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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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150 squadron badge
06/07.08.1941 No. 150 Squadron Wellington IC W5721 JN-Z P/O. Landreth

Operation: Frankfurt

Date: 06/07th August 1941 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: No. 150 Squadron

Type: Wellington IC

Serial: W5721

Code: JN-Z

Base: RAF Snaith, Yorkshire

Location: Not known.

Pilot: P/O. Cowen Landreth 61996 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Pilot 2: P/O. Alexander Cairns Anderson NZ/403929 RNZAF Age 27. Killed

Obs: P/O. Alistair Ferguson Bruce 88444 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Joseph Hagan Bolton 987466 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William John Culley 947158 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Arthur Wilfred Lambert 69444 RAFVR Age 27. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Snaith, Yorkshire at 22.35 hrs. to bomb the city of Frankfurt. 68 aircraft taking part with reports that the bomb runs were accurate and successful. Although some bombs were reported to have dropped on Mainz some 20 miles away from the target area.

Wellington Mk I's

Bomber Command lost three aircraft on this operation, two Wellingtons (the other, 300 Polish Squadron X9676 and one Whitley, Z6488 of 51 squadron. Four crew taken PoW, 13 killed.

Another Whitley, Z6808 was abandoned over Swanton Morley on return due to severe icing, all crew escaping serious injuries. Whitley Z6835 crashed into a hangar at their base on return, with no reported fatalities. Finally Whitley T4158 ditched off Dunkerque with all crew rescued by HSL145 (1) out of Dover despite heavy ground fire from German coastal batteries.

(1) High Speed Launch 145 survived the war, sadly only to be left to rot at West Mersea by Wyatt's slipway.

              

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (courtesy Geoff Swallow)

Burial details:

P/O. Cowen Landreth. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of the late Cowen Landreth and Amy Landreth of Forest Hall, near Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. Educated at Cheltenham college.

P/O. Alexander Cairns Anderson. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of Hugh Miller Anderson and Janet Helen Anderson of Cremorne, Sydney, Australia.

P/O. Alistair Ferguson Bruce. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of Alexander and Elizabeth Bruce.

Sgt. Joseph Hagan Bolton. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of John and Sarah Ann Bolton, of Wallsend, Northumberland, England.

Sgt. William John Culley. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of William and Maud Culley, of Nottingham, England.

P/O. Arthur Wilfred Lambert. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 22.E.14-18. Son of Rfn. Arthur Lambert, 3rd Bn. The Rifle Bde., died of wounds in France 19th February, 1915, and of Agnes Margaret Lambert, of Peckham, London, England.

Researched for David Wall, relative of Sgt. Joseph Bolton, Peter Atkinson, nephew of the pilot, P/O. Landreth. With thanks to Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - "Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and  2", Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol. 2", Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - "Bomber Command War Diaries",  Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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