Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 24th/25th March 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 619 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: DV328

Code: PG:L

Base: RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Location: East of Güterfelde, some 21 km (13 mls) SW of Berlin, Germany

Pilot: Plt Off. Paul Thompson 422333 RNZAF Age 29. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Bernard Francis Gratwicke 1288313 RAFVR Age 31. KiA

Nav: Sgt. John Gordon Campbell 1489683 RAFVR Age 29. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Joseph Vincent Leyland 151896 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Wireless Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Desmond Pedley 1520817 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Leonard Minshull 2205779 RAFVR Age 29. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. James Hay 426589 RAAF Age 32. KiA

Above left to right: Plt Off. Paul Thompson (Courtesy of Jenifer Lemaire), Sgt. John G. Campbell (Courtesy of Sheenagh Leggat)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 24th March 1944 Bomber Command mounted an 811 bomber raid on Berlin. The aircraft comprised 577 Lancasters, 216 Halifaxes and 18 Mosquitoes. Of this force 44 Lancasters and 28 Halifaxes were lost.

619 Sqn detailed 18 aircraft for this mission with Plt Off. Thompson and his crew on only their second operational mission, their first had been to Frankfurt two days previously.

This night became known in Bomber Command as ’the night of the strong winds’. A powerful wind from the north carried the bomber streams to the south at every stage of the outbound leg. The stream became very scattered, particularly on the homebound leg and radar-predicted Flak batteries at many places were able to score successes. It was estimated that approximately 50 of the 72 aircraft lost were from Flak and most of the remainder were lost to German night-fighters.

Of the 22 Lancasters that were lost Plt Off. Thompson’s Lancaster was the only one from 619 Sqn.

DV328 was claimed by Lt. Robert H.E. Wolf, his 16th Abschuss, from 2./NJG5 over Potsdam at 5.800 m. at 22:43 hrs.

On the night of the 23rd/24th April 1944 he was KiA when he crashed his Bf110 G-4, C9+AK, at Achim, Germany following combat with a British heavy bomber. DV328 was his last Abschuss.

The aircraft crashed east of Güterfelde, some 21 km (13 mls) SW from the centre of Berlin. All aboard the Lancaster perished.

A Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (MREU) post-war investigation spoke with witnesses who stated that just after midnight on the night of the 23rd/24th March 1944 a large bomber approached Güterfelde at fairly high altitude from the south. It was seen to explode in the air probably as a result of the attack by night fighters, of which many were operating in the area the time.

The aircraft wreckage hit the ground 1½ to 2 km (1 to 1¼ mls) east of Güterfelde on the road to Grossbeeren. The wreckage was scattered over an area 300 m. (330 yards) in length.

The bodies were removed from the wreckage by a Luftwaffe party and buried in coffins in an unnumbered communal grave in the Gutsfriedhof at Güterfelde but no Christian or Military rites were observed. No cross or inscription of any kind was erected over the grave. The remains were recovered and finally laid to rest in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery on the 17th April 1947.

Burial details:

Above: The Berlin 1939 1945 War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Plt Off. Paul Thompson. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.10. Born on the 7th July 1914 in Okaki, Wellington Region. Son of Stuart and Eva Harriet Thompson of New Zealand.

Sgt. Bernard Francis Gratwicke. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Coll. Grave 8.J. 11-12. Born on the 1st July 1912 in West Ham, Essex. His mother’s maiden name was Peck. Husband to Dorothy Mabel (née Pickin) Gratwicke of Essex South Western, Essex, England.

Sgt. John Gordon Campbell. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Coll. Grave 8.J. 11-12. Born on the 7th September 1914 in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Son of Samuel and Jane Moffat (née Armstrong) Campbell of Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Fg Off. Joseph Vincent Leyland. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.8. Grave Inscription: ‘REQUIEM AETERNAM DONA EI, DOMINE; ET LUX PERPETUA LUCEAT EI’. (Translation: ‘GRANT THEM ETERNAL REST. LORD, AMD LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE ON THEM’). Son of Miles and Mary Jane Leyland, of Preston, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. John Desmond Pedley. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Coll. Grave 8.J. 11-12. Next of Kin details not found.

A record for a John D. Pedley who was born in the 1st Qtr of 1922 in Ashton, Lancashire and whose mother’s maiden name was Leonard has been found. Additionally a record for the marriage of a John W. Pedley to Elizabeth P. Leonard in the 3rd Qtr of 1920 in Ashton, Lancashire has been found. Neither of these records have been corroborated.

Sgt. Leonard Minshull. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.7. Grave inscription: ‘HE WASN'T CONTENT RIGHT FROM THE START AND FELT THAT HE MUST PLAY HIS PART’. Born on the 8th June 1914 in Liverpool, Lancashire. Son of Leonard and Mary Minshull, of Liverpool. Husband of Emma Esther (née Hoskinson) Minshull, of Liverpool, England.

Flt Sgt. James Hay. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.9. Grave Inscription: ‘GOD'S GREATEST GIFT, "REMEMBRANCE." BETTY’. Born on the 22nd April 1911 in Powlathanga, Queensland. Son of William Holt and Mabel Gertrude Hay. Husband of Elizabeth Ellinor Hay of Wynnum, Queensland, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Aug 2024). Tentative Next of Kin details for Sgt. Pedley added, along with a photograph of Sgt. Campbell with thanks to his niece Sheenagh Leggat (Nov 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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