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Operation: Gardening
Date: 09/10th April 1944 (Sunday/Monday)
Unit: No. 460 Squadron 1 Group (motto: 'Strike and Return')
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: JB600
Code: AR-O
Base: RAF Binbrook
Location: Torrild, Denmark
Pilot: P/O. Robert William Burke DFC. AUS/420438 RAAF Age 22. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Edward H. Steedman 1813152 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Nav: P/O. Andrew Henry AUS/420385 RAAF Age 23. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. James Lennox Brooks AUS/426045 RAAF Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Paul Stewart Fleming AUS/421657 RAAF Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Sydney William Cooper AUS/427454 RAAF Age 23. PoW No: 3519 Camp: Stalag Luft Heydekrug (1)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. John Stanley Hosier AUS/420388 Age 23. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Binbrook at 21:26 hrs to join 102 others from various squadrons on a Gardening operation. (codename for the dropping of air mines - see here)
Luftwaffe night fighters had tracked the Bomber stream on their inbound trip over the North Sea at abut 150 km west of Esbjerg, Denmark - Two of the Bombers were shot down before they reached landfall. The remaining bombers continued to the target and bombed between 01:20 and 02:13 hrs with no contact fro night fighters. On their return journey however they were again intercepted from 03:00 hrs with seven more allied bombers being lost, either over Denmark or the North Sea, seven others returned with combat damage.
Above L-R: The Bf-110G night-fighter crew: Uffz. Fritz Pieper, Oblt. Hans Meissner and Uffz. Josef Krinner.
JB600 was intercepted and shot down by the Luftwaffe ace, Fw. Hans Meissner of 2./NJG3 at 03:34 hrs at location shown on the map - Torrild in Denmark.
(1) Fl/Sgt. Sydney William Cooper - Born on the 20th March 1921 at Raleigh, New South Wales. Survived the war and discharged from the RAAF on the 06th February 1946.
Burial details:
P/O. Robert William Burke DFC. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.5. Born on the 12th February 1922 in Newtown, the son of Alfred and Florence May Burke, of 40 Napoleon Street, Sans Souci, New South Wales, Australia. Enlisted on the 10th July 1941 at Sydney. Shop assistant prior to service. Grave inscription reads: "His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered".
Sgt. Edward H. Steedman. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.3. No further information - are you able to assist?
P/O. Andrew Henry. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.2. Born on the 19th February 1921 at Sandhurst, England, the son of John Patrick and Mary Alice Henry, of Berrima, New South Wales, Australia. Grave inscription reads: "He Died That We Might Live".
Fl/Sgt. James Lennox Brooks. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.6. Born on the 24th September 1923 at Mackay, Queensland, the son of Edgar Percival Brooks and Sophia Brooks, of 48 Milton Street, Mackay, Queensland, Australia. Uncle H.G. Brooks 600 Kingsbury Road, Birmingham. Enlisted at Brisbane on the 23rd May 1942 clerk prior to service. Grave inscription reads: "He Gave All".
Left: Fl/Sgt. James Lennox Brooks
Fl/Sgt. Paul Stewart Fleming. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.17. Born on the 19th January 1924, the son of Son of David Richard and Doris Elsie Fleming, of Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia. Grave inscription reads: "R.I.P".
Fl/Sgt. John Stanley Hosier DFM. Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery A.7.4. Born on the 30th May 1920 at Raleigh, New South Wales, the son of Stanley John and Adelaide Mary Hosier, of Hinton, New South Wales, Australia. Grave inscription reads: "His Duty Nobly Done".
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to National Archives of Australia and sources as quoted below.
KTY 08.05.2019
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them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 03 April 2021, 15:41