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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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75
75 Squadron Stirling I BK604 P/O. Huge McCullough DFC

Operation: Hamburg

Date: 03/04th February 1943 (Wednesday/Thursday)

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

Type: Stirling I

Serial: BK604

Code: AA-S

Base: RAF Newmarket, Suffolk

Location: Enter, Netherlands

Pilot: P/O. John McCullough DFC. NZ/40410 RNZAF Age 30. Killed

Pilot 2: P/O. Raymond William Henderson NZ/411894 RNZAF Age 25. PoW No: 162 Camp: Stalag Luft L3 Sagan and Belaria

Fl/Emg: Sgt. Francis Frederick Allen 936019 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. William Edmund Gibbes NZ/404535 RNZAF Age 34. PoW No. 27516 Camp: Stalag 344 Lamsdorf

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Terence Austin Murphy NZ/413307 RNZAF Age 30. Killed

W/A/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Paul Rodney Trevayne 1291380 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Keith James Stockley Smith NZ/411783 RNZAF Age 21. PoW No: 2755 Camp: Stalag 344 Lamsdorf

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth Edward Kimberley 1576231 RAFVR Age 21. PoW No: 27453 Camp: Stalag 344 Lamsdor

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:23 hrs with four others from the squadron, joining a total of 263 aircraft, Severe icing over the channel caused many crews to return early. H2S again proved ineffective, leading to scattered bombing throughout the city.

16 losses, 12 to night fighter and 3 to the intense flak fire (from 3 and 8 divisions), on this operation. 75 squadron lost two, the other Stirling R9250 AA-W flown by P/O. Kenneth Howard Blincoe NZ/412194 all 8 crew killed. Shot down by Hptm. Reinhold Knack of I./NJG1 at 1946 hrs. Further details can be found here. 17 other aircraft returned with various degrees of flak damage.

Above L-R: P/O/ McCullough, Sgt. Henderson, Sgt. Murphy and Sgt. Allen


Above L-R: Fl/Sgt. Gibbes, Sgt. Trevayne, Sgt. Smith and Sgt. Kimberley

BK604 was intercepted on their return leg by Hptm. Wolfgang Thimmig of Stab III/NJG-1 at 2o:10 hrs., flying a Bf110. It is known that Sgt. Murphy did bale out but with insufficient to enable his parachute to fully deploy.

L-R: Rear; James Dalston Howard NZ/411900 (passed away 09th June 2014, age 93), Leonard Guise NZ/411887, George Cockburn Arkley (passed away 18th May 1973, age 51), Cyril Charles Newlove NZ/41994 (killed 16th August 1941, age 24), Trafford McRae Nicol NZ/411929 (killed on the 24th April 1942, age 24) Douglas Walter Cocks NZ/41878 (died 05th January 1987, age 69).

Centre; Graham Edward Murdoch NZ/411827 (killed 09th June 1942, age 26), Alan Gray Tolley NZ/411954 (killed on the 21st April 1943, age 21), R.D Lucas, Wallace Honeyfield NZ/402471), Neil John McHugh NZ/411914, Hector Ronald Leckie NZ/411909, E.D.B Lusk, Sidney Arnold Crump NZ/411978 (killed 23rd December 1941, age 26), Patrick Desmond Mullooly NZ/411992 (died 20th June 2010, age 91).

Front; Cyril Henry Baigent NZ/411973 (died 10th November 1953, age just 30), John McCullough NZ/40410 (killed 03rd February 1943, age 30), Frederick Bernard Snell NZ/411429, Hugh McKinnon NZ/411081 (killed 07th May 1943, age 28), Kingi Te Aho Aho Gilling Tahiwi NZ/411951 (killed 30th September 1942, age 28), William Guy Horne NZ/411983, Frank Murphy NZ/411928, R.W Gilbert. (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

Burial details:

P/O. John McCullough DFC. Wierden General Cemetery. Row A. Grave 8. Born in Timaru, 05th August 1912. Educated at Christchurch High School and Christchurch Technical College. Enlisted on the 26th January 1940. Trained at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School and then to No. 2 Service Flying Training School on the 14th June 1941. Wings awarded on the 26th July and promoted to sergeant on the 06th September 1941. Flight sergeant on the 01st August 1942. Received his commission on the 15th October 1942. Meanwhile he had embarked for England on the 23rd September 1941. Further training with 11 Operational Training Unit where he crewed up to fly the Wellington. Finally joining 75 (NZ) squadron on the 11th August 1942. Carried out 26 operational sorties and had accrued 446 flying hours by the last 27th sortie. He was posthumously awarded the DFC on the 24th April 1945.
Son of Armstrong (died 16th June 1933, age 69) and Ellen Jane McCullough (died 23rd November 1959), of 44 Hawthorne Street, Papamui. Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

