Operation: Frankfurt

Date: 20/21st December 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 428 Squadron (motto: Usque ad finem - 'To the very end') 6 Group

Type: Halifax V

Serial: LK928

Code: NA-B

Base: RAF Middleton St.George, County Durham

Location: Glees, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Lawrence Keighan R/13253 RCAF Age 22. PoW No: 1463 Camp: L6. Stalag Luft Heydekrug

Fl/Eng: Sgt. George Herkis Jessiman R/68645 RCAF Age 22. Killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Keith Maxwell Mosher J/21553 (153104) RCAF Age 20. Killed

Air/Bnr: W/O. Class II Elmer Lawrance Tycoles R/128073 RCAF Age 20. Seriously injured (1)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Patrick Slater 1516173 RAFVE Age 29. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Stanley Roy Dagnall 1600759 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt, George Kensall 1052337 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

650 aircraft from various squadrons were detailed to take part in this operation.

LK928 took off with 13 others from the squadron at 16:55 hrs but failed to return and nothing further was heard from them.

The Luftwaffe controllers were able to accurately plot the route as soon as the main force left the English coast and were therefore able to deploy night-fighters at many points along its route.
A diversionary raid on Mannheim failed to draw off many fighters until the main raid was over.
The target was mainly cloud-covered whereas the forecast had predicted clear conditions. Marking did not, therefore, go to plan. The Germans used both decoy fires and also decoy target indicators.

By a twist of good fortune, considerable creep-back resulted in the bombing coming back over the city.
Many public and municipal buildings were hit including many schools. 23,000 people were bombed out of their homes.
The Allies lost 41 aircraft and crews.

428 squadron lost two crews on this operation, the other:
Halifax V EB252 NA-P Flown by 28 year old P/O. William John Armour DFC Aus/414333 RAAF killed with all the crew. (right: William Armour)

LK928 was claimed by Hot, Paul Herbert Rauh of 3./ NJG4 at 19:26 hrs.

(1) Sgt. Elmer Tycoles died in a German hospital on the 24th December 1944 of concussion

Above L-R: Fl/Sgt. Keith Mosher, Sgt. John Slater. Sgt. George Herkis Jessiman and Sgt. Thomas Stanley Roy Dagnall
Front: Sgt, George Kensall, Fl/Sgt. Joseph Keighan and W/O. Class II Elmer Tycoles.

Burial and other details:

Sgt. George Herkis Jessiman. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 10. Born on the 05th December 1921 in Ontario. Enlisted on the 27th September 1940. Son of James Munro Jessiman and Margaret Jessiman brother of Thomas, William and Margaret, of Vickers Heights, Ontario, Canada. His brother F/O. William Herkis Jessiman J/10390 (R/51066) RCAF also killed on service on the 03rd January 1944. Killed flying Mustang I AP191 Epitaph: 'Under His Wings My Soul Shall Abide, Sweetly Abide For Ever'.

Fl/Sgt. Keith Maxwell Mosher. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 6. Born on the 28th April 1923 in Luneburg County. Enlisted on the 16th February 1942. Son of Robert Josiah Mosher (died in 1980, age 98) and Hattie Mey Mosher (née Fauulkenham - died 1968, age 82), of Lower La Have, Luneburg County Nova Scotia, Canada. Epitaph: 'We Love Thee Well, But Jesus Loves Thee Best',

W/O. Class II Elmer Lawrance Tycoles. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 7. Born on the 25th August 1923 in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba. Enlisted on the 28th August 1941. Son of Mike Mitchell Tycoles (remarried in 1961 to Mary Berezowski - died 1990, age 82 - he diied 1987, age 87) and Mary Tycoles (née Szmon - died 15th July 1960, age 56), broth of John, alter, Ernest, Helen, Fred (his twin sister Kathlene died in infancy) of Gilbert Plain, Manitoba, Canada

Tycoles Lake, Saskatchewan was named after him and the family placed a plaque in 2001.

Sgt. John Patrick Slater. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 6. S. Son of Frank and Alice Mary Slater, of Horsforth, Yorkshire; husband of Dorothy Slater. Epitaph/; 'Father, In Thy Gracious Keeping, Leave We Now Our Loved One Sleeping'.

Sgt. Thomas Stanley Roy Dagnall. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 11. Son of Thomas Dagnall and Lena Margaret C Dagnall (née Binding) of Portsmouth, Hampshire. Husband of Doris Annie May Dagnall (née Read). They married in April 1943

Sgt, George Kensal. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave 9.G. 9. Born in October 1922. Son of Ernest Walter and Elizabeth Kensall, of Cowpen, Blyth, Northumberland Epitaph: 'All He Had To Give He Gave, Grant Him, O Lord, Eternal Rest'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the National Archives, Kew AIR-27-1498-23/24, Paradie RCAF Archives, Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Government of Canada WW2 Service files National Archives Australia.

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