Operation: Dusseldorf

Date: 10/11th September 1942 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 11 Operational Training unit. 91 Group

Type: Wellington Ic

Serial: DV890

Code: TX-G

Base: RAF Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire

Location: Bismark, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Pilot: Sgt. Norman John Rowe NZ/414344 RNZAF Age 29. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Jack Inskip NZ/41332 RNZAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Walter Archibald O'malley NZ/413308 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Maurice Doughty Gorton 627230 RAF Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Pearse Hurley NZ/411076 RNZAF Age 26. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 20:36 hrs to bomb Düsseldorf. A huge force took off - a total of 479 aircraft made up with 242 Wellingtons, 89 Lancasters, 59 Halifaxes, 47 Stirlings, 28 Hampdens and 14 Whitleys. Weather conditions describes as fine with good visibility.

The pathfinders marked the target area successfully using the 'Pink Pansies' (1) in converted 4,000 lb. bomb casings. The city was hit in all areas apart from the north, also hit was the neighbouring town of Neuss.

Reports are that 39 industrial firms in Düsseldorf and a further 13 in Neuss were damaged to the extent that no production could take place for various periods, 8 public buildings were destroyed and 67 damaged. 911 houses were also destroyed, 1,506 seriously damaged and another 8,340 lightly damaged.

On the ground 132 people were killed, made up of 120 in Düsseldorf and 12 in Neuss. A further 11 people were classed as missing 2 days after the raid. 19,427 people were made homeless.

The raid took its toll on the allies though with 33 aircraft lost. (20 Wellingtons, 5 Lancasters. 4 Stirlings, 3 Halifaxes and 1 Hampden) 60 crewmen were killed, 1 injured and 13 made PoW.

DV890 is thought to have probably been shot down by Obl. Manfred Meurer (2) of Stab III./NJG1 near Bismark, Gelsenkirchen at 00.00 hrs. All crew were buried initially in East Cemetery in the town of Bismark

Another 11 OTU crew were also lost during this operation. Flying Wellington Ic DV930, Sgt. Thomas Fraser Munro NZ/415005 RNZAF was killed with all his other four crew, buried at various UK Cemeteries. (All also on on their 1st operational sortie - further details here)

(1) 'Pink Pansies' an incendiary bomb - 2,800 lb.'s. - used as a target marker made up from Benzol, rubber and phosphorous)

Left: Manfred Meurer

(2) The 5th claim by Obl. Manfred Meurer. Born in Hamburg on the 08th September 1919. Credited with 65 victories making him the fifth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. Killed with his radio operator Gerhard Schiebe on the 22nd January 1944 in a mid-air collision with a 15 squadron Lancaster I W4852 LS-B flown by 23 year old Fl/Sgt. Robert John Butler 170230 RAFVR from Dagenham, Essex - all seven crew missing, believed killed (courtesy Kracker Archives)

Burial and personal details:

Sgt. Norman John Rowe. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Joint grave 19. C. 11. Born on the 08th May 1913 at Hokitika. Worked as a clerk for Nelson City Council prior to service. Obtained his 'A' licence with Marlborough Aero Club on the 28th March 1933. Joined RNZAF at Levin on the 26th July 1941. Trained at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School and No2 Flying Training School being awarded his pilots badge on the 29th November 1941 and promoted to sergeant on the 10th January 1942. Embarked for England on the 31st January 1942. Joined 11 Operational Training Unit on the 07th July 1942. Son of Adam Aitchison Rowe and of Charlotte Ann Rowe (nee McGregor), of Hokitika, Westland, New Zealand.

Sgt. Jack Inskip. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 19. C. 12. Born on the 05th August 1920 at Opotiki. Worked as a shop assistant with his fathers grocery store prior to service. Enlisted at Levin joining the RNZAF (initially to be trained as a pilot)19th January 1941. Pilot training terminated and remastered as Observer on the 16th April 1941. Embarked for training in Canada on the 22nd July 1941. Awarded his observer badge and promoted to sergeant on the 20th December 1941. Embarked for England on the 28th February 1942. Joined 11 Operational Training Unit on the 07th July 1942. Son of William John and Fanny Inskip, of Opotiki, Auckland, New Zealand. (See below)

Sgt. Walter Archibald O'malley. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 19. C. 10. Born on the 07th April 1021 at Pukekohe. Worked as a clerk for Nelsons Ltd prior to service. Joined the RNZAF at Levin on the 07th June 1941. Embarked for training in Canada on the 14th February 1941. Awarded his observer badge and promoted to sergeant on the 03rd January 1942. Embarked for England on the 27th February 1942. Joined 11 Operational Training Unit on the 07th July 1942. Son of John Francis and Isabella Bilt O'Malley (nee Archibald), of Hastings, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.

