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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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166 Squadron Crest
16/17.01.1945 166 Squadron Lancaster III ME296 AS:V Flt Lt. Burke

Operation: Zeitz

Date: 16th/17th January 1945 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 166 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ME296

Code: AS:V

Base: RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire

Location: Target area

Pilot: Flt Lt. Ernest Patrick Burke 426303 RAAF Age 33. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Thomas Edward Carr 1590301 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Gwilyn Kenneth Eden John 1651466 RAFVR Age 22. PoW

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. John Mansfield Meggitt 424599 RAAF Age 26. PoW

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. George William Kirk 652058 RAFVR Age? PoW

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. George Anson 1595433 RAFVR Age? PoW

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. T.R. Wood 975880 RAFVR Age? PoW

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 17:25 hrs from RAF Kirmington in Lincolnshire to bomb the Braunkohle-Benzin synthetic oil plant - night fighter claims for this period of the war were mostly destroyed. Also PoW records for the same period were not updated.

It is thought probable that they came down in the target area.

Some of this crew, in Halifax V DG403 of 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) flown by Flt Lt. Ernest Burke were injured when a forced landing took place in a field. Flt Sgt. John, Plt Off. Meggitt, Flt Sgt. Wood all survived with various degrees of injuries.

Sgt. Thomas Edward Carr also escaped injured from 1667 HCU Halifax V DG414 - further details can be read here.

Burial details:

Grave photographs courtesy Des Philippet.

Flt Lt. Ernest Patrick Burke. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.D.20. Grave inscription reads: "HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED". Born on the 30th September 1911 at Brisbane, the son of John Ernest and Florence Burke; husband of Bessie Margaret Burke, of Kew, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. Thomas Edward Carr. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Grave 11.D.21. Grave inscription reads: "ONLY THOSE WHO LOVED AND LOST KNOW THE PRICE THIS GREAT WAR COST". Next of kin details not known, are you able to assist?

Researched by Rob Davis and provided to us in December 2018. Page dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thanks to David Swallow for the update to the names for the crew (Jun 2023)

Other sources listed below:

RS 30.06.2023 - Update to crew names.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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Last Modified: 30 June 2023, 06:39

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