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Operation: Berlin, Germany
Date: 17th/18th January 1943 (Sunday/Monday)
Unit No: 9 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: W4157
Code: WS:V
Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.
Location: Lost without trace
Pilot: Plt Off. Trevor Leslie Gibson 402858 RAAF Age 24. MiA (1)
2nd Pilot: Fg Off. Eric William Mitchell Jacombs 413422 RNZAF Age 29. MiA (2)
Flt Eng: Sgt. Stanley Wescombe 527172 RAF Age 29. MiA
Nav: Fg Off. Cyril Garnett Tilson MiD, 127792 RAFVR Age 24. MiA
Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Bernard Kenneth Skinner 1112266 RAFVR Age 28. MiA
WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Harry Goodwin Jenkins 1186208 RAFVR Age? MiA
Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. John William Robinson Broadley 1067031 RAFVR Age 21. MiA
Air Gnr (Rear): WO2. Francis Arthur Webb R93492 RCAF Age 20. MiA (3)
Above Left to right: Plt Off. Trevor Gibson, Fg Off Eric Jacombs, WO2. Francis Webb.
Relatives of Fg Off. Jacombs would like to contact any relatives of any of the crew - please contact us in the first instance and your details will be forwarded.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 16:58 hrs from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. A small force of 187 heavy bombers set out from various squadrons to bomb the heart of Germany, the second consecutive night the city was to suffer. Again the bombers missed the target with the main bombing falling on the southern outskirts of the city. The ABMW factory that was making aircraft engines in Spandau was hit by some incendiaries and slightly damaged. The Daimler-Benz factory was also hit but unable to confirm it was from this night's operation or from Saturday. 8 people were killed on the ground and 41 injured according to German reports.
Bombing takes place fairly early in the evening between 20:30 hrs and 21:25 hrs.
The allied formations were attacked very fiercely both outbound and homeward. Flak and night fighters interceptions were intense with no less than 22 bombers lost, and a further 20 managing to return home with damage from fighters. 9 Squadron alone lost 4 Lancasters, 24 boys dead, 5 taken PoW, not able to return home for a number of years:
Lancaster I W4379 WS:A - Sgt. Carswell RCAF taken PoW with 4 other crew, 2 KiA;
Lancaster I W4761 WS:P - Flt Sgt. Anderson Storey RCAF and his crew were KiA;
Lancaster I ED436 WS:G - Sgt. John G. B. Chilvers RAFVR and his crew were KiA.
No accurate night fighter reports are available for this night and it is thought that W4157 was hit by Flak.
The BBC broadcaster Richard Dimbleby flew as an observer on this operation in a 106 Squadron Lancaster, flown by Wg Cdr. Guy Gibson.
Above and below: W4157 with some of the ground crew. Fourth in from the right is LAC. Arthur Alexander Williams, hands in pockets. Sixth from the right is Roy Whitehouse. (Courtesy William Willians, grandson of LAC. Williams)
(1) Trevor Leslie Gibson worked as a printer for the Sydney Morning Herald in the Letterpress Section. Enlisted on the 11th November 1940 in Sydney. Trained with No. 8 Elementary Flying Training School on 06th February 1941 in Canada. With Service Flying Training School on 15th May 1942.
(2) Eric William Mitchell Jacombs worked as a laboratory assistant for Fredrick Stearns and Company in Auckland. Enlisted on the 17th August 1941 at Levin as a pilot under training. With No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) 28th September 1941. With No. 3 Flying Training School on the 8th November 1941. Pilot wings awarded on the 20th December 1941. Appointed to a commissioned on the 31st January 1942. Embarked for England on the 17th March 1942. With No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC) 12th May 1942. Served in various units before joining 19 Operational Training Unit (OTU) flying the Whitley 25th August 1942. With 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) on the 15th November 1942. Joined 9 squadron on the 11th January 1943.
(3) Just before this operation WO2. Webb met Fg Off. Mike Downs whose parents raised Francis and his twin sister from when they were 12 days old because their mother had died.
Fg Off. John Milton ‘Mike’ Downs J11018 was serving with 3 Sqn and was hit by Flak flying Typhoon Ib EJ989 JF:S over the Dutch Islands and baled out on the 13th of September 1943 and taken PoW. (PoW No. 2525, Stalag Luft 3, Sagan).
We hope that we will be able to research this and place a page on Fg Off. Downs in the near future.
Burial details:
Above: Runnymede March 2013 - a visit made by Aircrew Remembered. We have not made the words visible from the relative, they are private - but they touched us, hence this page of remembrance.
Plt Off. Trevor Leslie Gibson. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 191. Born on the 14th of January 1919 in Inverell, New South Wales. Husband of Gloria Elizabeth Gibson (married 14th September 1940) of 4 Wallace Street, Kingsford, New South Wales, Australia.
Fg Off. Eric William Mitchell Jacombs. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 197. Born on the 28th October 1915 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Son of William Henry and of Frances Mary (née Howell) Jacombs of 6 Dunedin St, Ponsonby, Auckland. In early 1942, he married Joan Winifred (née Hill) Jacombs in early 1942 of Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sgt. Stanley Wescombe. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 169. Born on the 29th March 1914 in Toxteth Park, Lancashire. Son of Thomas (deceased in February 1919) and Zillah Eliza (née Wheatley) Wescombe of Liverpool, England.
Fg Off. Cyril Garnett Tilson MiD. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 129. Born on the 14th December 1918 in Southampton, Hampshire. Son of William Garnett ‘Garnie’ and Alice Louisa Crouch (née Pearce) Tilson of Southampton, England.
Sgt. Tilson was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 1st January 1942
Flt Sgt. Bernard Kenneth Skinner. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 139. Born on the 10th September 1915 in Nottingham. Son of Albert Ephraim and Rosamond Lillie (née Grocock) Skinner of York, England.
Sgt. Harry Goodwin Jenkins. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 155. No further details are available as yet, are you able to assist?
Sgt. John William Robinson Broadley. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 144. Born on the 16th February 1921 in Northallerton, Yorkshire West Riding. Son of John William and Mary Ann (née Frewin) Broadley of Northallerton, Yorkshire West Riding, England
WO2. Francis Arthur Webb. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 180. Born on the 8th May 1922 in Manitoba, Ontario. He was the adopted son of John and Jean (née Ferguson) Downs of Manitoba, Ontario, Canada.
Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for relatives of the crew after Aircrew Remembered had visited and paid their respects at Runnymede in March 2013. Thanks also to Rex Sinnott for information and the photograph on his relative, Fg Off. Eric Jacombs. William Williams for the amazing photographs of W4157 (Oct 2015). Narrative updated by Kelvin Youngs (Aug 2022). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2025)
Other sources listed below:
RS 11.02.2025 – Reviewed and updated
KTY 03.10.2015 New information and photo added.
KTY 23-08-2022 Page updated
RS 11.02.2025 – Reviewed and updated
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