Sgt. Maurice Doughty Gorton. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 19. C. 9. Son of Ann Jane Gorton, of Wolverhampton, England. Grave inscription: 'Sacred Heart, Have Mercy On His Soul. R.I.P'.

Sgt. Thomas Pearse Hurley. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Joint grave 19. C. 11. Born on the 06th June 1916 at Christchurch. Worked as a truck driver for PWD at Westport prior to service. Joined the RNZAF at Levin on the 16th February 1941. Embarked for training in Canada on the 17th April 1941. Awarded his air gunner badge badge and promoted to sergeant on the 18th October 1941. Embarked for England on the 28th February 1942. Joined 11 Operational Training Unit on the 07th July 1942. Son of Jerome Joseph and Mary Agnes Hurley (neeLong), of Spreydon, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Special additional information on Sgt. Jack Inskip by Sonia Edwards researching all who lost their lives from the Bay Of Plenty area of New Zealand

Jack INSKIP (1920-1942) was born in Opotiki, the elder son of Fanny (née SHERLOCK 1894-1973) and William John INSKIP (1893-1973) who owned a grocery business in King Street, Opotiki. Their family home was in Brabant Street.

Fanny SHERLOCK was born in Christchurch to Mary Ellen (Formerly LOWER nee NOBLE1) and William James SHERLOCK. Fanny’s aunt, also Mary Ellen LOWER, (1878-1942) spinster, lived in Opotiki. She is buried at Waitangi (Opotiki Public) Cemetery where her memorial headstone also remembers her nephew, Jack.

William John INSKIP, (Bill) was born in Auckland. His parents Thomas (1872-1963) and Ann (née WALKER, 1872-1943) INSKIP were living at Paparoa near Kaitaia when Bill enlisted for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for the Middle East in 1916. They moved to Brookby in the rural outskirts of Auckland while he was overseas. Bill INSKIP had been training with the North Auckland Mounted Rifles at Paparoa. Prior to his enlistment he had been employed as a shop assistant by Hook Bros at Paparoa.

43183 Trooper W J INSKIP joined the 26th Reinforcements for Egypt in 1917 and served in Kantara and Egypt. Bill INSKIP returned home, suffering from malaria, in 1919, and on his discharge went to Opotiki to work for Platt Bros as a grocer but he soon opened his own general merchants & grocery business, Inskip Service Store Ltd, in King Street. He married Fanny that year and they raised two sons: Jack (1920-1942) and Robert (Bob, 1927-1995). The boys attended Opotiki Primary School and Opotiki District High School. Jack excelled in athletics and football. He represented Opotiki Amateur Athletics & Cycling Club in Interprovincial Athletic competitions and was a junior Rugby Union Rep. When he left school, Jack assisted his father in the grocery business, delivering to customers in a 12cylinder Vauxhall.2 Robert became a barrister & solicitor in the Whangarei law firm of Marsden, Woods, Inskip & Smith, until his death, without issue, in 1995.3 Bill INSKIP and his wife Fanny took a keen interest in community affairs. Bill held positions of responsibility in a variety of organisations. He was particularly interested in Maori education, sitting on the South Auckland Education Board and on sub-committees there, and in Wellington. He was on the NgarimuScholarship Committee. He sat on both primary and secondary school Committees and was on the foundation Board of Governors for both Opotiki and Whakatāne District High Schools.

Above: William John and Fanny Inskip taken in 1969

In 1950 he was elected Mayor of Opotiki 4 and was recognized for his service to education and the community in 1966 New Year Honours List with an M.B.E. A small lane in the centre of the township is named Inskip Lane.

