Mission: Essen, Germany

Date: 16/17 September 1942 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: RAF 142 Squadron

Type: Vickers Wellington IV

Serial: Z1340¹

Code: QT-A

Base: Grimsby

Location: Unknown

Pilot: F/S Jack Hubert Edward Marriott 1186031 RAFVR Age 20 Killed

Nav: WO 2 Donald Joseph Udell RCAF Age 20 Killed

W/OpAG: F/S Lloyd Ellison Holland R/60261 RCAF Age 26 Killed

W/OAGnr: F/S John Willard Whear R/68698 RCAF Age 23 Killed

A/Gnr: Sgt. Wilfred Davis 1199530 RAFVR Age Unknown Killed

REASON FOR LOSS

Bomber Command had chosen Essen in the Ruhr valley for this night’s raid, the main target being the Krupp armament factory located there.
Of the 369 aircraft detailed to participate in the attack, seven were Wellingtons from 142 Squadron. Although much of the bombing was scattered the Krupps works did take numerous direct hits by high explosives and also suffered damage from a crashing bomber loaded with incendiaries. In all 39 aircraft did not return, 21 of them being Wellingtons of which three were from 142 Squadron.

Captain Marriott and crew took off at 20:20 hours loaded with 810 four-pound incendiary bombs after which nothing further was heard from the aircraft.
It is believed that their Wellington reached the target and was probably shot down by a nightfighter² as they made their way back to base.

F/S Jack Hubert Edward Marriott
Born on 12 December 1921, Jack had an older sister, Betty. Both Betty and Jack were working for the Post Office as sorting clerks and telephonists/telegraphists at the outbreak of the war. Their father worked as a school teacher and also served as an air raid warden.

WO 2 Donald Udell

Donald was born in St.Thomas, Ontario on 24 April 1922. He was the second eldest of four brothers, a fifth brother died at birth. His father worked as a brakeman for the Michigan Central Railroad which at that time ran through the City of St.Thomas.
After attending public school he enrolled at St.Joseph’s Catholic High School where by all accounts he was a very good student achieving honours in mathematics and science while graduating with his senior matriculation certificate.
Straight from high school, Donald enlisted in the RCAF on 12 August 1940 at London, Ontario. Upon completion of his basic training and being found medically fit for aircrew he was posted to No.4 Air Observer School, London, and then to No.1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario. Posted to No.2 Advanced Navigation School, Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick he was awarded his air observers badge on 19 July 1941. Embarked for UK arriving at 3 PRC Bournemouth 28 September 1941. To 22 OTU 14 October 1941 and then to 142 Squadron 7 May 1942.

Donald as a Leading Aircraftsman at RCAF Clinton with his Mother and Father probably taken in 1941

Photographs courtesy Canada Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada

Udell Lake in Thunder Bay, Ontario was named after WO 2 Donald Udell in 1960

F/S Lloyd Ellison Holland

Lloyd was born in Cardston, Alberta 22 August 1916. The eldest of three brothers and a sister. His mother the former Alta Jane Ellison, was a member of the Ellison family that founded the Ellison Milling Company in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1902. Lloyd senior, his father, worked for the company as a Grain Buyer.
After he left high school in 1934, Lloyd attended Lethbridge Technical School and studied diesel mechanics, later securing some employment working on Caterpillar equipment. By his own admission, he held numerous short-term jobs some of a dangerous nature such as bronc busting and river driving for the logging industry. He was working as a salesman of electrical goods when he enlisted in the RCAF in June 1940. Lloyd had applied to train as an air gunner and after initial training was posted to No.2 Wireless School, Calgary 13 September to 19 January 1941. Next posted to No.2 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mossbank, Saskatchewan he was awarded his wireless operators air gunner badge on 17 February 1941. While stationed at Mossbank he was granted permission to marry his fiancee Edna May Morgan on 22 February at a ceremony in Calgary. Posted overseas he arrived at 3PRC, Bournemouth on 31 May 1941 and posted to RAF No.1 Signals School at Cranwell North, Lincolnshire on 22 July 1941. Posted to 22 OTU on 28 October and then to 142 Squadron on 7 May 1942.

