Operation: Gravenhorst

Date: 21/22nd February 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: No. 227 Squadron. 201 Group

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB666 (1)

Code: 9J-J

Base: RAF Balderton, Nottinghamshire

Location: Winterswijk, Gelderland, Netherlands

Pilot: F/O. Peter Isaac Green 18382 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Harry Robert Piper 3030989 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Nav: W/O.2. Arnold Floyd Dales R/192262 RCAF PoW Injured

Air/Bmr: W/O.2. James Edward Cassidy R/182505 RCAF PoW

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Harry Roberts 1625281 RAFVR PoW

Air/Gnr: Sgt. 'Jock' Frederick George Edwards 1049072 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Walter Lancaster 1594443 RAFVR PoW Injured

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Balderton at 17:21 hrs with 5 others from the squadron to bomb the Mittelland Kanal near Gravenhorst, Germany.

An expensive night for Bomber Command, three major targets were attacked (Worms, Gravenhorst and Duisburg) for the loss of 45 aircraft. 13 of those were lost attacking the Dortmund-Ems canal at Gravenhorst and all of those were destroyed by two Nachtjagers, Major Schnaufer and Hptm Rokker.

W/O.2. Arnold Dales and Sgt. Walter Lancaster were hospitalised and remains there until liberated in April.

Above the usualmcrew of PB666

L-R rear: Sgt John Ling (on leave during this operation and replaced by Sgt. Harry Piper), Sgt. Harry Roberts, Sgt. Walter Lancaster and Sgt. Frederick Edwards. Front: W/O.2. James Cassidy, : F/O. Peter Isaac Green and W/O.2. Arnold Dales.

Left: Sgt. Harry Robert Piper

Another crew from the squadron was also lost;

Lancaster I PB690 9J-V Flown by Fl/Lt. John Bernard Osborne MiD 1112072 RAFVR. He evaded capture together with Fl/Sgt. Thomas Berwick Kydd 1398182 RAFVR and Sgt. Reginald Arthur Scutt 1252345 RAFVR. The remains four were captured and made PoW. (note; many publications incorrectly state that Sgt. Scutt was a PoW) Further details here

Above left: Major Schnaufer and crew, right: Hptm Rokker (courtesy Kracker Archives)

(1) Lancaster III PB666 - A.V. Roe and Co Ltd - Chadderton. Avro Type 683 – Lancaster B I and B III. Serial Numbers PA964-PA999, PB112-PB158, PB171-PB213, PB226-PB267, PB280-PB308, PB341-PB385, PB397-PB438, PB450-PB490, PB504-PB542, PB554-PB596, PB609-PB653, PB666-PB708, PB721-PB768, PB780-PB823, PB836-PB899, PB900-PB936, PB949-PB994. The ninth production batch of 723 aircraft, built by A.V. Roe & Co Ltd under Contract # 1807 in three parts.

Burial and other details:

F/O. Peter Isaac Green, Winterswijk Cemetery. Joint grave 40. Son of Peter Isaac and May Eleanor Green, of Swanton Morley, Norfolk. Epitaph: 'At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Him'.

Sgt. Harry Robert Piper. Winterswijk Cemetery. Grave 39. Also remembered on the Worthing War Memorial, Sussex. Son of Harry Burt Piper (died 21st October 1947) and Edith Le Mesurier Piper, of Worthing, Sussex. Epitaph: 'In Proud Memory Of Our Dearly Loved Only Son Harry Robert'.

Sgt. Frederick George Edwards. Winterswijk Cemetery. Joint grave 40. Son of Frederick and Mary Edwards, of Aberdeen. Epitaph: 'He Gave His Today For Our Tomorrow'.

W/O.2. Arnold Floyd Dales. Born in 1922 in Saskatchewan, Canada. Died 29th July 2006, age 83. Son of Walter Wesley Dales (died 20th March1959, age 80) and Mabel A Dales (née McMunn - died 07th December 1976 age 80) Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. Husband of Mary Jean Dales (née Paxton - died o3rd March 2001, age 74)

Above image of the crew with positive identity showing F/O. Peter Green front centre and Sgt. Frederick Edwar rear right (courtesy Peter Stevens)

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the National Archive Kew, AIR-27-1410-23/24/ Kracker Luftwaffe Archives. Paradie RCAF Archives. Ralph Snape for full crew names.

Other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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