape (Mar 2025). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Mar 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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