Archive Report: Allied Forces

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17.11.1942 No. 405 Squadron Halifax IIB W1096 LQ-O Sgt. Arthur J. Dolding

Operation: Cross Country Flight

Date: 17th November 1942 (Tuesday)

Unit: 405 Squadron (RCAF - attached to coastal command)

Type: Halifax IIb

Serial: W1096

Code: LQ-O (Nickname: Every Drop Counts)

Base: RAF Beaulieu, Hampshire, England

Location: Wicken Bonhunt, Essex, England

Pilot: Sgt. Arthur John Dolding R/101954 RCAF Age 22. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt H.F. Jackson R/64901 RCAF Seriously injured - survived

Nav: F/O. Hyme Landau 122143 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. W.A. MacDonald R/76136 RCAF Baled out - survived (2)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. II. Gordon Hubert Richards R/77962 RCAF Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Robert Joseph Cavanaugh R/135149 RCAF Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

What is known to have happened is that the mid-upper gunner fired his guns which, although the setting should have been made to prevent the trajectory going into this region, the result was the inner engine was hit and the aircraft suffered some form of hydraulic failure as a result.

The aircraft then went into a spin from which the pilot was unable to recover.

We understand that some of the crew did manage to bale out of the Halifax - note: details added June 2016.

(1) In 1974 Dolding Lake - southeast of Nejanilini Lake, Manitoba, Canada was renamed after Sgt. Arthur John Dolding.

(2) Sgt, Macdonald - survived after treatment at RAF Ely hospital rejoined unit. Shot down later in the war during an operation to Stuttgart on the 12th March 1943. Halifax II DT745 LQ-V - taken PoW PoW No: 1014 Camp: Stalag Luft Heydekrug. All but two (who evaded capture) of the crew were also taken PoW.

Burial details:

Sgt. Arthur John Dolding. Saffron Walden Cemetery. Compt. 39. Grave 23. Son of Frederick Dolding, and of Clara Dolding, of 360 Olive Street, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

F/O. Hyme Landau. Rainsough Jewish Cemetery. Hebrew Congregational Section. Plot A. Grave 5. Born on the 4th May 1916, the son of Soloman and Annie Landau (née Herscovitch) of 1 Union Road, Stockport, Cheshire, husband of Belle Landau, of Prestwich. Stockport, England.

W/O. II. Gordon Hubert Richards. Saffron Walden Cemetery. Compt. 39. Grave 23. Son of Dwight and Mertie O. Richards, of Arrowood, Alberta, Canada.

Sgt. Robert Joseph Cavanaugh. Saffron Walden Cemetery. Compt. 39. Grave 23. Son of Harry Raymond and Catherine Cavanaugh of Mason city, Iowa, USA. Attended Loras College prior to enlisting in the RCAF. Robert's 5 brothers fought overseas in WW II with the USA. He was the 9 eldest of 12 children.

Researched for Jane Cavanaugh-Gleeman - niece of the air gunner, Sgt. Robert Cavanaugh. A great deal of thanks to Barry Millar from Canada at War Forum for his comprehensive information supplied. Also thanks to 6 Bomber Group for nose art photo, Mike Berrell, Trish Cooper, Scotts heat for grave photographs. Sources as quoted below.

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