- Home
- Maps▾
- FAQ▾
- About/Donate▾
- News▾
- Obits
- Contact/Help▾
- PersonalHistories▾
- Cross Reference Research Lists ▶
- Recent Archive Reports
- Profiles in Courage
- 1914 -1918 WW1 Material
- Royal Air Force + RAFVR ▶
- WAAF/WRAF
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Site honouring Czechoslovak RAF
- Holland: LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive
- New Zealand
- Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland
- Poland
- Archiwum Mielnika: Polish Air Force Archive
- USAAF & USAF
- USA WASP Flygirls
- USA - Co de Swart Gallery: Baker Crew 95th BG
- USA - Co de Swart Gallery: Geyer Crew 98th BG
- Axis Powers
- Russia/Soviet Union
- RCAF 409 The Nighthawks
- Hore-Kennard RCAF
- Zenon Bartkowiak PAF
- Charles Dills USAAC
- Gerald Schwartz USAAC
- Soviet Women 'Night Witches'
- Full Story of Lancaster Z-Zebra
- First Air Raid Victim
- 1914 -1918 WW1 Material
- Databases▾
- Databases Master List
- Consolidated Names: includes 500K+ names from all our databases
- Cross Reference Research Lists
- Research Sources
- MULTI-NATIONAL DATABASES
- Aces and Aviators International WW1 - 3000+
- Vitz Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- NEW! USAAF & Allies Non Combat Incidents and Losses
- ALLIED DATABASES
- Allied Losses and Incidents: all Commands
- Aircrew Deaths & Resting Places Worldwide 1939 - 47 120,000+
- Alamein Allied Air Forces Memorial 3000+
- Allied Non-British Graves in Europe managed by CWGC
- Battle of Britain: Enhanced and Extended
- Glider Pilot Regiment Casualties
- Korean War UN Forces Database
- LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive Dutch/2TAF Losses
- Malta Memorial Database
- Nordic Allied Database
- Ottawa Allied Air Forces Memorial Database
- Paradie RCAF Archive
- Archiwum: Polish Air Force Archive
- Polish Honour Roll
- RAAF Honour Roll
- RCAF Notes - 9000+
- Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
- Runnymede Memorial Database
- Soviet Aces Database 1941 - 1945
- US Aces and Aviators WW2
- US Air Service Victories WW1
- USAAF Allies NonCombat Losses
- USAAF Operations WWll
- US Marine Corps Squadrons WWll
- Vitz Memorial Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- AXIS DATABASES
- Kracker Luftwaffe Archive
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
- German Graves in UK
- German WW2 Aces
- Luftwaffe Graves Managed by CWGC
- Luftwaffe Victories by Name/Date
- Archives ▾
- Archiwum: Polish Air Force Archive: Data on 17,000
- Kracker Luftwaffe Archive
- LOST Rob Philips Memorial Archive: Holland
- Paradie Canadian Archive
- Paul McGuiness RAAF Archive WW1 & WW2
- Profiles in Courage
- Vitz Memorial Archive: War Crimes Victims of Axis
- USAAF Combat Operations 1941-45 Worldwide
- 409 RCAF: The Nighthawks
- Detailed Personal Archive RCAF Officer
- Charles Dills Archive
- Gerald Schwartz Archive
- RAF Coastal Command Patrol Areas
- US Intelligence Analysis German Anti Aircraft
- Allied Mine Laying Map (Gardening)
- Airborne Forces - a short history
- More ▾
- de Swart Gallery: Baker Crew, Geyer Crew
- Guide to Complete Site
- Helpdesk
- Donate
- Lay a Wreath
- Your relative's CWGC grave explained
- CWGC War Graves in USA
- Doing Your Own Research
- Research Sources
- US Assistance to Warsaw Uprising
- Our support for charities
- Axis Awards Descriptions
- Stolperstein: Permanent Remembrance
- Who fought for Britain 1939 - 1945
- Aerotoxic Syndrome
- Bermuda Triangle Mystery
- Cross Reference Research Lists
- Not Many People Know That
- Image Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations Used by Forces
- Poetry of Direct Personal Experience
- Staggering Cost in Lives of WWll
- Animated Map All Allied Bombing WW2
- USAAF Combat Operations 1941-45 Worldwide
- Polish Airmen Fighting (Video)
- Important Links
- Canada Memorial Project
- Remembering Banica
- Book Reviews
- 1 BFTS Texas
- Veterans Appeals
- Korean Conflict
- Vietnam Conflict
- Other Conflicts
- Commercial Aviation
- Bush Flying
- Nose Art
- Military Humour
- Airborne Forces - a short history
• Kracker Archive
• Allied Losses
• Archiwum Polish
• Paradie Canadian
• RCAF
• RAAF
• RNZAF
• USA
• Searchable Lists
Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
Check our Research databases: Database List
.