Photograph courtesy Canada Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada

F/Sgt. John Whear
John was born at Fort William, Ontario* on 16 January 1919. He was the only son of Melvern Whear, a tinsmith by trade at the Provincial Paper Mill, and his wife Pearl. A daughter Aline was born one year later.
He graduated from Port Arthur Technical and Commercial High School in 1937 and after several short-term positions, he was working as a clerk in the Assessment Department of the City of Port Arthur when he enlisted in the RCAF in October 1940.
After his initial training at Brandon, Manitoba he was selected for aircrew and posted to No.1 Wireless School in Montreal on 8 December 1940. Upon completion of his course there, he was next posted to No.4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario on 29 April 1941 where he graduated with his air gunners badge on 26 May 1941. Posted overseas he arrived at RAF No.1 Signals School at Cranwell North, Lincolnshire on 7 July 1941 until 28 October when he was posted to No.22 OTU Wellesbourne Mountford and then to 142 Squadron on 7 May 1942. During his time at 22 OTU, he remustered as a wireless operator air gunner on 6 March.
* In 1970 the communities of Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated and renamed Thunder Bay.

Sgt. Wilfred Davis
No further details

Captain Jack Marriott would have crewed up whilst they were training together at 22 OTU. During the time that they served with 142 Squadron, they participated together in the following operations against the enemy.
30 May 1942 Cologne - 1000 bomber raid
1 June Essen - returned early, intercom fault
9 July Gardening (mine laying)
13 July Duisberg
25 July Duisberg
26 July Hamburg
31 July Dusseldorf - returned early, port engine failure
4 August Gardening
6 August Duisberg
18 August Flensburg
24 August Frankfurt
8 September Frankfurt
10 September Dusseldorf
13 September Bremen
14 September Wilhelmshaven
16 September Essen

Burial Details:

F/S Jack Hubert Edward Marriott. Reichswald War Cememery, Germany. Grave Reference 11 F 8. Son of Thomas Percy and Annie (nee Elliott) Marriott, of Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire.

WO 2 Donald Udell. Reichswald War Cememery, Germany. Grave Reference 11 F 6. Son of Glen Wilfred and Lula Beatrice (nee Roy) Udell, of St. Thomas, Ontario.

F/S Lloyd Ellison Holland. Reichswald War Cememery, Germany. Grave Reference 11 F 5. Son of Lloyd Russell and Alta Jane (nee Ellison) Holland. Husband of Edna May (nee Morgan) Holland of Calgary, Alberta

F/S John Willard Whear. Reichswald War Cememery, Germany. Grave Reference 11 F 4. Son of Melvern and Pearl (nee Johnson) Whear of Thunder Bay, Ontario

Sgt. Wilfred Davis. Reichswald War Cememery, Germany. Grave Reference 11 F 7.

Note:
¹ Many publications and reports refer to this aircraft as serial number Z1380. The 142 Squadron ORB clearly shows the actual serial number to be Z1340. The author has extensively searched the ORB and can find no trace of Wellington serial number Z1380 in the squadron records.
² Boiten, Nachtjagd War Diaries, Vol.1 Setember 1939 – March 1944 page 128, states that Z1380 was possibly brought down by Lt. Eberhard Gardiewski of 6./NJG2 at 23:07 hours from a height of 4000 m., 20km. West of Lingen, Germany.

Sources:
Service Files of the Second World War―War Dead, 1939–1947. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
The National Archives, Kew. Air 27/972 No. 142 Squadron: Operations Record Books
Aircrew Remembered - The Kracker Luftwaffe Archive

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2023 Last Modified: 10 January 2023, 21:11