Operation: Duisburg

Date: 21/22nd July 1942

Unit: No. 150 Squadron

Type: Wellington IV

Serial: X3590

Code: JN-L

Base: RAF Snaith, Yorkshire

Location: Burgervlotbrug, Netherlands

Pilot: P/O. John Brooke Skrender 120486 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

Obs: P/O. R. Watson 112759 RAFVR PoW No: 591 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. D.E. Coleman 169201 RAFVR PoW No: 6387 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. W.E. Grimley 1263235 RAFVR PoW No: 25147 Camp: Stalag Lamsdorf

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas George Richard Allaway 1154268 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Snaith in Yorkshire at 23:25 hrs on - joining 290 other aircraft to bomb the city of Duisburg.

Duisburg being the main industry area for German steel, Iron and chemicals. Reported to have been the most heavily bombed city during WW2 by the allies. This raid was reported as causing 94 buildings destroyed with 256 seriously damaged. 49 people were killed on the ground.

The raid took part on a moonless night to prevent the huge losses suffered by Bomber Command to Luftwaffe fighters. Despite this twelve aircraft were lost together with 45 aircrew killed with a further 17 taken PoW.

Understood to have flown for some two hours after damage to the starboard engine. Despite jettisoning the bomb load the aircraft continued to lose height. Eventually the pilot order the crew to abandon the aircraft which crashed at the location shown at 02:30 hrs.

Burial details:

(Left) P/O. John Brooke Skrender. Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row B. Grave 17. Son of Sigurd Arne Skrender and Gwendoline Skrender, of Kingston Hill, Surrey, England. (B.Sc. London University) Grave inscription reads: 'They Have Conquered Death, And Through The Years Shall Shine Their Undimmed Youth'.

(Credit: Elizabeth Cook and sisters)

Sgt. Thomas George Richard Allaway. Bergen General Cemetery. Plot 1. Row B. Grave 18. Son of Thomas and Edith Georgina Allaway, of Prince's End, Tipton, Staffordshire, England. Grave inscription reads: 'Yet A Little Sleep, A Little Slumber, A Little Folding Of The Hands To Sleep'.

Grave photograph courtesy of André Reijniers. Many thanks to Elizabeth Cook and her sisters for the photograph of their uncle P/O Skrender. For further details our thanks to the sources shown below.

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