Operation: Düsseldorf, Germany

Date: 3rd/4th November 1943 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 57 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4822

Code: DX:P

Base: RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire

Location: Hechtel, Belgium

Pilot: 1st Lt. Donald West DFC, O-886088 USAAF Age 25. KiA

2nd Pilot: Flt Lt. Robert Sinclair Clements J6645 RCAF Age? Evader (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. William Frederick Neill 53166 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Nav: Plt Off. Norman Frank Buggey 147138 RAFVR Age? PoW No. 3348 *

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. James McPhail Elliot 134165 RAFVR Age 22. Evader (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Harry Francis McKernin 1079134 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Francis Patrick Heaton 1699714 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John Edmunds 1392733 RAFVR Age? KiA

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

Left to right: Flt Lt. Robert S. Clements, Fg Off. James McP. Elliot (courtesy Gordon Lodge)

REASON FOR LOSS:

57 Squadron Lancasters

W4822 took off from RAF East Kirkby at 17:22 hrs to join a mission to bomb Düsseldorf. 589 aircraft taking part. Bombing commenced at 19.42 - 20.11 hrs causing extensive damage to housing and industrial premises.

The allies lost some 18 aircraft - all to the Luftwaffe night fighters, a further 13 returned with damage. Lancaster W4822 was intercepted and shot down at 19.36 hrs by Oblt. Werner Baake of 3./NJG1, his 20th Abschuss of the war.

Hptm. Werner Baake survived the war with a total of 41 Abschüsse, became a flight captain with Lufthansa. He was killed in an car accident at Heilsbronn on the 15th July 1964

The aircraft eventually crashing at Hechtel, Belgium.

(1) Fg Off. Robert Clements said in his Evasion Report:

‘I was second out of the aircraft and I landed in a field near Exel - I hid my parachute, Mae West and helmet and made straight for the shelter of some woods, where I took out my maps and tried to ascertain my position. I thought I was in N.E. Belgium. I started walking South West by my compass, but found out later that it had been affected by the zip fastener on my gloves and also the fly-button compass which I had sewn on to my shirt cuffs, so that I was actually walking due West. About midnight I came out of some woods and saw an aircraft burning on the ground nearby. A German patrol was coming up the road towards it, so I waited until they had passed and then made my way as quickly as possible through the fields in the direction they had come from'.

Evaded via France, Spain and Gibraltar returning to RAF Whitchurch on the 29th December 1943. He was Comet line No. 217.

After he returned to England, but with the war still in progress, Don’s friend and air bomber, Jim Elliott wrote to Don’s parents:

"Even on that terrible night, when we were under the maximum of strain with both gunners dead and Don at the controls of a burning plane, there was no panic because the skipper was calm. In his quiet tone he told two of the crew to go back with extinguishers and try to control the fire. Without hesitation or question they did so, and worked heroically amid the smoke and exploding ammunition, but all in vain, using all of the extinguishers without controlling it. Then came the order from Don to abandon the aircraft. As bombardier and nearest the bomb hatch, I went first, so from then on my information ceased… Don had his parachute on, Mr. and Mrs. West, but knowing him as I did, I’m certain he would wait until everyone had left before moving. It grieves me to say it, but I’m afraid Don, your son, and my pal, made the supreme sacrifice, for our united cause that night. In a vain attempt to save the remainder of the crew (one other member was left) he hadn’t left himself enough time to get out before the crash came."

Jim Elliot and Maybelle West continued to correspond after the war, and Maybelle West visited Elliott in Scotland in September of 1953.

(2) Fg Off. Elliot evaded via France, Spain and Gibraltar returning to RAF Whitchurch on the 2nd January 1944. He was Comet line No. 223

James McPhail Elliot was born on the 26th April 1921. He lived in Bucklaw Gardens Glasgow, believed to have married Jayne Irving Winton in 1945 in Govan, Lanarkshire.

Burial details:

The beautiful Memorial to 57 and 630 Squadron crews at East Kirkby

The crew were initially buried at the Brusthem Airfield cemetery, then reburied at Heverlee after the war.

Above left to right: Grave markers for 1st Lt. West DFC, Sgt. Neill, Sgt. Mckernin (Courtesy of Michel Beckers)

1st Lt. Donald West DFC. Heverlee War Cemetery, Plot 7, Row D, Coll Grave 1-4. Born on the 14th August 1918 in Fresco, California. Floyd and Maybelle Eursulia (née Ratekin) West of Fresno, California, USA.

Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on 27th August 1941. An experienced pilot with 560 hours of flying time. 7th September 1943, Don transferred to the US Army Air Force (USAAF) Since he was a trained pilot with experience in flying Lancaster bombers, the USAAF simply left him at his post at East Kirkby when he changed services. The USAAF listed him as being on "Detached Service” with the 57 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.

For his actions that evening, he was posthumously awarded the DFC, and the California Air Medal. However, no record for the award of his DFC has been found .

Sgt. William Frederick Neill. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 7.D.1-4. Son of William Frederick and Margaret Neill, of Belfast, Northern Ireland, husband of Mary Elizabeth McCombe Neill.

Sgt. Harry Francis McKernin. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 7.D.1-4. Son of Henry and Minnie (née Montgomery) McKernin of Belfast, Norther Ireland.

Above left to right: Grave markers for Sgt. Heaton, Sgt Edmunds (Courtesy of Michel Beckers)

Sgt. Francis Patrick Heaton. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 7.D.1-4. Son of John Francis and Ellen Heaton, of Wigan, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. John Edmunds. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 7.D.1-4. Born in 1923, Wirral, Cheshire. Son of John Llewelyn & Lilian Catherine(née Burgess) Edmunds of Albany Villas, Hove, Sussex, England.

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered. With thanks to Gordon Lodge of 57 Squadron for photos of Flt Lt. Clements and Flt Lt. Elliot. (Nov 2014). Thanks to Graham Wallace for the missiing Next of Kin details (Jan 2024). Uther updates by Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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