Operation: Duisburg, Germany

Date: 20th/21st December 1942 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit No: 103 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4334

Code: PM:R

Base: RAF Elsham Wolds

Location: Graft-Driehuizen Holland

Pilot: WOII. Louis Edmund Moriarty R87814 RCAF Age 25. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Eric Airey 634671 RAF Age 23. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Peter Ernest Poulson 1250821 RAFVR Age 27. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Ronald Owen Eynon 655819 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: WOII. James Hawthorne Love R95024 RCAF Age 29. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Thomas Bennett 1378737 RAFVR Age 34. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Alfred Ernest Brown 1027778 RAFVR Age 32. KiA

Above right: Sgt. Alfred E. Brown (Courtesy of Alison Lennon)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:03 hrs from RAF Elsham Wolds to bomb the city of Duisburg together with some 232 aircraft - 111 Lancasters, 56 Halifaxes, 39 Wellingtons and 26 Stirlings. Results of the operations were reported as good with considerable damage to the target.

W4334 was hit by 1.and 2./Res Flak Abt. 242. Crashed in Eilandpolder near West Graftdijk 9km SSE of Alkmaar at 19:35 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archives The Early Years Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Remains were found during excavation in 1952. Bomb Load 2x HC 1.000 lbs, 12x90x4 lbs. Inc. 60x4 lbs.

Burial details:

WOII. Louis Edmund Moriarty. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Born on the 17th March 1917 in Victoria, British Columbia. Son of Cornelius Francis and Lottie May (née Wray) Moriarty of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Eric Airey. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Grave inscription reads: "REST IN PEACE". Son of Arkwright Airey, and stepson of Emily Thersa Airey, of Bolton, Bradford, Yorkshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Peter Ernest Poulson. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Grave inscription reads: "GOD HAS YOU IN HIS KEEPING, WE HAVE YOU FOR EVER IN OUR HEARTS". Son of Ernest Alfred and Ellen Poulson; husband of Joan Poulson, of New Eltham, London, England.

Sgt. Ronald Owen Eynon. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Son of William John and Myra Maud Eynon, of Cwmaman, Glamorgan, Wales.

WOII. James Hawthorne Love. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Grave inscription reads: "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD". Born on the 11th September 1916 in Dauphin, Manitoba. Son of Harman William and Mabel (née Fisher) Love of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada.

Love Creek which flows north east into Gowan River was named after WOII. James Hawthorne Love in 1985.

Flt Sgt. Thomas Bennett. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Grave inscription reads: "MUCH LOVED. SADLY MISSED BY ALL". Son of Thomas and Rosa Howes Bennett.

Sgt. Alfred Ernest Brown. Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. Collective grave 6. G. 2-4. Grave inscription reads: "AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER". Son of Alfred Ernest and Mary Jane Brown, of Wavertree, Liverpool, England; husband of May Brown.

Researched for relatives of the crew by Michel Beckers - May 2019. Also to Peter Rutcher , Pam Summerfield and the Balfour family for photographs. Thanks to John Jones for the Theo Boiten details (Oct 2019). Thanks to Alison Lennon for the photograph of Sgt. Brown (Sep 2024). Other updates 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
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