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
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.
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.
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.
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.
KTY 23.01.2017 Page updated. SPY 2019-09-22 Added coincidence
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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