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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25/26.07.1943 No. 78 Squadron Halifax II JD330 EY-F P/O. Edgell R. Carrington

Operation: Essen

Date: 25/26th July 1943 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 78 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: JD330

Code: EY-F

Base: RAF Breighton, Yorkshire

Location: Duisberg, Germany

Pilot: P/O. Edgell R. Carrington 133251 RAFVR PoW No: 1810 Camp: L3 - Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Reginald T. Davies 655244 RAFVR PoW No: 83712 Camp: 4B - Stalag Mühlberg-Elbe

Nav: Sgt. H.W. Marshall 1480138 RAFVR PoW No: 83708 Camp: 4B - Stalag Mühlberg-Elbe

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Christopher Harry George Daft 1315406 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Frank King 123223 RAFVR Age 31. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Morris 1344250 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Alex Edward Gale 141551 RAFVR Age ? Killed

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We have been contacted by Marion Morris, niece of Sgt. Thomas Morris who will shortly be adding further information/photographs on this loss. We would like to appeal for other relatives to contact us.

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REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Breighton at 22.14 hrs to bomb the city of Essen - 705 aircraft taking part with 295 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes, 104 Stirlings, 67 Wellingtons, 19 Mosquitoes.

Window, recently introduced was used and capitalised upon to make the operation a success. The results recorded were that the Krupps factory was severely damaged (the most of the entire war) - the owner of the factory Gustav Krupps suffered a stroke the net day, from which he never recovered - saving him from being prosecuted for War Crimes.

51 industrial buildings were destroyed, 83 severely damaged. 2,852 houses were also destroyed - 500 people in the city killed, 1,208 suffering injuries, 12 others classed as ‘missing’.

The Allies lost a total of 30 aircraft - either on the operation or returning. 142 crew killed, 38 taken PoW with one other evading capture.

Halifax II JD330 is reported to have been shot down by a night fighter and also hit by flak - crashing at 01.00 hrs in the area of Duisburg. We are unable to establish any claims for this aircraft. By amazing coincidence the Luftwaffe Officer in whose charge the survivors had been put recognised the pilot, Pilot Officer Carrington, as they had been at school together.

Burial details:

Sgt. Christopher Harry George Daft. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 6.D.13. Son of Thomas Henry and Edith Sarah Daft, of Grandpoint, Oxford, England.

F/O. Frank King. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 6.D.14. Son of Frank and Elizabeth King, of Norbury, London, husband of Adelaide King, of Streatham, London, England.

Above the brother of Sgt. Thomas visits his grave (courtesy Irene Davidson (née Morris - April 2018)

Sgt. Thomas Morris. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 6.D.12. Son of Thomas and Agnes Morris, of Edinburgh, Scotland.

P/O. Alex Edward Gale. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 6.D.11. Son of George Henry and Edith Lucy Gale, of Southwick, Sussex, England.

Researched for Marion Morris, niece of Sgt. Thomas Morris and for all the relatives of this crew. Michel Beckers for P/O. Gale medal photo. For further details our thanks to the sources shown.

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