Operation: Essen, Germany

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

Unit No: 12 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND873

Code: PH:H

Base: RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire.

Location: Astense river, Asten, Holland

Pilot: Plt Off. George Edwin Nicholls 172425 RAFVR Age 32. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Roy William Laybourne 1695288 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Alfred Thompson McKay 138480 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer. Fg Off. Lawrence Lindsay Smith J25520 RCAF Age 21. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Alexander Strathern Mcjannett 1580154 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Alexander Kelso Shiels 1566808 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Harold Edward Dyerson 1504327 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Some of the crew: Rear left to right: Fg Off. McKay, Sgt. Davis, Sgt. Chidwick, Sgt. Dyerson - Front: Sgt. Shiels, Sgt. Pierce and Sgt. Laybourne

Above: Fg Off. Smith from his Service Record

Relatives of all the crew, in particular Fg Off. Lawrence L. Smith (who have been sought by the memorial instigators for years) are invited to contact us to provide any further information to this page.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 22.54 hrs from RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire to bomb Essen.

494 aircraft taking part with reports from Bomber Command that the raid was considered 'accurate'. Essen reported that 313 people were killed on the ground with 1,224 others injured.

The allies lost 8 aircraft, 47 aircrew being killed, 1 PoW with another evading capture.

Lancaster ND873 was intercepted at 6,500 mtrs and shot down at 01.58 hrs by Ofw. Rudolf Frank of 3./NJG3, his 46th Abschuss, and last, with the Lancaster coming down near Asten, Holland. Debris from ND873 also hit the Bf110 G-4 D5+CL and Ofw. Frank crashed to his death near Heeze, Eindoven.

Above Ofw. Rudolf Frank (See Kracker Archive on this site).

Above: Fg Off. Lawrence Lindsay Smith with his parents outside the United Church at Addison, Ontario, Canada.

Fg Off. Smith's father had been the minister of the church, previous to this during WW1 he had served with the Princess Pats and taken PoW at the Battle of Sanctuary Wood on June 2nd 1916. He escaped twice, the last time he made his way through the south of Holland - maybe close to where his son lost his life in Lancaster ND873.

Princess Pats - Canadian Light Infantry also known as 'The Patricias'

Above - the trenches at Sanctuary Wood.

Memorial erected to the crew in 2006 (courtesy Theo Van de Mortel)

Theo Van De Mortel has been searching for his relatives for years to no avail - can you assist? (Information and photograph kindly supplied by Wayne Blanchard. Ontario, Canada)

Theo Van de Mortel has also researched this loss to a much greater extent and has published a book (currently only available in Dutch) 'Nachtvlucht over de peel' (Night flight over the peel). Contact us if you would like a copy. Click on book or directly from 'here'.

Burial details:

Above: Jonkerbos War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Plt Off. George Edwin Nicholls. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.4. Grave Inscription: ‘UPON SUCH SACRIFICES THE GODS THEMSELVES THROW INSENSE’. Born on the 6th October 1911 in Penzance, Cornwall. Son of James Edwin and Evelyn (née Windsor) Nicholls, of Heamoor, Penzance, Cornwall. Husband of Madeline (née Gribben) Nicholls, of Heamoor, England.

Sgt. Roy William Laybourne. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.6. Grave Inscription: ‘IN MEMORY OF A GALLANT SON WHOM TO KNOW, WAS TO LOVE’. Born in 3rd Qtr of 1922 in Barton, Lancashire. Son of William and Martha (née Ward) Laybourne of Worsley, Lancashire, England.

Fg Off. Alfred Thompson McKay. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.3. Grave Inscription: ‘YOUNG AND FAIR HE FLEW THE SKY HIS COUNTRY TO DEFEND. HE PAID THE SACRIFICE’. Born on the 26th February in Keith, Moray. Son of Alfred and Margaret Brown (née Thompson) McKay of Knockando, Morayshire, Scotland.

Fg Off. Lawrence Lindsay Smith. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.7. Grave Inscription: ‘"LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD"’. Born on the 22nd January 1923 in Eganville, Ontario. Son of the Revd. Lawrence Bradway Smith, B.A., B.D., and of Lillian Frances (née Casselman) Smith of Westmeath, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Alexander Strathern Mcjannett. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.2. Grave Inscription: ‘'TIS ONLY A GRAVE, BUT STILL NEEDS CARE FOR THE ONE WE LOVE IS SLEEPING THERE’. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Leicester, Leicestershire. Son of Alexander and Margaret May (née Davy) McJannett. Husband of Freda Joyce (née Mason) McJannett, of Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, England.

Sgt. Alexander Kelso Shiels. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.5. Grave Inscription: ‘DEEP IN OUR HEARTS HIS MEMORY IS KEPT. ONE WE ALL LOVED AND CANNOT FORGET’. Born on the 5th December 1922 in Cadder, Lanarkshire. Son of James Lyle and Catherine (née Wilson) Shiels of Auchinloch, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Harold Edward Dyerson. Jonkerbos War Cemetery Grave 24.F.1. Grave Inscription: ‘NOT A DAY DO WE FORGET YOU, IN OUR HEARTS YOU ARE ALWAYS NEAR’. Born on the 12th February 1912 in Mile End Town, London. Son of Alfred Walter and Ada Bell (née Rozee) Dyerson, of Plaistow, Essex, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to this crew and thefor relatives of the crew. With thanks to Wyne Blanchard, Theo Van de Mortel, Les Allison and Harry Hayward - "They Shall Not Grow Old". Reviewed and updated with new information and photograph by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 2024)

Other Sources listed below:

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