Operation: Frankfurt

Date: 22/23rd March 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: No. 50 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: DV384

Code: VN-V

Base: RAF Skellingthorpe

Location: Obermelbecke, Germany

Pilot: F/O. Joseph Lloyd Dobbyn DFC J/18666 RCAF Age 22. Killed (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Edward James Cave 1671657 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Norman Jennings 1576042 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. John Robert Jackson 1459023 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Greenwood Gee Ridyard 654713 RAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. David Garnet Duncombe AUS/422459 RAAF Age 30. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Lloyd Mason 1816001 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Skellingthorpe at 18.59 hrs to bomb the city of Frankfurt together with a force of 816 aircraft (620 Lancasters, 184 Halifaxes and 12 Mosquitoes)

Photograph of the crew - submitted by Christine Dawson December 2015. Christine is the niece of Sgt. John Robert Jackson.

The city was bombed with great accuracy - half of the city was left without gas, water and electricity with severe damage to the industrial areas west of the city. 948 people were killed on the ground, 346 seriously injured with 120,000 bombed out of their homes.

The allies lost some 26 Lancasters and 7 Halifaxes during the operation. Another 50 squadron Lancaster was also lost this night:

Lancaster I ME578 VN-K, Flown by 21 year old P/O. Ronald Charles Thornton DFC from Horsforth, Yorkshire, killed with 5 crew, 2 taken PoW. Crew also buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Taken from the MREU and Loss Card for DV384:

At approximately 21:00 hrs. the bomber stream was attacked by German night fighters near Grevenbruek. One of the bombers was hit and it immediately jettisoned a number of incendiary bombs (estimated at 80). Shortly after this the bomber crashed near the village of Obermelbecke, 3 km NNE of Grevenbrueck. The aircraft must have had a considerable bomb load, as the explosion resulting from its impact with the ground was felt and heard at a distance of several kilometres and a very large crater was made in the earth where it struck.
All of the crew were killed and were buried on March 28th in Evangelic Cemetery in Grevenbruck. The aircraft was 95% destroyed and the wreckage was salvaged on the 23rd March 1944 and taken to the Luftwaffe airfield at Werl.

Understood to have possibly been shot down by Lt. Hermann Stock (2) of 12./NJG3 at 22.05 hrs. Although some reports state that Oblt. Martin Becker of 2./NJG6 was responsible. (Location of his claim was Paderborn, so unlikely)

(1) Dobbyn Lake Northwest of Granville Lake, Manitoba, Canada was named after him in 1947.
(2) This was the 3rd of 4 abschusse for Lt. Hermann Stock. It is understood that he survived the war - no further details.

Initially buried on the 28th March 1944 at the Evangelical Cemetery in the district of Olpe, Germany. Later reinterred at the Reichswald War Cemetery after the end of the war.

F/O. Joseph Lloyd Dobbyn DFC. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.9. Son of Joseph Milton Dobbyn and Helen Dobbyn of Melita, Manitoba, Canada.

Sgt. Edward James Cave. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.11. Son of John Edward and Mary Cave, of Walton, Liverpool, England.

Fl/Sgt. Norman Jennings. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.8. Son of Harold and Alice Maud Mary Jennings, of Tividale, Tipton, Staffordshire, England.

Sgt. John Robert Jackson. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.10. Son of Tom and Annie Jackson of Draytons Farm, Old Goole, England.

Sgt. Greenwood Gee Ridyard. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.13. Son of Reginald Ridyard, and of Dora Maud Ridyard, of Kearsley, Lancashire, England.

Fl/Sgt. David Garnet Duncombe. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.7. Son of David Goldsmith Duncombe and Ada Mary Duncombe, of ‘Lorindi’ Quirindi, New South Wales, Australia, brother of Mr Horace Michael Dubcombe of Ellerston, Scone, New South Wales, Australia. This was his 24th operational sortie of the war. Born on the 5th April 1913, enlisted on 22nd May 1942.

Fl/Sgt. Ronald Lloyd Mason. Reichswald War Cemetery. Grave 27.A.12. Son of Henry Charles and Emma Mason, of Yardley Wood, Birmingham, England.

For further details our thanks to the following, Diane Gollop for bringing this loss to our attention, it is understood that the ‘Goole Times’ were seeking further information for the relative of Sgt. John R. Jackson. Thanks also to Christine Dawson for the crew photo submitted in December 2015. Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', ‘Bomber Command Database’, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries (Updated 2014 version), 'Paradie Archive'. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Also thanks to the 12’oclock high forum, National Archives of Australia. Further information from these titles/organisations are available from us, just use the 'help' button on the main page above or 'add info' button also shown on this page. Also thanks to Robert J. Southam for NoK details correction on pilot - December 2015.

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