Operation: Dortmund

Date: 6th/7th October 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: 115 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LL880

Code: KO:D

Base: RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire

Location: Oberhausen-Sterkrade

Pilot: WO. William Erickson 655068 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

Flt Eng: Sgt. Harry Thomson Dickson 1897116 RAFVR Age 38. Missing - believed killed

Nav: Flt Sgt. Jack Lee 1128432 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Arthur John Tippin 1581522 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. George Frederick Burgess 1624834 Age 20. Killed

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. James Truby 1595391 RAFVR Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Michael Convy 1824996 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Relatives of Flt Sgt. Jack Lee would very much like to hear from other relatives of the crew - please contact us in the first instance.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 16:45 hrs from RAF Witchford in Cambridgeshire. 523 aircraft, 248 Halifaxes and 247 Lancasters with 28 Mosquitoes from 3, 6 and 8 Group were to bomb the industrial and transport areas of the city. Bombing was undertaken in clear weather conditions.

The Pathfinders marking the area accurately, reports state that the bombing caused severe damage to the target area. 2 Halifaxes from 6 Group, 2 Lancasters and a Mosquito were also lost from the other Groups.

Casualties on the ground were reported as 191 civilians killed, 38 missing with a further 418 injured.

LL880 was hit by flak from 1./schw Flak Abt. 643, 3./schw Flak Abt. 366, 3. & 4./schw Flak Abt. 243, 1./schw Flak Abt. 424 (Eisb) and schw Flakbattr Z.b.V. 10462. The aircraft crashed at Oberhausen-Sterkrade at 20:44hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Part 4 - Theo Boiten)

Burial details:

WO. William Erickson. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.B.1. Born on the 2nd April 1919 in Tynemouth. Son of August William and Florence (née Wilkinson) Erickson of Tynemouth, Northumberland, England.

Sgt. Harry Thomson Dickson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 228. Son of Andrew and Annie Dickson, husband of Mary Elizabeth Dickson, of Chiswick, Middlesex, England.

Flt Sgt. Jack Lee. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.17. Son of Charles Herbert and Elsie Lee, husband of Joyce Lee, of Middleton, Manchester, England.

Sgt. Arthur John Tippin. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.18. Husband of Doris Felicia Tippin, of Erdington, Birmingham, England.

Sgt. George Frederick Burgess. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 8.A.15. Son of Fred and Jane Burgess, of Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. James Truby. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 239. Son of William and Theresa Truby, of Esh Winning, Co. Durham, England.

Sgt. Michael Convy. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 227. Son of John and Margaret Convy, of Lochgelly, Fife, Scotland.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for Mark Woodhouse, nephew of Flt Sgt. Jack Lee and dedicated to all the relatives of the crew. Thanks to John Jones for the loss information (Jan 2022). NoK details for WO Erickson updated by Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2022). Sources as quoted below.

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