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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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156
156 Squadron PFF Lancaster III JA941 Fl/Sgt. Beresford Bruce Millen

Operation: Augsburg

Date: 25/26th February 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 156 Squadron (motto: 'We light the way'). 8 Group. PFF

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA941

Code: GT-A

Base: RAF Warboys, Cambridgeshire

Location: Seelbach, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Beresford Bruce Millen 1289479 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. William Harold Johnson 1590138 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. John Alan Yeomans 1439222 RAFVR Age 31. Injured PoW No. 2124 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus (1)

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Benjamin Samuel Reynolds 1335477 RAFVR Age 36. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Arthur Norman Ingles AUS/420888 RAAF Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Crawford McKerrow Hossack 1570479 Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. William Henry Liddiard 682900 RAFVR Age 39. Injured PoW No. 3610 Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria (2)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 19:03 hrs loaded with 1x flr G/2, 1X4000LB AND 5X1000ln bombs with 17 others from the squadron. A total force of 594 aircraft was sent to follow up on the successful previous night operation to Schweinfurt.

A highly successful raid in clear weather conditions with more than 2,000 tons of bombs being dropped. This was another two-wave raid using the same tactics as the Schweinfurt raid.

This raid was controversial because it completely destroyed the beautiful old town and, due to the very high concentration, very little damage to the industrial areas that one might have expected to be the target.

Approximately 3,000 houses were destroyed and 85,000+ people were bombed out of their homes. It was exceptionally cold and as a result the River Lech was frozen over, limiting the supply of water to fight the many large fires that resulted from the bombing.

Of particular note was the loss of works of art, which local reports put at an astonishing 800 million Reichmarks. The Germans were quick to condemn this raid in the media and coined the phrase 'terror bombing'. Bombing during the second wave did spread to the suburbs and an important aircraft component factory and the M.A.N. factory were damaged.

The allies lost 21 aircraft with it is thought at least 4 were due to collisions.

JA941 was attacked by 2 night fighters: Oblt. Martin Becker (above left) at 21:49 hrs at 5,000 metres. and Hot. Heinz-Horst Giibach (above right) at 21:51 hrs at 5,500 metres over Seelbach - both claims were confirmed. JA941 crashed at Seelbach, 5 crew killed with 2 others injured and taken PoW. (Courtesy Kraker Archive)

Above Rear L-R: Fl/Sgt. John Yeomans and Fl/Sgt. Benjamin Reynolds. Front: Sgt. R.C. Averill (usual rear gunner who took ill prior to this flight), Fl/Sgt. Beresford Bruce Millen and Fl/Sgt. Arthur Norman Ingles (Courtesy Paul Brooker)

(1) John Alan Yeomans: Born on the 23rd March 1923 in Manchester, England. Husband of Elaine and father to David Mark and Julian Scott. From his first wife, Athalie and Geoffrey. Enlisted in the RAFVR in 1942 and trained as a navigator in South Africa. Returned to England and joined 156 squadron after further training with 18 Operational Training Unit at Finningley (later 10 OTU). Escaped during the 'death march' in April 1945. After the war, John was commissioned in the RAF and served in numerous capacities. John was a graduate of RAF Staff College (1957) and the College of Air Warfare (1960). After serving 35 years in the RAF he retired as a Wing Commander. The family immigrated to Canada in 1976 and settled in Regina. He died on the 01st September 2013 age 90 and rests in the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Saskatchewan, Canada.

(2) William Henry Liddiard from Combe Wood, Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. Commissioned on the 28th of September 1943 and posted to 10 Operational Training Unit. He was the Gunnery Leader in 156 squadron. At the age of 39, was one of the oldest members taking part in operational duties. Although he was taken PoW he was repatriated from Germany due to his injuries in September 1944 on the Swedish ship 'Drottningholm' at Liverpool. His injuries included the loss of his left eye, a compound fracture of the skull and wounds in the left arm for which he was treated at the famous East Grinstead Hospital.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Beresford Bruce Millen. Durnbach War Cemetery. grave 8.H.5. Son of Basil Wickham Millen (died 13th June 1952, age 64) and Hephzibah Millen (née Pearson - died 16th September 1963, age 80) of Old House Farm, St Michaels, Tenterden, Kent. Epitaph: 'In Thy Presence Is Fulness Of Joy'.

Sgt. William Harold Johnson. Durnbach War Cemetery. grave 8.H.1. Son of Thomas William and Margaret Evelyn Johnson, of Upton, Yorkshire, England. Epitaph: 'Worthy Of Remembrance'.

Fl/Sgt. Benjamin Samuel Reynolds. Durnbach War Cemetery. grave 8.H.4. Son of Charles Henry and Catherine Sarah Reynolds, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Husband of Bessie Reynolds, of Hemel Hempstead, England. Epitaph: 'For Some We Loved, The Loveliest And The Best'.

Fl/Sgt. Arthur Norman Ingles. Durnbach War Cemetery. grave 8.H.2. Born on the 06th April 1923 in Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia. Son of Norman Frederick (died 1982) and Vera Lillian Ingles (née Mazlin - died 1977, of Waitara, New South Wales, Australia. Epitaph: 'His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered By All'.

Sgt. Crawford McKerrow Hossack. Durnbach War Cemetery. grave 8.H.3. Son of James McKerrow (died 1972) and Margaret Slaven Hossack (nee Cree - died 1982), of Glasgow, Scotland. Epitaph: 'Always Thoughtful, Willing And Kind. A Beautiful Memory He Left Behind'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to RAF Commands forum, Air-27-1042-3/4 National Archive, Theo Boiten 'Nachjgagd Combat Archives, National Archive of Australia, Kracker Archive,

Other sources as quoted below:

KTY 21-12-2022

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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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