Archive Report: Allied Forces

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27/28.06.1942 No. 405 Squadron Halifax BII W1110 LQ-C W/O. Scott

Operation: Bremen

Date: 27/28th June 1942 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: No. 405 Squadron

Type: Halifax B.II

Serial: W1110

Code: LQ-C

Base: RAF Pocklington, Yorkshire.

Location: North Sea, 20 km south south west of Den Helder. Holland

Pilot: W/O 1. William Lawrence Scott R/61631 RCAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. George Bertram Tatham R/70586 RCAF Age 31. Killed

Nav: W/O.2. Gordon McLean Phillips R/62639 RCAF Age 22. Killed

Air/Bmr: P/O. James John Hughes MiD. 131806 RAFVR Age 31. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. James Edward Cole R/64719 RCAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Joseph Harvey Milton Lacelle J/15165 RCAF Age 23. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Sidney Bertram Rowland 819083 RAFVR Age 23. Missing - believed killedREASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Pocklington, Yorkshire. at 23:31 hrs to attack Bremen.

Part of a series of 4 raids on this industrial area. 144 aircraft were dispatched - 55 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 2 Stirlings and 24 Lancasters.

119 aircraft bombed blindly though cloud using the "Gee" system. It was reported that the results were successful with the Atlas Werke and the Korff refinery hit again. Many other smaller firms were also hit and a number of dockside warehouses. Unfortunately a hospital and dwellings were also hit with 7 people killed and a further 80 injured.

405 Squadron armorers 'bombing up' ready for an operation at RAF Pocklington, Yorkshire (courtesy IWM)

Left: Oblt. Rudolf Sigmund

Halifax B.II W1110 was intercepted by Oblt. Rudolf Sigmund (1) of Stab II./NJG2 at 03.00 hrs 20 km south south west of Den Helder. Holland.

Another crew from 405 Squadron was also lost on this raid.

Halifax B.II W1175 Flown by Fl/Sgt. William E.W. Field R.C.A.F. shot down and killed with all crew by Lt. Erich Gollasch (2) of 6./NJG2 also in the North Sea just 5 minutes earlier at 02.55 hrs. Location approximately 25 km west of Den Helder.

(1) This was the 4th claim for Oblt. Rudolf Sigmund - after a total of 27 claims he was killed with his crew on 4th October 1943.

(2) Lt. Erich Gollasch went to to claim a total of 7 kills before he went missing on 26th September 1943 over Tscherkasy, Russia (Ukraine)

Burial details:

W/O 1. William Lawrence Scott. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 101. Son of George William and Mary Scott, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sgt. George Bertram Tatham. Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery. Grave 31.C.7. Son of Reginald B. and Mary E. Tatham, of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. Grave inscription: 'In Our Memory He Will Always Live. Mother And Dad'.

W/O.2. Gordon McLean Phillips. Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row A. Grave 16. Son of Colonel Gordon Neil Phillips and Eva Beatrice Phillips, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'They Shall Grow Not Old, As We That Are Left Grow Old: Age Shall Not Weary Them'.

P/O. James John Hughes MiD. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 70. Son of Abel and Florence Hughes, of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Fl/Sgt. James Edward Cole. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 70. Son of James Edward and Harriet K. Cole, of Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, husband of Elizabeth (née Ashton).

P/O. Joseph Harvey Milton Lacelle. Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery. Grave 31.C.7. Son of Joseph T. and Victoria A. Lacelle, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'He Died The Helpless To Defend A Faithful Airman's Noble End'.

Sgt. Sidney Bertram Rowland. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 92. Son of William and Kathrine Mary Rowland, husband of Eileen Betty Rowland, of Croydon, Surrey, England.

Researched for Claire Pepin and her mother who was engaged to P/O. Lacelle at the time of the loss. With thanks to information supplied by Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - "Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2", Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol. 3", Tom Kracker for the enormous data base "Kracker Luftwaffe Archives", Commonwealth Graves Commission.

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