Operation: Braunschweig (Brunswick), Germany

Date: 14th/15th January 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA935

Code: MG:O

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: Not known

Pilot: Flt Lt. David Latimer Court Thomas DFC, 121406 RAFVR Age 22. KiA (1)

Flt Eng: Plt Off. William Arthur Clegg 169494 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Nav: Flt Lt. Ronald Crease DFC, 139886 RAFVR Age? KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Lt. Ronald George Layley 129404 RAFVR Age 27. KiA (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: WO. Ronald Haywood CGM, 649966 RAFVR Age 23. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Flt Sgt. Leslie H.W. Whitear 1393334 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear) Flt Sgt. Lawrence Charles Hartman 657578 RAFVR Age 30. KiA (4)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 16:59 hrs from RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire, part of a force of 498 aircraft targeting the aircraft component and other armament manufacturing facilities in and around the city of Brunswick. Being an important industrial area the target was heavily defended by Flak installations and Luftwaffe night fighters.

Flying almost due east, the bomber stream crossed the North Sea and entered enemy-held territory over North Holland. Turning south east toward Brunswick, in the region of Bremen, the bombers were met by many German night fighters infiltrating the stream. In all, 38 aircraft were lost during the raid which turned out to be very unsuccessful in terms of damage to the target and the loss of so many aircrews.

JA935 or 12 Sqn Lancaster JB542 was claimed at 19:10 hrs by three (3) German night-fighters:

Maj. Helmut Lent, his 83rd Abschuss, from Stab NJG3;

Lt. Wendelin Breukel, his 10th Abschuss, from 4./NJG2;

or Oblt. Walter Riedlberger, his 4th Abschuss, from 5./NJG2.

There is no location recorded for the interception. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January - 15 March 1944) Part 1 - Theo Boiten).

Three (3) bombers from 7 Squadron failed to return from this operation. The other two (2) were:

JA905 MG:V Lancaster III Flown by Flt Lt. John Verdun Newton 415270 RAAF KiAwith all 7 other crew members;

JB398 MG:C Lancaster III Flown by Fg Off. Reginald John Claude Croxford 150099 RAFVR KiA with 4 other crew members, 2 survived as PoW.

(1) Flt Lt. Thomas was awarded the DFC whilst with 61 Sqn. London Gazette 15th October 1943

His brother Sqn Ldr. Peter Damien Court Thomas DFC, 41081, RAFO, 55 Sqn was killed in operations on 2nd November 1942, (Baltimore III AH109).

Fg Off. Peter Damien Court Thomas 41081 was awarded the DFC, London Gazette 29th April 1941.

Citation: "This officer has been continuously employed as an operational pilot since the outbreak of war with Italy and has completed some 40 operational flights with marked success. On a recent night patrol he attacked an ammunition train by dive-bombing and when this had proved unsuccessful, he continued the attacked with incendiary ammunition eventually setting the train on fire and destroying it. His night raids have been outstanding. He has frequently remained over his target for an hour at a time, dropping his bombs singly and then attacking the ground defences with machine gun fire. Flying Officer Thomas has proved himself to be a daring pilot and has always pressed home his attacks with the greatest determination".

Flt Lt. Thomas’ father served as a Fg Off. as a pilot with the RFC 199 Night Training Squadron in 1918.

(2) Ronald George Layley attended Patterson House school in May 1924 where he was an excellent rugby player, captaining his House Rugby team in 1931-2. Obtained a London Matriculation Certificate (first division) in 1932 and as well as being made school prefect in September 1931 was awarded the Patterson Scholarship.

After leaving school he joined the Metropolitan Police Force and his work seemed to mark him out for high promotion. He captained his Divisional Rugby Team and served in the Police Force through the earlier Blitz on London, an experience that made him decide to join the RAF.

He was soon appointed to a commission and rose to the rank of Flt Lt. holding an important position in the Pathfinder Force. He took part in many raids on enemy territory and had called in at his old school barely a month before he was reported missing.

His brother 23 year old, Geoffrey Charles Layley was KiA aboard 218 (Gold Coast) Stirling I N6077 and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.