We seek additional information and photographs. Please contact us via the Helpdesk.
Operation: Gardening
Date: 31/01st January 1945 (Sunday/Monday)
Unit: No. 630 Squadron
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: PB894
Code: LE-?
Base: RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Location: North Sea, 50 km. North West Hanstholm, Denmark
Pilot: W/O. Edward Ainsley Thomas 132619 RAFVR Age 26. Missing
Fl/Eng: Sgt. David Daniel Jones 1404691 RAFVR Age 31. Missing
Nav: Fl/Sgt. William Henry McDonald Marshall 1564879 RAFVR Age 23. Missing
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Eric Leese 1579463 RAFVR Age 23. Missing
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Henry Jones 1316189 RAFVR Age 23. Missing
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Bernard John Phillips 1897422 RAFVR Age 30. Missing
Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Rex Boden 16953052 RAFVR Age 22. Missing
Relatives of W/O. Edward Ainsley Thomas are keen to find a photo of him and perhaps the crew - are you able to assist?
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 16:20 hrs. from RAF East Kirkby for operations over the Kattegat. 26 aircraft took part in this magnetic mine laying operation during 20:12 hrs and 22:28 hrs.
Above left: Sgt. George Rex Boden (courtesy Andrew Swann) Right: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Henry Jones (courtesy Trevor Clark)
Only one aircraft was lost, Lancaster PB894 intercepted at 2.800 mtrs. and shot down by Hptm. Eduard Schröder (1) of 3./NJG3. The aircraft crashed at 21:00 hrs into the North Sea some 50 km. North West of Hanstholm.
W/O. Edward Ainsley Thomas. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 268. Son of John and Mary Jane Thomas, husband of Clarice Mary Warr Thomas of Iwerne Minster, Dorset, England.
Sgt. David Daniel Jones. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 275. Son of Daniel John and Cordelia of Morriston, Glamorgan, Wales, husband of Nancy Jones.
Right: Runnymede Memorial panels (September 2014)
Fl/Sgt. William Henry McDonald Marshall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 272. Son of William Henry and Ethel Marshall of Newcastle on Tyne, England.
Fl/Sgt. Eric Leese. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 271. Son of Harry and Elsie Leese of Burslem, Staffordshire, England.
Fl/Sgt. Joseph Henry Jones. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 271. Son of Daniel and Alice Maud Jones of Clydach Vale, Glamorgan, Wales.
Sgt. Bernard John Phillips. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 276. Son of William Bernard and Annis Phillips of Bellingham, London, England.
Sgt. George Rex Boden. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 273. Son of John Thomas and Margaret Boden of Hednesford, Staffordshire, England, husband of Ethel Brenda Boden.
Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. Sharon Anderson is keen to find a photo of the pilot and or the crew. Thanks also to the following for information supplied: Trevor Clark - nephew of Fl/Sgt. Joseph H. Jones. Also to Andrew Swann, nephew of the rear gunner Sgt. George Boden who contacted us via help desk in July 2016. Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', ‘Bomber Command Database’, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries (Updated 2014 version), ‘Runnymede Memorial Database’, Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
KTY - 28.07.2016 Further crew member photo added.
History Airborne Forces • Soviet Night Witches • Bomber Command Memories • Abbreviations • Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained • USA Flygirls • Axis Awards Descriptions • 'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination • Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis • SOE Heroine Nancy Wake • Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
Click to add your info via ticket on Helpdesk •
Click to let us know via ticket on Helpdesk• 
Click to explore the entire site
A word from the Editor: your contribution is important. We welcome your comments and information. Thanks in advance.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed
by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior
permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2025
Last Modified: 04 April 2021, 17:04