Operation: Homberg

Date: 20/21st July 1944 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 75 Squadron NZ (motto: Ake ake kia kaha - 'For ever and ever be strong') 3 Group

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND800

Code: AA-J

Base: RAF Metal, Cambridgeshire

Location: Lost without trace

Pilot: P/O. Kenneth McIndoe Mackay NZ/421829 RNZAF Age 27. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Knapton 1681317 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Eric James Quinn NZ/425611 RNZAF Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Air/Bmr: F/O. Roy King Jones N/Z/425611 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. William John Davies 616191 RAFVR Age 25. Missing - believed killed

Mid/uppwe/Air/Gnr: Sgt.. William Joseph Dunn 1520456 RAFVR Age23. Missing - believed killed

Rear/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Jim Worth NZ/425510 RNZAF Age 24. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

The raid on Homberg (oil plant) was a a great success and such damage to Germany's strategic war production would have been crippling, especially as the allies were by now well established in Normandy. Homberg is deep in Germany, south of Kassel. The operation resulted in output dropping from 6000 tones of fuel per day to as little as 120. The USAAF 8th Air Force also hit this target.

The most dangerous time for the bomber force was after they had delivered their bombs and were returning home as by this point the Luftwaffe was well alert, and knew exactly where the bombers were heading. The location of this aircraft is unknown. it is quite possible that it went down over the sea, but even aircraft lost over land were sometimes never found.

The time of take off is recorded as 23:35 hours for ND800 along with 24 others from the squadron. Sadly that was the last contact with the crew, who were listed as 'lost without trace.'

According to the latest edition of the Nachtjagd Combat Archives there were no claims by either the German night fighters or any flak unit.

149 Lancaster with11 Mosquitoes as support took part with the loss of 20 Lancasters on this raid.

A tragic operation regarding losses to 75 squadron, the others lost:

Lancaster I HK569 AA-Q Flown by 21 year old, P/O.Neil Douglas Davidson NZ/422057 RNZAF of Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand - killed with 5 other crew, 1 taken PoW.

Lancaster I ME752 AA-Z Flown by 21 year old, Fl/Sgt. Gerald Brian Roche NZ/413219 RNZAF from Wellington, New Zealand - killed with 4 other crew, 2 taken PoW.

Lancaster III ND752 AA-O Flown by 31 year old, F/O. Henry John Burtt NZ/414560 of Wellington, New Zealand - killed with 4 other crew

Above: some of the pilots from 75 squadron lost on this operation - missing P/0. Davidson

Lancaster I ME691 AA-R Flown by 26 year old, P/O. Harold Whittington NZ/421829 RNZAF - killed with 5 OK OK other crew, 1 PoW.

Lancaster III ND915 AA-A Flown by 24 year old, W/O. Hugh Edward Gilmour AUS/22776 RAAF from Queensland, Australia - killed with 4 other crew, 2 taken PoW.

Lancaster III PA967 AA-D Flown by 21 year old, P/O. Edward Howell NZ/428819 RNZAF from South Shields, County Durham, England - killed with all 6 other crew.

Burial details:

P/O Kenneth McIndoe Mackay. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 263. Born on the 22nd December 1916 in New South Wales, Australia. 482 flying hours logged and on his 8th operational sortie. Son of Horatio Murdoch (died 16th November 1968, age 82) and Helen Emma Mackay (née Griffiths), of Dunedin, New Zealand

Fl/Sgt. Ronald Knapton. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 219. Son of Harry And Dora C. Knapton, of South Crosland, Yorkshir., England.

Fl/Sgt. Eric James Quinn. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 264. Born on the 29th February 1924 in Wellington, New Zealand. 335 flying hours logged and on his 8th operational sortie. Son of Hubert James Quinn (died 26th July 1976, age 88) and Myrtle Elizabeth Quinn (née Kelly - died 20th July 1957, age 57) of 207 Hanson Street, Wellington, New Zealand.

F/O. Roy King Jones. Runnymede Memorial. Panel . Panel 262. Also remembered on parents grave at Birkenhead-Glenfield Cemetery, Birkenhead, Auckland, New Zealand. Born on the 02nd April 1918 in Marton, New Zealand. 346 flying hours logged and on his 8th operational sortie. Son Llewellyn Othen Jones (died 19th May 1972, age 92) and Hannah Elizabeth Jones (died 01st October 1972, age 89), of 71 Crofton Road, Marton, Wellington, New Zealand.

Roy King Jones Service Details (Courtesy Gavin Richards: great nephew)

W/O. William John Davies. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 213. Son of Benjamin and Grace Davies. Husband of Menai Davies, of Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Sgt. William Joseph Dunn. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 228. Son of Lawrence and Hilda Dunn, of Golborne, Lancashire, England.

Fl/Sgt. Jim Worth.Runnymede Memorial. Panel 264. Born on the 04th November 1919 in Waihi, New Zealand. 266 flying hours logged and on his 8th operational sortie. Son of Robert Leslie And Ellen Bertha Worth, of Otorohanga, Auckland, New Zealand.

Researched for Gavin Richards (relative of F/O. Roy Jones) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, National Archive Kew. AIR 27-642-14/15. Kracker Luftwaffe Archive, Dr. Theo Boiten 'Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Volume 3'..

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