Operation: Karlsruhe

Date: 26/27th September 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit: No. 467 Squadron (motto: 'Recidite Adversarius Atque') 5 Group

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM239

Code: PO-M

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolshire

Location: South east Spielberg

Pilot: F/O. Kenneth Verdun Millar Aus/415948 RAAF PoW

Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Howard Barnes 9645530 RAFVR PoW

Nav: W/O. Keith Alan McKay Aus/408709 RAAF PoW

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Angus Murray Hughes Aus/417845 RAAF PoW

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Alan Maxwell Meggs Aus/419412 RAAF PoW

Air/Gnr: P/O. Alan John Perkins Aus/432256 RAAF Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Lt. Francis James Cleary Aus/400870 RAAF PoW

REASON FOR LOSS:

Weather limitations threatened to spoil a 5 Group attack on Karlsruhe on 26th-27th September but, as this time the bomb-load was almost entirely incendiary, once the attack started there were sufficient ground fires to give a reasonable aiming point for crews arriving after the target indicators were extinguished.

This raid caused widespread devastation in the centre of Karlsruhe; mainly administrative and commercial buildings, but munitions factories and military barracks all suffered but the important railway repair shops, already attacked early in the month by the USAAF received little extra damage. Thirty-one crews of Nos. 463 and 467 commented on the difficulty of identifying the target markers at Karlsruhe but were generally satisfied with the raid.

LM239 took off at 00:44 hrs with 16 others from the squadron. The pilot F/O. Ken Millar had completed 32 operational sorties and was right at the end of his tour. The squadron gunnery leader, Fl/Lt. Frank Cleary was on his 13th trip on his second tour.

The Lancaster carried 1 x 4000 lb HC, 8 x 1,000 il. SAP, 38,400 lb. incendiary bombs,

The pilot later reported:

'The aircraft was hit by flak and damaged. The port wing was hit and the port outer on fire. Could not feather port outer as still windmilling. The fire from this engine was spreading rapidly along the whole port wing the petrol tanks apparently being holed.

Ordered put on chutes but not jump. Immediately the fire enveloped the whole wing and abandon order given and acknowledge. No crew injured. It is possible that Perkins the mid upper gunner could have been in the aircraft at time of abandoning as the I/C was still working but I could not get any more response from the two gunners who were the only two I had not personally seen abandon. I presumed they had left and as my position was getting intensively hot I abandoned about 10000 feet. Aircraft was under control but port wing burning fiercely.

The aircraft crashed about 6 kms south of Karlsruhe. All the crew were safe except Perkins. The last person to see him was the WOP when he was standing at the rear door as if in readiness to jump after the WOP. He had definitely left the mid upper turret and was standing by the rear door. Nothing else is known regarding Perkins. I was liberated from Stalag Luft 1 by the Allied armies on the 19th May 1945'.

LM239 crew L-R Rear: Fl/Sgt. Alan Meggs, Fl/Lt. Francis Cleary, Fl/Sgt. Angus Hughes, P/O. Alan Perkins Front: W/O. Keith McKay, F/O. Kenneth Millar and Sgt. John Barnes (Courtesy John Williams)

F/O. Kenneth Millar: Born on the 23rd April 1916 in Southern Cross, Western Australia, enlisted in Perth. Discharged from the RAAF on the 30th January 1946. Married Carmel Margaret Grace (née Millar) in 1958. Passed away on the 25th April 2002, age 86.

W/O. Keith McKay: Born on the 02nd May 1914 in Brunswick, Victoria. Enlisted in Adelaide. Discharged from the RAAF on the 04th December 1945. Passed away on the 11th February 1972, age 57.

Fl/Sgt. Angus Hughes: Born on the 07th October 1923 in Adelaide, Westen Australia. Discharged from the RAAF on the 17th December 1945.

Fl/Sgt. Alan Meggs: Born on the 22nd December 1923 in Bendigo, Victoria. Enlisted in Melbourne on the 15th October 1942. Discharged from the RAAF on the 17th December 1945.

Fl/Lt. Francis Cleary: Born on the 05th April 1915 in Warrnambool, Victoria. Enlisted in Melbourne on the 02nd December 1940. Discharged from the RAAF on the 03rd October 1945. Passed away on the 15th November 1975, age 60.

The crew of LM239 in front of their aircraft during an inspection by the Duke of Gloucester. (Courtesy John Williams)

Burial and other details:

P/O. Alan John Perkins. Durnbach War Cemetery. Grave 1.B.13. Born on the 02nd July 1924 in Carlton, New South Wales. A warehouseman prior to service. Enlisted on the 05th December 1942. Trained with 27 Operational Training Unit on the 12th October 1943 then with 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit on the 02nd April 1944 - 21st May 1944. Joined 467 squadron from Lancaster Finishing School on the 08th June 1944 with this crew. Son of William Harold and Naomi Perkins (née Browning), of 26 The Crescent, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. Epitaph: 'Son of William Harold and Naomi Perkins (née Browning), of 26 The Crescent, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. Epitaph: 'Greater Love Hath No Man Than This, That He Lay Down His Life'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to NAA, National Archives of Australian, Theo Boiten, Nachtagd Combat Archive 1944 part 4, Air-27-1931-17/18 National Archives, John Williams for crew photographs, Air War Over Europe 1944-1945.

Other sources as quoted below:

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