Operation: Witten, Germany

Date: 12th December 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 195 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB112

Code: JE-H

Base: RAF Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire

Location: near Dortmund, Germany

Pilot: F/O. Robert Tait Roth J/36353 RCAF Age 24. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Douglas Cyril Cullum 1880199 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Nav: P/O. George Richard Barry J/40544 RCAF Age 23. Killed

Air/Bmr: F/O. Norman Richard Waring 154092 RAFVR Age ? Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Bernard White 1402780 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Mark Goldwater R/372033 RCAF Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Joseph Aaron Friedman R/219171 RCAF Age 19. PoW Stalag Luft 1

REASON FOR LOSS:

140 Lancasters of 3 Group taking part on the bombing of the Ruhrstahl steelworks. PB112 took off at 10:57 hrs from RAF Wratting Common in Cambridgeshire on this daylight operation. It was the first major raid of the war but with the steelworks escaping serious damage.

Bombs fell all over the town with 134 people killed, 64 missing with another 345 injured. The bomber stream were intercepted by Luftwaffe fighters over the target area - 9 of the Lancasters failed to return, 45 aircrew were killed, 4 taken PoW. a further 14 escaped injuries during 1 crash landing and 1 ditching.

Above top: Sgt. Bernard White, F/O. Norman Richard Waring, P/O. George Richard Barry

Above: F/O. Robert Tait Roth, Sgt. Joseph Aaron Friedman, Fl/Sgt. Mark Goldwater (see credits and links placed)

No details on where this Lancaster crashed - listed as without trace. Probably shot down by Flak. A further 3 aircraft were lost from the squadron, the others:

Lancaster I HK697 A4-C Flown by 20 year old, Fl/Lt. Ronald Martin Herapath AUS/417706 RAAF - Killed with 5 other crew, 1 taken PoW.
Lancaster III PB196 JE-D Flown by 22 year old F/O. Arthur Alexander Kennedy NZ/417067 RNZAF - Killed with all 6 other crew.
Lancaster I MG351 JE-E Flown by F/O. D. Bale RNZAF - Survived with all the 6 other crew after crash landing in Belgium - no injuries reported.

Burial details:

Initially buried at Dortmund Cemetery - reinterred after end of the war.

F/O. Robert Tait Roth. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.11. Son of Robert James Roth and Mary Elise Tait Roth and husband of Isabel Arklie Roth, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

(Left: Douglas Cyril Cullum in civilians: Courtesy Margaret Purnell) Sgt. Douglas Cyril Cullum. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.1. Son of Henry and Annie Cullum, of Waddon, Surrey, England. Epitaph reads: “To Live In Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die.”

P/O. George Richard Barry. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.2. Son of William James Barry and Alice Elvina Barry, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. A School Teacher prior to service. Epitaph reads: “Pray For The Repose Of My Soul, May His Soul Rest In Peace Always Remembered At Home.”

F/O. Norman Richard Waring. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.12. Son of Samuel and Ellen R Waring, of Caernarvon, Wales.

Sgt. Bernard White. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.14. Son of Walter and Mary Alice White, of New Southgate, Middlesex, England.

Fl/Sgt. Mark Goldwater. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave: 4.D.13. Son of William and Rose Pesner Goldwater, of 5181 Park Avenue, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.Epitaph reads: “Rest In Peace, Dear Marky. Mother and Father.”

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered - May 2017 with thanks to Joseph Friedman, The Memory Project, Historica Canada for crew photo, Alex Dworkin, Canadian Jewish Archives for image of Fl/Sgt. Goldwater, Steve Dorsett for image of F/O. Roth. Thanks to Margaret Purnell, the niece of Sgt. Douglas Cyril Cullum, for his photograph.