Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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09/10.08.1943 No. 61 Squadron Lancaster I W4236 QR-K Sgt. John C. Whitley

Operation: Mannheim

Date: 09/10th August 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 61 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4236

Code: QR-K

Base: RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire

Location: Marbehan, Belgium

Pilot: Sgt. John C. Whitley RAFVR Survived - Evading capture (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. George William Sidney Spriggs 1193053 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Peter Bellamy Smith 1333883 RAFVR Survived - Evading capture (2)

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Walter Walker RAFVR Survived - Evading capture (3)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ernest F. Gardiner RAFVR Survived - Evading capture (4)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Nevil Temple Holmes 1335294 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. John Topham Kendall R/178673 RCAF Age 24. Killed

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The Air Bomber on this aircraft Mr. Walter Walker is appealing for any relatives of any of the crew to contact him to share information / stories. Mr. Walker (age 91) contacted Aircrew Remembered in March 2014 - please contact us in the first instance.

August 2014 - relatives of Sgt. Ernest F. Gardiner have now contacted us. August 2014, the pilot, Sgt. Whitley has now also contacted us.

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REASON FOR LOSS:

Part of a large raid on the twin cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on the banks of the Rhine, Lancaster W4236, together with 456 other aircraft including Halifaxes and Lancasters. W4236 took off from RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire at 23.10 hours.

Reportedly, upon reaching the target area, it was cloud covered and not well marked by the Pathfinders which resulted in widely spread bombing of lesser important targets.

Although the flak and searchlight batteries surrounding Mannheim and Ludwigshafen were fairly ineffective, the night fighters managed to down nine aircraft including W4236 which crashed at Marbehan between 01.20 and 01.31hrs.

Lancaster W4236 taking off from RAF Syerston on an earlier operation (courtesy IWM)

This Lancaster was shot down by Lt. Norbert Pietrek (5 - shown left) of 2./NJG4, with interception taking place at 4.200 Mts. (See Kracker Luftwaffe Archive on this site.)

Notes:

(1) Sgt. John C. Whitley - evaded capture and escaped to Switzerland in December 1943.
(2) Sgt. Peter B. Smith - evaded capture escaping to Spain and then onto Gibralter in october 1943.
(3) Sgt. Walter Walker - evaded capture and escaped to Switzerland in September 1943.
(4) Sgt. Ernest F. Gardiner - evaded capture - returned to England via a Lysander in September 1943.
(5) This was the 3rd and final abschüsse for Lt. Norbert Pietrek. He was wounded on the 1st October 1944 in a crash during a transit flight, no further details available.

61 Squadron - 1943 (Aircrew Remembered archives)

Left: The memorial to the crew who lost their lives - Erected 2002. Above: Florennes Communal Cemetery.

Burial details:

Sgt. George William Sidney Spriggs. Florennes Communal Cemetery. Row 5. Grave 59. Son of William Sydney and Ivy Spriggs, of Braunstone, Leicester, England.

Sgt. Nevil Temple Holmes. Florennes Communal Cemetery. Row 5. Grave 58. NoK details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

Fl/Sgt. John Topham Kendall. Florennes Communal Cemetery. Row 5. Grave 57. Son of Richard and Charlotte Annie Kendall, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Mark Walker (son of Sgt. Walter Walker) Oliver Clutton-Brock 'RAF Evaders’, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Aircrew Remembered own Archives.

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