Operation: Oberhausen, Germany

Date: 1st/2nd November 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 426 (Thunderbird) Squadron, RCAF, 6 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax VII

Serial: NP709

Code: OW:A

Base: RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire

Location: South West Duisburg

Pilot: Fg Off. William Frank Anderson J29202 RCAF Age 21. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. James Langton 1822461 RAFVR Age 20. KiA (2)

Nav: Fg Off. Gordon Joseph Mullin J36947 RCAF Age 21. KiA (3)

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Cyril Christian Goble R194694 RCAF Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Robert Edgell 1585145 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Leslie George Griffith R261261 RCAF Age 24. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. John Alexander McLea R263010 RCAF Age 19. KiA (4)

Above L-R: Fg Off. William Anderson, Sgt. James Langton, Plt Off. Cyril Goble and Sgt. Thomas Edgell (From their Service Records - courtesy John Jones)

Above L-R: Fg Off. Gordon Mullin, Flt Sgt. Leslie Griffith and Fl/Sgt. John Alexander McLea From their Service Records - courtesy John Jones)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire at 17:44 hrs to bomb Oberhausen under a full moon - bombing taking place between 20:26 hrs and 20:39 hrs - 288 aircraft on this operation.

The bombing was scattered as the target area was covered in clouds. 36 houses were destroyed with 4 people on the ground killed in Oberhausen - other areas may well have also been hit.

The allies lost 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters with 16 crew taken PoW, 20 other crew lost their lives.

Luftwaffe control plotted them as they were flying over Namur and Verdun as early as 19:53 hrs. But the night fighters arrived too late to prevent the bombing with interceptions made during the homebound flights of the bombers. Seven were lost - all claimed by night fighters, although flak units made claims also for several of these aircraft.

NP709 was claimed by Fw. Peter Oberheid from 6./NJG2 his 2nd Abschuss, in the Goch - Wesel - Duisburg - Venlo area at 4.500 m. at 20:46 hrs. The aircraft crashed in Steinstrabe at Haan. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 October 1944 - 31 December 1944) Part 5 - Theo Boiten)).

Fw. Peter Oberheid survived the war. He was credited with just one Abschuss with 2 more awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Post war investigations determined from local sources that before crashing the aircraft jettisoned two bombs which failed to explode, then crashed on a building, when the remaining bomb load, thought to be a single bomb almost totally destroying the aircraft and 15 buildings. The Luftwaffe recovery team found the remains of six of the crew. It was considered likely that the seventh member of the crew remained in the aircraft and was completely incinerated.

NP709 one of two of this Squadrons Halifaxes to be lost on this night:

The other aircraft lost from the Squadron on this operation was Halifax VII NP711 OW-J Flown by 22 year old, Plt Off. Rodney Shand Goreham J88475 RCAF taken PoW with one other crew member, the remaining 5 crew lost their lives.

(1) William Frank Anderson was a student at Malvern Collegiate Institute in the Beach neighbourhood in Toronto when he joined the RCAF on 23rd April 1942. He was a business and commerce student and an all-around athlete who was popular with his crew.

(2) James had two sisters, Catherine and Isabel. Worked as an engineer before enlisting. He was single and very popular with the ladies, with ice skating and dancing as his main hobbies.

(3) Gordon Joseph Mullin enlisted in the RCAF on the 23rd June 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

(4) John Alexander McLea was a former Sgt. with the 81st Squadron Air Cadets of Canada and also attended the Queen Victoria Public School and the Hamilton Technical Institute. He went on to work at Canadian Comstock at Welland before enlisting in the RCAF on the 14th June 1943. A sister, Beatrice and brother William also served with the RCAF on the West Coast and St. Thomas respectively.

BURIAL DETAILS:

Fg Off. William Frank Anderson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 244. Born on the 5th January 1923. Son of John J. and Beatrice G.V. Anderson of Toronto, Ontario who were married during the first world war at Sandgate, Kent on 3rd November 1915.

Also remembered on a cross at Pine Grove Cemetery, Norland, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. James Langton. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.E.7. Grave inscription: 'TOOK HIS FILL OF MUSIC... CAME AND STAYED AND WENT, NOR EVER CEASED TO SMILE'. Born on 5th of April 1924 in Dundee Royal Infirmary, Scotland to James and Mary Ann Langton of Linlathen, Angus, Scotland.

Fg Off. Gordon Joseph Mullin. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.E.8. Born on the 16th February 1917. From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Son of Rugglas Howard and Ada Henriette Mullin (née Brimmei) of Winnipeg (father born in Quebec; mother born in Fort William, Ontario), husband of Gwen J. Mullin of Winnipeg.

Mullin Lake south-east of Nejanilini Lake, Manitoba, Canada was named after Fg Off. Gordon Joseph Mullin in 1974

Plt Off. Cyril Christian Goble. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.E.6. Grave inscription: 'HE GAVE HIS ALL THAT WE MIGHT BE FREE'. Born on the 17th December 1921 in Alberta. Son of Roy (died 8th September 1957, age 65) and Esther Caroline (née Jensen) Goble - died 30th August 1981, age 84), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Sgt. Goble was appointed to a commission and promoted to J95159 Plt Off. with effect 31st October 1944.

Sgt. Thomas Robert Edgell. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.E.5. Grave inscription: 'I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE, AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH IN GOD'S KEEPING’. Born 25th October 1922 and grew up in Sandford Orcas, Dorset, England. Son of Thomas William (died 26th July 1948, age 69) and Rosina Maud Edgel (died 01st December 1969, age 84), brother of Sylvia, Joan and David.

Also remembered on the Sandford Orcas (St.Nicholas) War memorial.

Flt Sgt. Leslie George Griffith. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.E.9. Born on the 166th of April 1920 in Ontario. Son of Thornton and Elsie Maud Griffith (née Clark) and husband of Tillie Lillian Griffith of Detroit, Michigan USA.

Plt Off. John Alexander McLea. Grave inscription: 'WE OFTEN SPEAK OF YOU TIME ROLLS ON BUT MEMORIES STAY'. Born on the 31st July 1924 in Hamilton Ontario. Son of William and Victoria May (née Tydd) McLea of 11, Foster Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Flt Sgt. McLea was appointed to a commission and promoted to J95366 Plt Off. with effect 31st October 1944.

Researched by Linda Ibrom for Aircrew Remembered. The page is dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Maureen Little (Niece) for photographs and information on James Langton, John McLenaghan, nephew of John McLean with special thanks to Lisa Sharp. (May 2017). Thanks to John Jones for crew photographs from their Service Records (Mar 2022). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with thanks to John Jones for the correction to the fighter claim (Aug 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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