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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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61 Squadron Crest
06/07.04.1942 No. 61 Squadron Manchester I L7470 Fl/Sgt. Noble

Operation: Essen

Date: 06/07th April 1942 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit: No. 61 Squadron

Type: Manchester I

Serial: L7470

Code: QR-?

Base: RAF Woolfox Lodge

Location: Piringen, Belgium

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Eric William Noble 754635 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Pilot: Sgt. Lloyd John Holmes Lincoln NZ/41341 RNZAF Age 26. Killed (1)

Nav: Sgt. Robert Eastwood Newton 1150596 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth Leyshon 977837 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Donavan Peter George Kent 1250215 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Neville James Patton 1378828 RAFVR Age 28. killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Henry Walker 936065 RAFVR Age 26. killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 00:35 hrs from RAF Woolfox Lodge in Rutland to attack Essen.

Some 157 aircraft from Bomber Command all headed for the city. The weather was atrocious with very severe icing and storms en route. Only around a third of the bombers managed to reach the target and bomb - 5 of the number were lost.

Manchester L7470 was attacked and shot down by Oblt. Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin of Stab II./NJG1 with the aircraft crashing at 02:38 hrs - all the crew were killed.


This was his 4th claim of the war. By the end of the war from which he survived, he had a total of 39 claims - died on the 11th January 1992. (Information from the Kracker Archives on this website)

Left: Oblt. Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin (Kracker Archives)



(1) The brother of Sgt. Lloyd Lincoln was also lost. Serving in the same Squadron, lost on the 03rd June 1942, Lancaster I R5613 also on an operation to the same target.

Stan and Lloyd Lincoln, with their brothers and sisters - taken at the family home in Mt. Alberta, Auckland on the day they left New Zealand.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Eric William Noble. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.8-13. Son of Gertrude Ruth Noble, of Norwich, Norfolk, England. Grave inscription reads: "Into Thy Hands, O God I Commend His Spirit Sorrowfully Remembered. Mother".

Sgt. Lloyd john Holmes Lincoln. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.7. Son of Frank Lincoln and of Eileen Lincoln (nee Cronin), of Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. A total of 240 flying hours logged and on his 3rd operational sortie.

Sgt. Robert Eastwood Newton. Heverlee War Cemetery. Grave 3.E.7. Son of John and Ethel G. Newton, of Earlsdon, Coventry, England. Grave inscription reads: "Cheerfully Smiling Always Content Loved And Respected Wherever He Went".

Sgt. Kenneth Leyshon. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.8-13. Son of Sidney and Lucy Annetta Leyshon, of Swansea, Wales. Grave inscription reads: "Semper Idem".

Sgt. Donavan Peter George Kent. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.8-13. Son of George Henry and Elizabeth Agnes Kent, of Easton Park, Dunmow, Essex, England. Grave inscription reads: "In Loving Memory Of Our Dear Son. Rest In Peace".

Sgt. Neville James Patton. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.8-13. Son of James and Margaret Patton; husband of Isabelle Patton, of Walker-Dene, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Grave inscription reads: "They Flew Into The Dark Night Skies Theirs The Sacrifice Ours The Prize".

Sgt. George Henry Walker. Heverlee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 3.E.8-13. Son of Joseph Thomas Walker and Annie Walker; husband of Audrey May Walker, of Brixton, London, England. Grave inscription reads: "Memories Remain, Sorrows Fade And Grief Grows Old".

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, with thanks also to Brian Ramsey and Helen Davy (Helen is a relative of Sgt. Lloyd john Holmes Lincoln) other sources as quoted below:

KTY 26.07.2018

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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 MWO 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', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, 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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