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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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158 Squadron Crest
13/14.09.1942 No. 158 Squadron Halifax II BB205 NP-B Sgt. Fred Caldwell

Operation: Bremen

Date: 13/14th September 1942 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 158 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: BB205

Code: NP-B

Base: RAF East Moor, Yorkshire

Location: Ter Idzard, Holland

Pilot: Sgt. Fred Caldwell 655627 RAFVR PoW No: 26977 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344) (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Robin H.D. Bren 909207 RAFVR PoW No: 27003 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

Nav: Sgt. Clarence Albert Hunt R/78615 RCAF PoW No: 27034 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

Air/Bmr: Sgt. J.J. Reid 1053920 RAFVR PoW No: 27107 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. R.J. Cantillon 401230 RAAF PoW No: 27045 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. D.F. Readman 946535 RAFVR PoW No: 27062 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

Air/Gnr: Sgt. L.J. Soper R/116639 RCAF PoW No: 27058 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf (344)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On an operation to bomb Bremen, using large numbers from the Operational Training Units to make up the 446 aircraft taking part. Halifax BB205 left RAF East Moor at 23.54 hrs.

The bombing lasted from 02:05 hrs - 04:10 hrs. Reports from the city state that 848 houses were destroyed with Bremen’s industry also suffering damage. The Lloyd dynamo works were hit and put out of action for a number of weeks. Various parts of the Focke Wulf factory were also hit. Sadly 2 hopsitals were hit as well as 6 schools. Casualties on the ground amounted to 70 killed, 371 injured. This would be the last raid on Bremen for 5 months.

Photograph taken at Stalag VIIIB/Lamsdorf thought to be late 1943.

Front row: Sgt. Jackson, Tpr. E. Keating (1), Sgt. Smith, W/O2. Clarke, Sgt. Edwards, W/O2. McCabe, W/O2. Weaver, Sgt. Lemon, LAC. Ulmer.
Middle Row: W/O2. Hunt (BB205 crew), Sgt. Falmer, Sgt. Andrews, Fl/Sgt. Greene, W/O. Gledhill. Sgt. Nelan, Sgt. Duff, Sgt. Thompson, Sgt. Sherret.
Rear Row: Sgt. Bren (BB205 crew), LAC. Dickens, Sgt. Kimber, Fl/Sgt, Wyatt, Sgt. Maltby, Fl/Sgt. Farmer, Sgt. McLeod, Sgt. London.

Bomber Command lost 26 aircraft, 4 of these crashing on return to England. 87 crew members lost their lives, 28 taken PoW.

We now understand that Halifax BB205 engines overheated causing a lack of control with the aircraft. The crew were ordered to bale out, with the aircraft crashing at 04:30 hrs.

Some Flak units also claimed shooting the aircraft down but we understand from Mr. Lieuwe Boonstra of Holland who has researched this loss at great length that the actual cause was engine problems as described.

Additional information has been found for a claim by Oblt Ludwig Becker 6/NJG2 - Idaard South East of Leeuwarden (Eisbar): 5,700m at 02:15. (Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume 1-Theo Boiten)

(1) Sgt Caldwell exchanged identities with 7889956 Trooper D E Keating Royal Armoured Corp-PoW Number 221154 at Lamsdorf. Mr. Lieuwe Boonstra advised us that this in fact he did, but recaptured on both occasions.

Identity tags recovered at the crashsite in the early 1990's and presented to Mr. Lieuwe Boonstra

Burial details:

None - all survived.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jeff Hunt, nephew of Sgt. Clarence Albert Hunt for some great photographs and information. Also to Mr. Lieuwe Boonstra of Holland who researched this loss for over 5 years. He is currently working on producing a small booklet on the loss. Thanks to John Jones for the additional information regarding Sgt. Caldwell and night fighter claim.

Family photograph showing L-R: Raymond Hunt, Clarence, Joyce, Keith and Donald. All from London, Ontario Canada. Clarence died in the spring of 1983 and Donald (father of Jeff who sent in these photographs) died in August the same year.

RS 09.08.2019 - Additional information re: Night fighter claim and Sgt. Caldwell

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
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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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