Operation: Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Date: 8/9 April 1943 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 77 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: JB847

Code: KM-V

Base: RAF Elvington, East Riding of Yorkshire

Location: Moyvillers, Near Estrées-Saint-Denis, Oise, France

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Julian William Noel Balley 122321 RAFVR Age 23 - Killed (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. James William Robert Henry Woodley 1211129 RAFVR Age 22 - Killed (2)

Nav: Sgt. Thomas Smith McStay 1375108 RAFVR Age 29 - Killed (3)

Air/Bmr: P/O. Roland Wilson 129049 - PoW No 1093 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria L3 (4)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Peter Alexander Greene 1109116 RAFVR Age 22 - Killed (5)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Walter Hedicker 1318167 RAFVR Age 20 - Killed (6)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Tom Crossland 1580165 RAFVR Age 21 - Killed (7)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Louis Frederick Samson Aus/415186 RAAF Age 21 - Killed (8)

We would like to appeal to any relatives of the crew with further information and/or photographs to contact us.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 21.41hrs from RAF Elvington, East Riding of Yorkshire, on a bombing raid to Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

The aircraft carried the following bomb load: 2 x 1000lb GP, 7 x 90 x 4lb IB and 6 x 8 x 30lb IB.

Special Equipment on board the aircraft was: R 3003A i.e. Transponder, IFF Mark II 24V also modified as Shiver, jammer for 24-26 MHz. TRI 1335 i.e. Gee. See abbreviations re IFF, GEE and Shiver

The route as per Bomber Command Night Raid Report: Egmond - 5200N 0640E - Duisburg - 5020N 0330E - Cayeux

A mixed force of 392 aircraft comprising 156 Lancasters, 97 Wellingtons, 73 Halifaxes, 56 Stirlings and 10 Mosquitoes was assembled for this raid on Duisburg. Bad weather was experienced en route and over the target area 10/10ths layer cloud prevented the main force from identifying the Target Indicators dropped by the Pathfinder Force.

Of the ten Oboe Mosquitoes detailed for the raid, one crashed on take-off and two did not attack owing to Oboe failure. The Backers Up fared even worse: one was missing, 5 returned early and 15 bombed with the main force and brought back their Red Target Indicators. Crews were of the opinion that the raid was unsuccessful and there was no photographic evidence to refute their opinion.

The attack commenced at 23.14 and lasted until 23.50hrs with 283 aircraft reporting bombing the primary area and 19 the alternative area. 71 aircraft, representing 18.3% of the force aborted the mission mainly due to technical and manipulative faults (30) and icing (31). 19 aircraft were lost but because of the bad weather there was no definite evidence of the causes. Very few searchlights were seen to be in action but heavy flak was reported as moderate to intense over the target area with 9.7% of the force sustaining flak damage. There was no daylight reconnaissance until after the attack on Duisburg the following night and the photographs then obtained showed only moderate damage. 10 buildings in three branches of the Vereinigten Stahlwerke AC that were producing munitions had been destroyed or damaged including rolling mills and workshops. In total 40 buildings were destroyed and 72 seriously damaged by the raids with 36 people reported killed. Bombs fell on at least 15 other Ruhr towns.

Having bombed the target and turned for home, Halifax JB847 was flying at 15000' a mere 45 miles and 10 minutes from Cayeux-sur-Mer and the English Channel. Over St. Quentin and unseen by the crew, the aircraft was attacked from below by a night fighter and set on fire. Air Bomber P/O. Roland Wilson reported that:

'Ordered to abandon. When (I) left, the P., FE., Nav., W/Op., and 2nd P. were unhurt and had chutes on. Don't know whether A/Gs hurt or not. Luftwaffe officer at Chantilly said all had been killed and an unknown 3 had been killed'.

Halifax JB847 was shot down by Ofw. Kurt Karsten 7./NJG4 at 00:10 hrs. Combat took place at 5000 metres and 9 km North West of Compèigne. (See No. 9 in biographical details below) (see Kracker Archive on this site)

The aircraft crashed at Moyvillers near Estrées-Saint-Denis (Oise). The seven crew members killed, were buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France on the 12 April 1943.

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS

(1) Fl/Lt. Julian William Noel Balley - Born 1920 in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Albert Champen Balley and Julia Alice Balley nee Davis, of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

(2) Sgt. James William Robert Henry Woodley - Born 1920 in Newton Abbot, Devon, the son of James Woodley and Agnes Gertrude Woodley nee Markham, of Glampton, Devon. Husband of Joan Woodley nee Seaward and father of Robert M. Woodley.

(3) Sgt. Thomas Smith McStay - Born c1913 the son of William and Rachell McStay of Lee, London.

(4) P/O. Roland Wilson - Nothing further known, can you help?

(5) Fl/Sgt. Peter Alexander Greene - Born 1920 in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, the son of Wilfred Greene and Mary Greene nee Wilson of Leeds. Husband of Mary Greene nee Shirt, and father of Janet A. Greene.

(6) Sgt. Ronald Walter Hedicker - Born 1922 in Whitehaven, Cumberland (now Cumbria) the son of Reginald Walter Hedicker and Gladys Ann Hedicker nee Heighes, of Petersfield, Hampshire. Sgt. Hedicker is commemorated on the Petersfield War Memorial, High Street, Petersfield, Hampshire.

(7) Sgt. Tom Crossland - Born 1920 in Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire the son of Frederick Crossland and Amy Crossland nee Neesom, of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire.

(8) Sgt. Louis Frederick Samson - Born 29 August 1921 at Freemantle, Western Australia the son of Horace Frederick Samson May Emily Samson of Gosnells, Western Australia. Sgt. Samson was a member of 1658 Conversion Unit.

(9) Ofw. Kurt Karsten - this was his second abschüsse of the war. He went on to become an ace before he was wounded on 19/20th October 1944 in a crash near Sinsheim due to lack of fuel. Thought to have survived the war, having a total of 6 confirmed night claims. (see Kracker Archive on this site)

BURIAL DETAILS:

Fl/Lt. Julian William Noel Balley - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 351 (1)

Sgt. James William Robert Henry Woodley - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 352 (2)

Sgt. Thomas Smith McStay - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 348 (3)

Fl/Sgt. Peter Alexander Greene - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 349 (5)

Sgt. Ronald Walter Hedicker - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 353 (6)

Sgt. Tom Crossland - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 347 (7)

Sgt. Louis Frederick Samson - Buried at Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France. Plot 2, Grave No. 350 (8)

Researched by Roy Wilcock for Aircrew Remembered - July 2015. Sources: RAF Loss Card, Bomber Command Report on Night Operations, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Bomber Command Database, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries'.

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