Operation: Duisburg

Date: 20/21st December 1942 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 9 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ED347

Code: WS-N

Base: RAF Waddington

Location: 3 km. North West of Oosterhout

Pilot: Sgt. John William Tyreman 1316919 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Sykes 1014079 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

Nav: F/O. James William Lynes 118825 RAFVR Age 28. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Harold Burrows Stokes 1377473 RAFVR Age 31. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Harry George Ford 1291154 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Hill 1326399 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Clive Wing 1323417 RAFVR Age 18. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:00 hrs from RAF Waddington to bomb the city of Duisburg together with some 232 aircraft - 111 Lancasters, 56 Halifaxes, 39 Wellingtons and 26 Stirlings.

Results of the operations were reported as good with considerable damage to the target.

Lt. Erich Richter of 2./NJG1 claimed this at 20:21 hrs with the Lancaster coming down some 3 km. north west of Oosterhout. This was his first claim of the war. He was killed the following month on the 17/18th January 1943 after baling out south of Houten. (see Kracker Luftwaffe Archive on this Site)

9 Squadron lost another crew on this operation:

Lancaster I W4182 WS-B Flown by 32 year old, P/O. Leslie Charles Hazell 139323 RAFVR from Northwood Hills, Middlesex, England - killed with all 6 other crew members after being involved in a collision with a 44 Squadron Lancaster I W4259 KM-P Flown by P/O. Anthony Charles Elger of Alton, Hampshire, England - killed with all 6 other crew. Both aircraft fell at Canwick Road, Bracebridge Heath south of Lincoln, England.

Crew grave photo taken by Ian Morgan for Aircrew Remembered - April 2016

Burial details:

Sgt. John William Tyreman. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 90. Son of John William and Ethel Tyreman, husband of Dorothy Vera Tyreman, of South Cerney, Gloucestershire, England. (B.Sc.- Leeds).

Sgt. John Sykes. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 92. Son of George Bertram and Mary Elizabeth Sykes, of Heaton, Bradford, Yorkshire, England.

F/O. James William Lynes. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 91. Husband of Margaret Lane (1918-1986) Father of Liz Stuart-Lyon who, he sadly never saw, Liz was born 5 weeks after his loss.

Sgt. Harold Burrows Stokes. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 94. Son of Samuel and Polly Stokes, husband of Dorothy Helena Elsie Stokes, of Rochester, Kent, England.

Sgt. Harry George Ford. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 93. Son of Edward George and Edith Ford, of Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England.

Sgt. James Hill. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 95. Son of John and Mary Hill, of Manchester, husband of Norah Hill, of Higher Blackley, Manchester, England.

Sgt. George Clive Wing. Oosterhout Protestant Cemetery. Grave 96. Son of George Henry and L. Wing, of Hampton, Middlesex, England.

Sources as quoted below.Thanks to With thanks Liz Stuart-Lyon who contacted Aircrew Remembered in November 2016. Also to Traces of War for memorial photo.