Bill INSKIP was a member of the Opotiki District Returned & Services Association, chairman for eleven years, and was awarded the Gold Star for long service. He was treasurer of the first Opotiki St John Association and chairman of the Red Cross. He was also a Justice of the Peace. Fanny INSKIP chaired the Methodist Women’s Guild and actively supported the Patriotic Society. Through the efforts of Mrs. Eva Fleming and Mrs. Fanny Inskip, the congregation of the St John Union Church raised funds (throughsewing for bazaars and gathering donations) for a beautiful memorial stained-glass window to be placed within the church. The Navy, Army and Airforce badges are displayed.

NZ41332 Jack Inskip entered the Royal New Zealand Air Force Initial Training Wing at Levin as an Airman Pilot under training on 19 January 1941. He was 19 years old. The Opotiki Patriotic Society gifted him a money belt and £1. Later in 1942, he was sent a further 30/-. By 2 March he was at the Elementary Flying Training School, but this training was terminated. However, Jack re-mustered as an Air Observer at Rongotai in the next month. Named as a Leading Aircraftman, he sailed for Canada aboard the Dominion Monarch to train under the Commonwealth scheme, 22 July 1941.7 Attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force from 16 August, Jack Inskip spent three months at the Air Observers and Bombing & Gunnery School until he was awarded his Air Observer’s Badge and promoted to Sergeant in December. Jack went to Halifax in Nova Scotia to 2 Air Navigation School for a month and at the end of January 1942 was attached to the Royal Air Force. He embarked for the United Kingdom 28 February 1942.8

On 10 March NZ41332 Jack Inskip entered the Personnel Reception Centre and began his Operations training with 11 Training unit, flying Wellingtons. He began operational flight on 7 July 1942, after which he re-mustered as Air Navigator. (23 July 1942). On 10 September 1942 he was killed on air operations with Bomber Command. 11 Operational Training unit left the RAF Bassingbourn base in Cambridgeshire on the night of Thursday 10 /Friday 11 on raid over Dusseldorf, Germany, with 91 Group. 429 aircraft under Bomber Command left Cambridgeshire. 38 aircraft were lost.

Wellington IC DV890/G took off at 2036 for Dusseldorf and was brought down north of the target crashing near Bismark, Gelsenkirchen. All five crew were buried in the East cemetery at Bismark but later reinterred at Reichswald Forest, 5 kms SW of Kleve. The Navigator was NZ41332 Sergeant Jack Inskip RNZAF, age 22, having flown 198 hrs. This was his first operational flight.

An obituary in the Opotiki News 14 May 1943 p2, eventually confirmed the loss of Jack Inskip, describing him as a fine young athlete and mourning his loss. It had been hoped he might have survived as a prisoner of war.

NZ41332 Jack Inskip is remembered at Opotiki on a memorial plaque at St John’s Union Church and his name is on the Opotiki Cenotaph. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission raised headstones at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. His grave is in row 19 C, Grave 12. Jack Inskip is remembered at Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Hall of Memories.

Above: Memorials St Johns Union Church Opotiki.

Sources: Marriage certificate 1919, DAIN Len, Memories 2001 p 17, Correspondence 2020 with Philip Smith. Mayor for six years. Obituary Opotiki News February 1973. Lane between small 4 Square grocer and ANZ Building. Council resolution August 1990. Opotiki News 19 April 2012.

The window design was from O G Miller & Sons of Dunedin in 1947. The memorial window was installed by Mina Hayes of Wylde & Hayes Ltd in 1948. It was blessed and unveiled on Remembrance Day in 1950 with plaques beneath naming the men of the congregation who fell in both world wars. (Opotiki News Vol XIII Issue 1329 14 Nov 1950 p2.)

In August 2014, a descendant of Miller & Sons visited to view the memorial window. The firm had designed 300 memorial windows after the 1939-1945 conflict.

Opotiki War Vigilance Association records p 206 with image. MARTYN Errol W. For Your Tomorrow. Volplane Press 2008. Vol 3 p 265. MARTYN Errol W. For Your Tomorrow. Volplane Press 1998 Vol 1 page 246.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Sonia Edwards, Kracker Archives, the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Dr. Theo Boiten 'Nachtjagd Combat Archives The early years Part 3', Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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