(3) Ronald Haywood attended Rawnsley council school and later the County Mining College. Employed by the Cannock and Rugeley Colliery Company and worked as a surveyors assistant. A keen musician, he joined the Territorials at an early age with whom his brother and father served, playing the clarinet in the Band and also with the Hednesford Town band.

He joined the RAFVR at eighteen (18) and by the age of twenty was serving as a Wireless operator in the Middle East. He was awarded the CGM after he had made over ninety (90) operational flights and had been reported as missing in action.

CGM Citation: “He has had an outstanding operational record (he made over ninety flights). He has served with distinction in both the European and Middle East theatres of war and has attacked some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany and Italy, including Berlin, Peenemunde and Milan. At all times his courage and resolution in the face of the enemy have been exemplary”.

On the 12th February 1946, his parents and sister Margaret proudly attended Buckingham Palace to receive his posthumous award. He had flown 93 ops and was flying on his 100th op when he was killed.

Mr Joseph Heywood and his daughter proudly holding Ronald’s C.G.M. outside Buckingham Palace.

(4) Lawrence Charles Hartman’s father was a career soldier, a Bandmaster with 1st Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Lawrence was a Police Constable in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Before transferring to the RAFVR he was a Reservist in the 11th Hussars of the British Army.

Burial details:

Flt Lt. David Latimer Court Thomas DFC. Hanover War Cemetery Grave 4D.9. Born in 1922. Son of Albert Joseph and Ellen Dorothea Court (deceased March 1942 )(née Le Patourel) Thomas from Surrey, England.

Plt Off. William Arthur Clegg. Hanover War Cemetery Grave 4D.8. Grave inscription: "HE ANSWERED THE CALL AND GAVE HIS ALL THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE. R.I.P". Son of William and Sarah Jane Clegg of Clock Face, St. Helens, Lancashire, England.

Flt Lt. Ronald Crease DFC. Hanover War Cemetery Grave 4D.7. No further information found.

Flt Lt. Crease was posthumously awarded the DFC whilst with 7 Sqn, London Gazette 1st June 1945.

Flt Lt. Ronald George Layley. Hanover War Cemetery Coll. Grave 3B. 18-19. Son of Arthur Wilfred and Flora Victoria Layley of Kingsclere, Hampshire. Husband of Joyce Layley of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England

WO. Ronald Haywood CGM. Hanover War Cemetery, Grave 4D.6. Grave inscription: "GOD ETERNAL, PENITENT WE KNEEL BEFORE THEE, FORGIVE US ALL THE PAST. AMEN". One of five brothers and three sisters. Son of Joseph and Eliza Haywood of Rawnsley, Cannock, Staffordshire, England

Flt Sgt. Leslie H.W. Whitear. Hanover War Cemetery, Coll. Grave 3B. 18-19. Grave inscription: "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN. One of 6 siblings, Ernest, (then Leslie), Iris, Joy (née Whitear) Reeve, Stanley and John. Son of Ernest W.H. and Alice A Whitear of Dunmow, Essex, England.

Flt Sgt. Lawrence Charles Hartman. Hanover War Cemetery Coll. Grave 3B. 18-19. Grave inscription: "AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM". Born on the 10th September 1913 in Shorncliffe, Barracks in Folkestone, Kent. Son of Charles Cecil Augustus and Ann Caroline Hartman of Ware, Hertfordshire, England.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. With thanks to Katherine Garrett for family information and photo's of Flt Lt. Layley, and also to Geoff Thacker, nephew of WO. Haywood for Family information and photo’s. Also thanks to Nicola Brown, niece of Flt Sgt. Leslie H.W. Whitear. Recently a relative of the flight engineer, Bill Clegg, contacted us and sent us the photo of Plt Off. William Arthur Clegg. Thanks to Tom Jones for the update to his Grandmother's details for Flt Sgt. Whitear. Next of Kin details and family information updated for Flt Lt. David Latimer Court Thomas and German fighter claim by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 2020). Thanks to Paul Markham for the addition details for Flt Sgt. Hartman which has been added to the reviewed, reorganised and updated report (Dec 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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