Operation: Rüsselsheim
Date: 25/26th August 1944 (Friday/Saturday)
Unit: No. 300 Squadron (Polish)
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: JB561
Coded: BH-B
Base: RAF Faldingworth, Lincolnshire.
Location: Rüsselsheim, Germany.
Pilot: F/O. Gordon Gambley Whyte 175620 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Wladyslaw Jagiello 780009 PAF Age 30. Killed (1)
Nav: Sgt. Albert Clayworth 1621688 RAFVR Age ? Missing - believed killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Maurice John Robertson 1397798 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Billie Sellers 2206501 RAFVR Age 20. Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Herbert Moule 1853428 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles William Taylor 1880883 RAFVR Age 31. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 20.17 hrs from Faldingworth, Lincolnshire. Thought to be hit by flak and one of two from this squadron to be lost this night.
Believed to be the original crew with F/O. Gordon Whyte. We know that Sgt. Billie Sellers is third from left rear row. Sgt. Ernest Rees, 2nd from left at rear. Are you able to ID the other members? The niece of Sgt. Moule contacted us in June 2016 and identified her uncle as rear row, extreme right. (courtesy John Sellers)
A total of 412 Lancasters took part in this raid, over 17 were lost in fierce battles over the target area several German night fighters were also lost. The Pathfinder marking was accurate and the raid was successfully completed.
The crew of JB561 about to embark (courtesy Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945)
(1) Fl/Sgt. Jagiello was a replacement for the usual Flight engineer Ernest Rees who was grounded for this flight my the Medical Officer. He wrote to the family of Sgt. Billie Sellers at a later date. We are pleased to write that the Grandson of Sgt. Rees contacted Aircrew Remembered in August 2014. We hope to have further information from him shortly.
This Lancaster was built by AV Roe from Chadderton, Lancashire in the latter part of 1941. Initially fitted with the Merlin 28 engine later fitted with the Merlin 38's.
Durnbach War Cemetery (courtesy David Franklin - David has kindly provided us with permission to release high definition copies to relatives)
Burial Details:F/O. Gordon Gambley Whyte. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave. 1.H.13. Son of Mr. and Mrs. D. L. Whyte, of Liverpool, England.
Fl/Sgt. Wladyslaw Jagiello. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave. 1.H. 9. Warsaw, Poland.
Sgt. Albert Clayworth. Runnymede War Memorial. Panel 227. From Highfields, Doncaster. NoK details not known as yet.
Sgt. Maurice John Robertson. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave. 1.H.10. Son of Alfred Maurice and Hilda Florence Robertson, of Welling, Kent, England.
Sgt. John Herbert Moule. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave. 1.H. 8. Son of Herbert Stanley Moule and Jessie Nora Moule, of Clevedon, Somerset, England.
Sgt. Charles William Taylor. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave. 1.H.12. Son of Charles Edward and Florence Taylor, of Battersea, London, husband of Marie Eleanor Taylor, of Battersea, London, England.
With thanks to the following: John Sellers for information on Sgt Billy Sellers (Nephew), Sgt. Simon Rees RAF (Grandson of Sgt. Ernest Rees), also contacted us in August 2014. Rita Atyeo, niece of Sgt. Moule who contacted us in June 2016. David Franklin for Durnbach Cemetery photograph, Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries" The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 01 April 2018, 14:36