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Operation: Essen
Date: 26/27th March 1944 (Sunday/Monday)
Unit: No. 166 Squadron
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: LL749
Code: AS-J2
Base: RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Location: Not known
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Victor Leonard Perry 1392734 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Joseph McInroy 1820970 RAFVR Age 21. Killed
Nav: Fl/Sgt. Lionel Valentine Woodfield 963539 RAFVR Age 30. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. A. Coney 1530452 RAFVR PoW No: 3505 Camp: Stalag Kopernikus
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Maldwyn David Howell Williams AUS/410761 RAAF Age 21. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alfred William Gowland 1818907 RAFVR Age 19. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Warrington Harris 1397160 RAFVR Age ? Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
705 Aircraft taking part in another operation against Essen - 476 Lancaster, 208 Halifaxes and 22 Mosquitoes. It took the German controllers by surprise with the allies making a sudden switch to a target just over the border - consequently the allies lost very few to Luftwaffe night fighters. The target was covered in cloud but the Mosquitoes marked the target well and the operation was considered a success.
48 industrial buildings were seriously damaged with 1,756 houses destroyed - 550 people were killed on the ground with a further 49 missing and 1,569 injured. Amazing in that a breakdown of the casualties are available:
192 German women, 155 German men, 27 children, 6 soldiers,4 policemen, and 2 Hitler Youth. A further 74 forced labour foreigners and 1 PoW. The remaining 138 casualties were mixed German and foreign concentration camp prisoners - most of whom worked in German factories.
Lancaster LL749 took off at 19:45 hrs and was not heard from again. No night fighter claims have been found for the loss so probably taken down by anti-aircraft fire.
Burial details:
Fl/Sgt. Victor Leonard Perry. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. Son of John William and Ada Ann Perry, of Deptford, London, England. Grave inscription reads: "He Gave The Greatest Gift Of All, His Own Unfinished Life".
Sgt. John Joseph McInroy. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. Son of James and Annie G. McInroy, of Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland.
Fl/Sgt. Lionel Valentine Woodfield. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. Son of Herbert Henry and Lily Rose Woodfield, of Winchmore Hill, Middlesex, England. Grave inscription reads: "Always Happy And Kind: A Friend To All Who Crossed His Path. Sadly Missed".
Fl/Sgt. Maldwyn David Howell Williams. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. Son of Edward Howell Williams and Margerita Ernard Gladys Williams, of 32 Hall Street,L Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. Grave inscription reads: "They Shall Mount Up With Wings"."Underneath Are The Everlasting Arms".
Sgt. Alfred William Gowland. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. Son of George Washington Gowland and Ada Gowland, of Radford, Coventry, England. Grave inscription reads: "Without Farewell He Fell Asleep Leaving Memories We'll Always Keep".
Sgt. Warrington Harris. Choloy War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.J.3. No further details - are you able to assist?
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to sources as shown.
KTY - 27.03.2018
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Binyon
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Last Modified: 02 April 2021, 11:11