Operation: Berlin Germany

Date: 26/27th November 1943 Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 626 Squadron

Type: Lancaster MkI

Serial: DV388

Code: UM-S2

Base: RAF Wickenby

Location: Finow, Germany

Pilot: W/O. II Cecil John Edgar Kindt R/109235 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Joseph Aloysius Callaway 1480159 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: W/O. II James Roy Robert Small R/148889 RCAF Age 27. Killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Archibald Stewart MacDonald R/153012 RCAF Age 29. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas George Brady 1319845 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Mug/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Cecil Johnson 1116830 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Rear/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frank Matthews 1851986 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Wickenby at 17:23 hrs. in DV388, the aircraft had only just been delivered to the Squadron a week earlier on the 19th November.

Target - Berlin attacking together with a further 442 aircraft. Most of the Luftwaffe thought the main target had been Frankfurt and were diverted there. They intercepted the bomber stream as it passed with several losses to the allies, over the target itself they were bothered very little by fighters, the main threat were the intensive German radar controlled flak guns and it is thought that DV388 was hit by these as no German claims were made for this Lancaster.

The Luftwaffe were also waiting to hit the surviving crews on the return - a total of 28 aircraft lost with a further 14 crashing over England.

Although no accurate figures are available to this raid alone the damage attributed to these and the other 2 earlier raids stood at 104,613 apartments destroyed (417,665 people made homeless) and the death toll on the ground stood at 4,330 people.

The Squadron lost 3 aircraft on this operation. The other two returned, but crashed during landing:

Lancaster III LM362 UM-A2 Flown by Fl/Lt. V. Wood surviving the crash with all his crew.

Lancaster I DV295 UM-M2 Flown by Fl/Sgt. Keith Neville Windus AUS/420419 RAAF - Killed with all his other 6 crew members.

Burial details:

Crew initially buried on the 29th November 1943, at Finow where they came down - reinterred after the end of the war.

W/O. Class II Cecil John Edgar Kindt. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 21. Son of Peter Harold Kindt, and of Dorothy Irene Kindt, of Victoria. British Columbia, Canada. Grave inscription reads: "Until We All Meet Again You Live On In The Hearts Of Those Who Loved You".

Sgt. Joseph Aloysius Callaway. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 23. Son of Clarence Clare Callaway and Catherine Callaway. Grave inscription reads: "He Was Staunch To The End Against Odds Uncounted".

W/O. Class II James Roy Robert Small. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 25. Son of Robert Hardy Small and Mae Moffatt Small, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and husband of Eleanor Lorraine Small, of Toronto. Grave inscription reads: "Thy Kingdom Come, O God. Thy Will Be Done".

Fl/Sgt. Archibald Stewart MacDonald. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. G. 10. Son of Neil W. H. MacDonald and Effie MacDonald, of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. B.Sc. Forestry (University of New Brunswick). Grave inscription reads: "He Died For Freedom".

Sgt. Thomas George Brady. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 22. Son of Thomas George and Kathleen Elizabeth Brady, of Southfields, London, England. Grave inscription reads: "Sleep On, Our Darling Tommy. Mum, Dad, Doris And Bern Will Be For Ever With You".

Sgt. Cecil Johnson. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 26. Son of John and Elizabeth Johnson, of Longbenton, Northumberland, England. Grave inscription reads: "In Remembrance Of Cecil. As We Loved Him So We Miss Him. Mother, Sisters & Brothers".

Sgt. Frank F Matthews. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Plot 4. J. 24. Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Matthews, of East Howe, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "In Memory Of Our Beloved Frank. Mum, Dad, John And Brian. "Until The Day Break".

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered - December 2018. All images courtesy Michel Beckers collection.

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