Operation: Essen, Germany

Date: 12th/13th April 1942 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit No: 115 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Wellington III

Serial: X3596

Code: KO:B

Base: RAF Marham, Norfolk

Location: IJsselmeer, Netherlands

Pilot: Sgt. Albert Ernest Holder 1376202 RAFVR Age 27. KiA

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Noel Hensley Blair 404994 RNZAF Age 24. KiA (1)

Obs: Plt Off. Ronald William Barlow 106537 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth John Raiswell 1151893 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Thomas James Phillips 977631 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Thomas Ryan 621697 RAF Age 22. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 22:57 hrs to bomb Essen - one of 251 aircraft detailed for the attack.

Bombing taking place between 00:55 and 02:45 hrs with five (5) Allied bombers shot down by the intense Flak. Five (5) more were shot down by the Luftwaffe night fighters.

X3596 was claimed by Oblt. Helmut Woltersdorf, his 18th Abschuss from 7./NJG1 over the IJsselmeer, 10 km west of Urk at 03:15 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (13 July 1941 - 29 May 1942) The Early Years Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

Above: Part of the wreckage of X3596 with insert of Oblt. Helmut Woltersdorf

Oblt. Woltersdorf was KiA on the night of 1st/2nd June 1942 returning to Twente airfield with damaged aircraft after combat with 10 Sqn Halifax W1098 and was shot down by 3 Sqn Hurricane IIc BD960 flown by Sgt. Gawith RNZAF, on landing at Twente and crashing into row of parked aircraft. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

(1) Sgt Blair flew as all his operational sorties as 2nd Pilot to Sgt. Holder.

List of sorties.

1. Brest 11th/12th December 1941 - Wellington IC Z1070 KO:B;
2. Brest 16th/17th December 1941 - Wellington IC X9875 KO:J;
3. Wilhelmshaven 28th/29th December 1941 - Wellington IC Z1070 KO:B;
4. Essen 10th/11th March 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
5. Cologne 13th/14th March 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
6. Essen 25th/26th March 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
7. Essen 26th/27th March 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
8. Lubeck 28th/29th March 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
9. Essen 31st March/1st April 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
10. Cologne 5th/6th April 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
11. Essen 10th/11th April 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B;
12. Essen 12th/13th April 1942 - Wellington IC. X3596 KO:B - Failed to Return.

In total he logged 314 flying hours.

Note: Z1070 was transferred to 218 Squadron on 9th January 1942. X3596 was delivered to 115 Squadron on 26th February 1942.

Burial details:

Sgt. Albert Ernest Holder. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row D. Grave 12. Grave inscription: 'IN EVERLOVING MEMORY OF JIM NEVER SHALL HIS MEMORY FADE. LOVED BY ALL'. Son of Albert and Thirza Louisa Holder and husband of Winifred May Holder, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.

Sgt. Noel Hensley Blair. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row D. Grave 13. Born on the 21st April 1917 at Kaponga. Son of the Reverend Charles and Clara (née Temple-Brown) Blair of Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand.

Plt Off. Ronald William Barlow. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row D. Grave 15. Grave inscription: 'IF THERE BE GOOD IN THAT I WROUGHT, THY HAND COMPELL'D IT, MASTER, THINE'. Son of Edmund and Ada Miller Barlow, of Stockport, Cheshire, England.

B.A. Hons. (Oxon); Scholar of Brasenose College; Diplomas in Economics and General Science. President and Captain, Oxford University Lacrosse team, 1937.

Sgt. Kenneth John Raiswell. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row C. Grave 13. Grave inscription: 'HIS LIFE A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY, HIS DEATH A SILENT GRIEF'. Son of John and Mabel Raiswell of Gowerton, Glamorgan, Wales.

Sgt. Thomas James Phillips. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row D. Grave 11. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1917 in Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales. Son of Thomas James and Harriet (née Jones) Phillips of Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.

Sgt. Thomas Ryan. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 85. Row D. Grave 14. Grave inscription: 'MAY THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS HAVE MERCY ON HIS SOUL R.I.P'. Son of Johana Ryan - no further details - are you able to assist?

Researched by Jenifer Lemaire of New Zealand. Page dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: 'For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3', Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand. Grave photographs courtesy Fulham Rocks - used with permission (Jun 2019). Thanks to Charles Trevor Cunningham for the information regarding the sorties for Sgt. Blair. (Mar 2025). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Mar 2025).

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