Archive Report: Allied Forces

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02/03.01.1944 100 Squadron Lancaster III JB549 HW-C Plt.Off. Gerald W. Henderson

Operation: Berlin

Date: 2/3rd January 1944 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: 100 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JB549

Code: HW-C

Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Exact location unknown - target area - Berlin.

Pilot: Plt.Off. Gerald William Henderson J/19170 RCAF Age 22. Missing (1)

Flt.Eng: Sgt. Louis Jack Loewenson 778107 RAFVR Age 22. Missing

Nav: Fg.Off. James McVie Ogilvie J/22214 RCAF Age 23. Missing (2)

Air Bmr: Sgt. Gordon Hewitt Hendry 1348243 RAFVR Age 23. Missing

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ninian Bowman 1126757 RAFVR Age ? Missing

Air Gnr (mid upper): Sgt. Richard Edward Leonard Stoneman 1316590 RAFVR Age 21. Missing

Air Gnr (rear): Sgt. Edward Colhoun McLaughlin 2204122 RAFVR Age 20. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 23.39 hrs from RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire to attack the heart of Germany, Berlin. The second night that the allies chose this target.Together with 383 aircraft, 362 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes and 9 Halifaxes.

This image of the crew was annotated with the nicknames for five of the crew: From left to right: Sgt. Bowman "Ginger’-The Mad Marconi; Unknown "Tex"-Romeo; Plt.Off Henderson "Gerry"-Bus Driver; Fg.Off. Ogilvie "Gus"-Wrong-Way Corrigan; Sgt. Hendry "Hawk-Eye". (Courtesy of Martin Hendry)

Note: The origins of the name "Wrong-Way Corrigan" was the nickname given to an American aviator, Douglas Corrigan, who in 1938 flew from New York to Ireland although his flight plan was to fly back to Long Beach, California from New York. He claimed it was a navigation error.

A similar image apparently taken the same day as that above of five of the crew of seven. From left to right: Sgt. Bowman, Plt.Off Henderson, Unknown, Sgt. Hendry, Plt.Off. Henderson. (Courtesy Gerald W. Isaac via Sandra Rogers)

The German controllers were following the stream all the way to the capital - they realised the target about 40 minutes prior to the bombing taking place. Night fighters were sent to intercept between Hannover and Bremen, but they missed them and they were then redirected to Berlin. Most of the allied bombers were shot down over the German capital with 27 aircraft being lost.

Aircrew killed on this raid amounted to 158 killed and a further 29 made PoW.

Right: Fg.Off. James McVie Ogilvie (courtesy ‘A Place of Honour’

The raid was largely ineffective though with bombing scattered over a large area. Reports from Berlin list 82 buildings (residential) were destroyed and 36 people on the ground killed. The damage to the industrial areas was classed as insignificant!

This Lancaster is listed as missing without trace and no details can be found to claim this as being shot down, but such was the ferocity of the night - very few claims were positively identified to the German night fighters.

(1) Henderson Lake Saskatchewan, Canada is named after Plt.Off. Gerald William Henderson (pictured left)

(2) Ogilvie Lake in Manitoba, Canada is named after Fg.Off. James McVie Ogilvie

Burial details:

None, all are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

Plt.Off. Gerald William Henderson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 250. Son of William Archer Henderson and Edith Henderson, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Sgt. Louis Jack Loewenson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 233. Son of Bennie and Annie Loewenson, husband of Joyce Loewenson.

Fg.Off. James McVie Ogilvie. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 247. Son of James McVie Ogilvie and Caroline Gladys Ogilvie, of Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada.

Sgt. Gordon Hewitt Hendry. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 231. Son of James and Florence Annie Hendry, of Ferndown, Dorset, England.

Sgt. Ninian Bowman. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 225. Son of Ninian and Maggie Bowman of Barnmoor, Morpeth, Northumberland, England.

Sgt. Richard Edward Leonard Stoneman. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 238. Son of James and Florence Emily Stoneman, of Kempston, Bedfordshire, England.

Sgt. Edward Colhoun McLaughlin. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 233. Son of Edward and Jennie McLaughlin, of Ballyronan, Co. Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Researched for Sandra Rogers, Ninian Bowman and dedicated to all relatives / friends of the crew. For further details our thanks to the following, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', ‘Bomber Command Database’, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries (Updated 2014 version), 'Paradie Archive'. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

A word from the Editor: your contribution is important. We welcome your comments and information. Thanks in advance.

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