Operation: Hamburg, Germany

Date: 27th/28th July 1943 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 106 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ED303

Code: ZN:J

Base: RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire.

Location: Unknown

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Ellis George McLeod R119526 RCAF Age 19. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Frank Robertson 653317 RAF Age 21. MiA

Nav: Fg Off. Donald Allister Campbell J22215 RCAF Age 25. MiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Ian George Armet 1561872 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Vernon Russell Jacob 1384790 RAFVR Age 22. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Douglas Allen Barnfather 1432057 RAFVR Age 25. MiA (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Francis Langhorne Backhouse 1393720 RAFVR Age 23. MiA

Above left to right: Flt Sgt. Ellis G. McLeod (From his Service Record); Fg Off. Ian A. Campbell (Courtesy of Clive Smith)

Above left to right: Sgt. Ian George Armet (courtesy Stuart Armet), Sgt. Vernon R. Jacob (courtesy John Vernon Jacob); Sgt. Francis Backhouse (courtesy Cristobal Labbé Backhouse)

Anyone with further information on this loss we would appreciate hearing from them in order to pass to relatives.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Syerston at 23:00 hours as part of a group of 787 aircraft - 53 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 116 Stirlings and 74 Wellingtons - on one of the raids against Hamburg known as ‘Operation Gomorrah’. This was the night of the firestorm, which resulted from a combination of unusually dry and warm weather, the concentration of the bombing in one area and firefighting limitations.

A total of 2,326 tons of bombs were dropped. In the period following the raid, approximately 1,200,000 people fled the city in fear of further raids. The aircraft together with another from 106 Squadron ED708 was lost without trace and all the crew from both aircraft are remembered on the Runnymede War Memorial.

Flt Sgt. McLeod was making his second operational sortie, having made his first as second pilot and Plt Off. Campbell was on his second.

Above: Air Crew Cadets of No. 4 S of S 1942.

If anyone recognises a relative from this shot we would be happy to provide you with a copy at a higher resolution. The names have been retyped as they appear, in order this this could be searchable.

Row 6: W. Penniston, A.E. Waters, M.D. Shakespeare, J. Kemm, D. Grindrod, A. Hollingworth, R.J. Young, J.L. Hills, H.F. Jordan, C. Jones, H.J. Knightsbridge, B.L. Scott.;
Row 5: R.H. Chapman, F.A. Sugden, C. Bailey, A.C. Borrett, C. Daft, S.W. Cook, N.E. Lind, N.H. Williams, E. Widdowson, F.A. Anderson, J.H. Bissell, W.J. Reedman.;
Row 4: C.J. Ryder, G. Senty, A. Warrell, K.R. Tester, James Walker Neilly, G.H. Riley, R.W. Wilson, K. Saville, W. Barrett, J.F. Turnbridge, F. Powell, E.C. Shelley;
Row 3: G. Glover, J.W. Parnaby, J. Dennison, R.C. Rushbrooke, G. Martin, J.P. Graham, A.A. Liddington, H. Townend, S. Bray, H. Tite, J.C. Whiteman, R.W. Gilbey, J.T. Sharp, V.R. Jacob.
Row 2: T.G. Cox, L.B. Watts, R.F. Boots, Cpl. J.T. Owen, Flt Sgt. Colthorpe, Plt Off. Courtney, Flt Lt. L.S. Smith, WO. G.J. Lord, J. Kilbey, J. Beveridge, W.R. Watkins, D. McLachland, A.R. Staney.
Row 1: A.J. Small, S. Emmett, P.R. Comley, A.G. Hadley, T.R. Hough, R.M. Hill, J.M. Julien, J.H. Mann, J. Humble, A. Lund.

With No.467 Squadron as PO- Z Berlin 16/17th January 1943
Berlin 17/18th January 1943.
With No.106 Squadron:
Lorient 13/14th February 1943
Nuremburg 25/26th February 1943
Nuremburg 8/9th March 1943
St.Nazaire 22/23rd March 1943
Berlin 27/28th March 1943
Berlin 29/30th March-aborted
Dusseldorf 11/12th June 1943
Bochum 12/13th June 1943
Turin 12/13th July 1943
Hamburg 24/25th July 1943
Hamburg 27/28th July 1943 - When lost this aircraft had a total of 220 hours.

(1) During training at 19 Operational Training Unit (19 OTU) Sgt. McLeod was the pilot when two different Whitleys, LA817 and LA819 that suffered engine failures which he landed safely at RAF Lossimouth and RAF Kinloss.

His course report stated that “He was a very keen and reliable NCO who commenced his training with No. 56 Course and after a period of sickness was employed temporarily in the Air Firing Flights. He is a reliable pilot of above average ability as shown in his two successful single engine forced landings, one day and one night and a capable captain who has led his crew well and obtained good results throughout training. It is recommended that he continues as captain.

He has completed a total of 101.45 hours at the controls including Gunnery Flight and carried out 5 day and 5 night cross countries, all at an average height of over 10,000 ft. war load climb and over 5 hours formation flying. Night landings; Conversion 32, Operational 8”.

(2) Below the Telegram sent to the family of Sgt. Barnfather (courtesy Claudio Meunier)

Burial details:

Above: Runnymede memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Above: Runnymede Panels for the crew (courtesy John Vernon Jacob)

Flt Sgt. Ellis George McLeod. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 184. Born on the 3rd April 1923 in Shoal Lake, Manitoba. Son of Albert James McLeod and of Mabel Louise (née Brockwell) McLeod of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada.

McLeod Lake in Manitoba is named after Flt Sgt. McLeod

Sgt. Frank Robertson. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 163. Son of John George and Selina Robertson, father to Pearline. No further details as yet - are you able to assist?

Fg Off. Donald Allister Campbell. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 173. Born on the 24th December 1917 in Nova Scotia. Son of Alexander and Barbara (née McFayden) Campbell of Malagawatch, Inverness Co., Nova Scotia, Canada.

Sgt. Ian George Armet. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 140. Son of John and Helen Armet, of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sgt. Vernon Russell Jacob. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 154. Son of William Walker Jacob and Edith Kate. Born on the 2nd November 1920 in Perth, Australia. Brother to Trevor Walker, Doreen Edith and Stanley Neville. Tooting, South London, England.

Sgt. Douglas Allen Barnfather. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 141. Son of Thomas and Nora Barnfather, of Banfield, Argentina.

Sgt. Francis Langhorne Backhouse. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 141. Son of Joseph and Blanche Backhouse of Concepcion, Chile, South America.

For Cristobal Labbé Backhouse nephew of Sgt. Francis Langhorne Backhouse, Pearline Shaw, daughter of Sgt. Frank Robertson, John Vernon Jacob - nephew of Sgt. Vernon Russell Jacob, Claudio Meunier - Argentinian aviation researcher and for all the relatives of the other crew members. We are very pleased that the daughter of James Walker Neilly contacted us in April 2014. Thanks to Clive Smith for the Aircraft code (Jan 2016). Thanks again to Clive Smith for the photograph of Fg Off. Donald Campbell (Feb 2021). Thanks to Stuart Armet for the updated photograph of Sg. Armet (Sep 2024). Reviewed and updated with new information by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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 - 2024 Last Modified: 11 September 2024, 07:12