Operation: Magdeburg, Germany

Date: 21st/22nd January 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 207 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: R5895

Code: EM:B

Base: RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Dannigkow, Germany

Pilot: Plt Off. Jack Montague Read 161606 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Leslie Fancis Abel 1615651 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Robert Walter Sharp 144580 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Charles Travers J23604 RCAF Age 29. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Arthur Blake Boydon 1435862 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid-Upp): Sgt. Ronald Codling 1818737 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Eric Clark Clunas 415764 RAAF Age 26. KiA

Above: Fg Off. Charles Travers and Flt Sgt. Eric Clark Clunas from their Service Records.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire at 20:11 hrs. Six-Hundred and forty-eight (648) aircraft heading to the target of Magdeburg. Twelve (12) Mosquitoes and twenty-two (22) Lancasters also bombed Berlin as a diversionary raid. The German controllers were not fooled and as early as 20:50 hrs the bomber stream were already identified and the night fighters ordered to intercept. Visibility on this night has been described as "excellent".

The night proved very costly to Bomber Command with twelve (12) aircraft lost between the German coast and Magdeburg. Thirty (30) more were destroyed in a raging air battle over Magdeburg, due to lack of fuel the night fighter were unable to follow the bomber stream and intercept again although a further seven (7) were shot down by other units

R5895 or 83 Sqn Lancaster III JB488 was claimed as a probable by three (3) German night-fighters:

Maj. Werner Streib, his 64th Abschuss from Stab NJG1 at 22:55 hrs (Confirmed on the 18th August 1944);
Hptm. Erhard Peters, his 9th Abschuss from 9./NJG3 at 22:55 hrs (Confirmed on the 21st July 1944);
Maj. Helmut Lent, his 8rth Abschuss from Stab NJG3 at 22:58 hrs (Confirmed on the 21st July 1944). (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January 1944 - 15 March 1944) Part 1 - Theo Boiten)

The aircraft crashed on the outskirts of Dannigkow, some 10 km (17 mls) ESE of Magdeburg in Germany and the crew were initially buried in the village cemetery. They were finally laid to reset at the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery on the 2nd June 1947.

Lancaster R5895 started operating with 97 Conversion flight (CU) having been delivered by Metro Vickers on 21st July 1942. The aircraft then passed on to 1660 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) in late 1942. The aircraft was involved in an accident in March 1942 which meant repairs back at the manufacturers. Delivered to 207 Squadron on 21st August flying a total of 381.10 hours before it was lost.

Burial details:

Plt Off. Jack Montague Read. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.30. Grave Inscription: “HE SLEEPS, CONTENT WITH THAT HIGH HOUR IN WHICH HE LIVED AND DIED”. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1921 in Thetford, Norfolk. Son of Cecil James and Elsie (née Brooks) Read of Ipswich, Suffolk, England.

Sgt. Leslie Fancis Abel. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.32. Grave Inscription: “IN LOVING MEMORY. MOTHER, TOMMY, BOB, MARIE AND VALERIE. "GOD'S WILL BE DONE"”. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Hammersmith, Greater London. Son of Frank Elliott Edward and Lilian (née Kenna) Abel of Hammersmith, London, England.

Fg Off. Robert Walter Sharp. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.34. Born on the 28th August 1923 in Wandsworth, London. The only son of Walter and Ethel Lillian (née Herrmann) Sharp of Wandsworth, London, England.

Fg Off. Charles Travers. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.33. Grave Inscription: “A BRAVE AND LOYAL MAN. SADLY MISSED BY WIFE DALE AND SON DENNIS”. Born on the 29th September 1914 in Shaws Point, High Point, Atlanta, USA. Son of Oliver (KiA in Passchendaele in 1916) and of Anna (née Anderson) Travers of Roral Oak, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Husband of Dale Louise (née Sykes) Travers of Oakland, California, USA.

Sgt. Ronald Arthur Blake Boydon. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.29. Grave Inscription: “IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE MOTHER”. Born in the 2nd Qtr of 1922 in Hinkley, Leicestershire. Son of Arthur Leonard and of Edith Emily (née Blake) Boydon of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.

Sgt. Ronald Codling. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.35. Grave Inscription: "MY HOPE AND MY FORTRESS, MY CASTLE AND DELIVERER, MY DEFENDER IN WHOM I TRUST". Born in 3rd Qtr of 1923 in Boston, Lincolnshire. Son of Herbert and Eva Annie (née Lyon) Codling of Frieston, Lincolnshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Eric Clark Clunas. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Grave 5.B.31. Grave Inscription: “REVELATIONS 21: 1-7”.Born on the 18th January 1918 in Narrogin, Western Australia. Son of John and Ivy Louisa Clunas, Mount Hawthorn, Western Australia.

Enlisted on the 1st February 1942 in Perth, Western Australia. Formerly employed as a Railway Officer.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for Brent Washington relative of Fg Off. Charles Travers and for all other relatives of all the crew. Thanks to Uwe Jenrich for grave photographs (Aug 2015). Thanks to Kim Davies, who is the son by later marriage of the then fiancée, Mary Kathleen Poague to Fg Off. Sharp, for his parents names (Mar 2025). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Mar 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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