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Operation: Gelsenkirchen
Date: 25th/26th June 1943 (Friday/Saturday)
Unit: 100 Squadron (motto: Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok - 'Never stir up a hornet's nest')
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: ED988
Code: HW-J
Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnhire
Location: Westbeenster, Netherlands
Pilot: Flt.Sgt. Leslie Jack Naile 415174 RAAF Age 27. Missing - believed killed
Flt.Eng: Sgt. Cyril Connah 1005899 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed
Nav: Sgt. Ronald William Mepsted 1387214 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
Air Bmr: Fg.Off. Charles Pharaoh Reynolds 132095 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed
WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Dillon 1126212 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed
Mid Upp. Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Lawrence George Porritt 416016 RNZAF Age 21. Killed
Rear Gnr: Sgt. Leonard Bennett 650929 RAF Age 29. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire at 23:23 hrs on an operation to bomb Gelsenkirchen with another 217 Lancasters, 190 Halifaxes and 10 Mosquitoes. The raid was not at all as had been hoped. Weather was cloudy with no moon until about 03:00 hrs.
Above: Thought to be crew photo in front of Lancaster ED988 (courtesy Greg Harrison)
(Left) Sgt Leonard Bennett and unknown family members. His uniform shows no Air Gunner Brevet and his forage cap has no aircrew band so it is assumed that this were taken whilst he was a recruit. (Courtesy Nicholas Bennett)
Equipment failure in half of the Mosquitoes and another dropping target markers 10 miles off target! The bombing as a result of this made the Germans think that the raid was actually on Bochum. However some industrial targets were hit in the town.
100 Squadron had sent 15 aircraft on this operation, 2 returned early one with a technical failure another with navigation failure. 3 aircraft returned with flak damage. In all the allies lost 33 aircraft this night.
They were intercepted and shot down en-route to the target by Ofw. Karl-Heinz Scherfling, one of three by the German ace on this operation. The aircraft crashed at 00:54 hrs. The Germans removed three of the crew bodies before the full bomb load exploded at around 03:50 hrs. 6 Germans suffered various degrees of injuries from the explosion, none fatal.
Right: Ofw. Karl-Heinz Scherfling and crew.
(1) Ofw. Scherfling OF 10./NJG1 was already an ace at this time with 14 claims. He was killed after 31 confirmed night kills when on the 20/21st July 1944 he crashed following an interception by a Mosquito NT113 from 169 Squadron flown by W/Cmd. Bromley OBE. DFC. and Fl/Lt. Truscott DFC. Both of whom were also killed on the 6th September 1944 after their Mosquito VI PZ230 exploded in the air during a bomber support operation. (courtesy Kracker Archives)
Burial details:
Flt.Sgt. Leslie Jack Naile. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 193. Born on the 06th November 1916 in Bath, England, the son of Arthur Edward and Bessie Naile and husband of Phyllis Alison Naile, of Subiaco, Western Australia. Worked as a projectionist prior to enlisting on the 21st July 1941.
Sgt. Cyril Connah. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 145. Son of Thomas and Hilda Connah, of Pontblyddyn, Flintshire, Wales.
Memorial placed to the crew in 2018 (courtesy Peter Hakze)
(Left) Sgt. Ronald William Mepsted. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 69. Row B. Collective grave 19. Son of Horace William and Kathleen Mepsted, of Edmonton, Middlesex, England.
(Courtesy Robbie Pearson - FindAGrave)
Fg.Off. Charles Pharaoh Reynolds. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 129. Son of Charles and Jane Reynolds, of Netherton, Cumberland, England.
Sgt. John Dillon. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 147. Son of Thomas George and Mary Jane Dillon, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
(Right) Flt.Sgt. Lawrence George Porritt. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 69. Row B. Collective grave 19. Born on the 23rd April 1922 at Auckland, the son of George Lupton Porritt and Linda Elizabeth Porritt (née Lawrence), of Henry Street, Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand. Prior to joining the RNZAF he worked as a dental mechanic for W.D. Pardy. 180 flying hours logged and on his 9th operational sortie.
(Grave marker Courtesy Robbie Pearson - FindAGrave)
Newspaper cutting and Telegram for Sgt. Bennett (Courtesy Nicholas Bennett)
(Right) Sgt. Leonard Bennett. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Plot 69. Row B. Collective grave 19. Son to Mr and Mrs H. Bennett of Haworth, Bradford. England.
Joint grave marker for Plt.Off. Jospeh Horrace Addison, C/16683, RCAF, Rear Gunner from 103 Sqn, Lancaster I, W4827 and Sgt. Bennett. (Courtesy Robbie Pearson - FindAGrave)
Flt.Sgt. Lawrence George Porritt: AWNS19430825 -20-25: 25 August 1943.
RS 27.02.2020 - Grave marker for Sgt. Mepsted and Flt.Sgt. Porritt added
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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