DFC Citation:
\Throughout his operational career Pilot Officer McCullough has participated in many raids over enemy territory. He is a keen and determined captain of aircraft, who invariably presses home his attacks with the utmost vigour. The great courage which he habitually displays, sets an excellent example to all ranks in his squadron. His determination and devotion to duty are most praiseworthy.
While still under training, at 11 OTU RAF (Wellington), Sgt McCullough took part in his first sortie - a raid on Dusseldorf. He joined 75(NZ)Sqn in Aug 1942 and survived a crash-landing in a Wellington at RAF Bradwell Bay, on 28 Nov 1942, after aborting a sortie to Turin. Kao Hamburg, Germany, 03rd February 1943 with 75(NZ)Sqn RAF (Stirling) on his 27th sortie. Buried Wierden General Cemetery, Overijssel, Netherlands. Other RNZAF members of the crew were - Sgt. T.A Murphy of Dannevirke (killed) and Fl/Sgt, W.E Gibbes of Auckland, P/O. R.W Henderson of Invercargill and Sgt. K.J.S Smith of Wellington (all PoW).\


Above L-R: Hptm. Wolfgang Thimmig and Hptm. Reinhold Knack (Courtesy Kracker Archives)

Sgt. Francis Frederick Allen. Wierden General Cemetery. Row A. Grave 7. Son of Frederick and Louise Allen, husband of Eiluned Mair Allen, of Upton Lea, Slough, Buckinghamshire, England.

Sgt. Terence Austin Murphy. Wierden General Cemetery. Row A. Grave 5. Born on the 28th July 1912 in Eketahuna, Tararua. Educated at Dannevirke High School. Employed as a herd tester in the employ of the Wellington and Hawkes Bay Herd Improvement Association. Enlisted on the 07th June 1941. Trained with Initial Training Wing, Levin, and on the 14th August embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Terry Murphy arrived in England on the 29th March 1942, and was held at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, until posted on the 25th April to No 2 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Millom, Cumberland. The next stage in his training was his posting on the 26th May to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourne, Hertfordshire where he crewed up to fly the Wellington. Finally joining 75 (NZ) squadron on the 18th August 1942. A total of 20 operational sorties and had accrued 389 flying hours.

Son of Patrick and Adelia Crimlin Murphy, (died 1929) of Matamau, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.

Sgt. Paul Rodney Trevayne. Wierden General Cemetery. Row A. Grave 6. Son of Edward William Robert and Enid E. Trevayne. Epitaph: 'The Dearly Beloved Son Of Edward And Enid Trevayne. Always In Our Thoughts'.

Surviving crew members:

P/O. Raymond William Henderson - return to United Kingdom on the 11th of May 1945. Born on the 23rd August 1917. Passed away on the 25th October 1979, age 62. Husband of Eileen, passed away on the 29th August 2001, age 82.

Fl/Sgt. William Edmund Gibbes - Some records hi middle name as Edward. Born on the 07th January 1909 Captured on the 05th February 1943 at Almelo. Returned from captivity on the 27th May 1945. Son of William Richard Lackey Gibbes (died on the 19th November 1918, age 38, during the influenza pandemic) and Edith Muriel (née Ward , later Osborn - died 17th August 1967) of 20 Brighton Road, Auckland, New Zealand. Married Fl/Lt. Elizabeth Irene (née Straughan) on the 11th August 1945, of Neville Cross, County Durham, England. A senior sister serving in the PMRAFNS (note) He passed away on the 17th March 1995, age 78.

Sgt. Keith James Stockley Smith - return to United Kingdom on the 12th of April 1945. Born on the 02nd March 1922 in Wellington. Served 16th March 1941 to 10th July 1946. Passed away on the 13th October 2009, age 87.

Sgt. Kenneth Edward Kimberley - Born on the 22nd June 1922. Released from RAF on the 25th December 1945. Passed away 1989, age 66. No further details.

Note: PMRAFNS - Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Servicei the nursing branch of the British Royal Air Force.
It was established as the Royal Air Force Temporary Nursing Service (RAFNS) in 1918, and became part of the permanent establishment as the Royal Air Force Nursing Service on the 27th January 1921. It received the Royal prefix after Princess Mary agreed to become its Patron in June 1923.

Above and right: A beautiful memorial to the crew was unveiled on the 30th April 2022 at Goorseweg 35, Enter, Overijssel, Netherlands. A natural stone with a plaque incorporated into it. On the plaque a short story about the event, the names of the crew members and a small poem. The monument stands in a kind of park paved with red stones and gray gravel stones. Further details here.

Sources:

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of these crews 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-27-646-27/28, International Bomber Command Centre. Theo Biotin 'Nachtjag Combat Archive 1943 volume 1'. The wonderful Wings Over New Zealand forumwbsite and podcaster, 75 Squadron Website. Study Group Air War 1939-1945. Kracker Luftwaffe Archive.

Other sources as quoted below:

KTY 03-02-2025

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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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