Archive Report: Allied Forces

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20/21.07.1944 No. 514 Squadron Lancaster I ME858 JI-J F/O. Douglas Millar

Operation: Homberg

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

Unit: No. 514 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ME858

Code: JI-J

Base: RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire

Location: South West Hunsel, Netherlands

Pilot: F/O. Douglas Millar 53841 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Norman Derham 1896733 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

Nav: F/O. David Oscar Brown J/35242 RCAF Age 29. Killed (1)

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Harry Matthews Glansford 1542381 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Henry Holt 1127147 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Edward Blore 2221318 RAFVR Age 36. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Harold Edwin Long 3030276 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

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Page placed for Carla Mans / Ton Bosmans of the Netherlands - a book has now been published and they would like to hear from the relatives of Sgt. Blore or indeed anyone related to the crew members.

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REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Waterbeach at 23:07 hrs as part of a group of 147 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes to attack the oil plant situated in the town of Homberg. German night fighters caught the Lancasters by surprise.

Some of the crew L-R: F/O. Millar, F/O. Brown, Sgt. Glansford, Sgt. Derman, Sgt. Holt (with his wife, Joyce), Sgt. Long. (courtesy Carla Mans and Ton Bosmans)

Part of the bomber stream got through - Northern parts of the target were reported as badly damaged, but no further information on casualties on the ground.

Crash site of ME858 (courtesy Carla Mans)

The latest publication containing many details of this loss is now available (Now available in Dutch and English) A very special publication which for sure will be of interest to a great many people. Available direct from Boeken on this link.

22 aircraft were lost during this operation, resulting in 133 aircrew killed, 9 taken pow, 2 evading capture with 5 crew members surviving a crash landing on return.

514 Squadron were hit particularly hard, 4 aircraft and crews failed to return home this night:

Lancaster I HK570 JI-P Flown by W/O. John Ludlow Lassam 1332109 RAFVR 22 years old, from County Durham, England. All six other crew also killed.
Lancaster I HK571 JI-l Flown by 170283 RAFVR F/O. Stanley Milton Anderson 23 years old, of Clarkson, Renfrewshire, together with the other six crew killed.
Lancaster I LM181 JI-E Flown by 23 year old F/O. Lamont Weir McLean NZ/422420 RNZAF from Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Killed with all six other crew.

Lancaster ME858 is understood to have been the third victim of Uffz. Gustav H. Sarzio (2) of 6./NJG1 when it was shot down at 01:14 hrs, with the aircraft crashing South West Hunsel, Netherlands.

Memorial was unveiled to the crew close to the crash site. (courtesy Carla Mans)

(1) Brown Channel within Pinehouse Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada was named after F/O. David Oscar Brown.

(2) Uffz. Gustav H. Sarzio went on to claim a further two abschüsse before he was wounded on the 04/05th November 1944 after an attack by Sq/Ldr. B. Burbridge DSO. DFC. and Fl/Lt. F.S. Skelton DSO. DFC. in a Mosquito from 85 Squadron.

Burial details:

The well tendered graves at Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard (courtesy Carla Mans and Ton Bosmans)

F/O. Douglas Millar. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Joint Grave 6. Son of James Ironside Millar and Anne Millar, husband of Doreen Mary Millar, of Heaton Norris, Stockport, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. Norman Derham. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Grave 4. Son of Thomas and Annie Derham, of Bradford, Yorkshire, England. Husband of Ivy Rose Derham.

Amazing find recently at the crash site by Ton Bosmans showing his fiancé name - this was returned to the family with the sad news that Gladys had recently passed away. (courtesy Carla Mans and Ton Bosmans)

F/O. David Oscar Brown. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Grave 2. Son of David and Jean Brown (neé Simpson) of Regine, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sgt. Harry Matthews Glansford. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Joint Grave 6. Son of Harry Matthews Glansford and Lizzie Credgington Glansford, of Gipsyville, Hull, England.

Sgt. George Henry Holt. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Grave 3. Son of Mark Henry and Hilda Holt, husband of Joyce Holt, of Winsford, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. William Edward Blore. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Grave 5.

Sgt. Harold Edwin Long. Hunsel Roman Catholic Churchyard. Grave 1. Son of Owen Cephas Long and Mildred Mary Long, of Westwell, Kent, England.

For further details/Photographs our thanks to Carla Mans and Ton Bosmans and sources shown below.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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