Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 31st August/1st September 1943 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 61 Squadron (motto: Per purum tonantes - 'Thundering through the clear air')

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JB132

Code: QR:M

Base: RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire

Location: Between Southwell and Bleasby, Nottinghamshire.

Pilot: Sqn Ldr. Dennis Crosby Wellburn DFC, 40965 RAFO Age 27. KiA

2nd Pilot: Fg Off. Roy Leslie Clarke 408968 RAAF Age 26. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. John Knox Watson 1369957 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Navigator: Sgt. John Reid Forrest 658923 RAFVR Age 31. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Lt. Richard Edward Davies 67648 RAFVR Age 31. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Jack Blackett 1092940 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Fg Off. Trevor Francis Joyce 107718 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Air Gnr Rear): Sgt. Alan Paterson 639330 RAF Age 25. KiA

Crew listed on the wonderful Bleasby Aircrew Memorial

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire at 20:08 hrs. to attack the heart of Germany - Berlin.

622 aircraft took part made up from 331 Lancasters, 176 Halifaxes, 106 Stirlings and 9 Mosquitoes. Due to the use for the first time of fighter flares dropped by German aircraft to mark the route of the bombers, the German night-fighters made many attacks on the bomb run. This resulted in huge losses to the Allies with 47 aircraft lost - 10 Lancasters, 17 Stirlings and 20 Halifaxes.

Tentative identification of the crew from left to right: Unknown, Flt Lt. Davies, Sqn Ldr Wellburn DFC, Sgt. Paterson, Unknown, Unknown (Photograph courtesy Ken Ogilvie)

The raid was hampered by cloud and the very heavy defences around the German capital and the raid was considered as not very successful - 85 homes were destroyed, and only 1 industrial building was damaged. 66 civilians were killed and 2 German soldiers with another 109 injured - nearly 3,000 people were made homeless which resulted in Goebels ordering the evacuation of Berlin of all children and adults not engaged in war work to country areas.

The loss of allied crews on this raid amounted to: 237 Aircrew killed, 102 made Prisoners of War with 3 others evading capture.

Lancaster III JB182 (courtesy Ken Ogilvie)

Above: No. 25 Bombing Leader Course:

Rear: Sgt. Mercer, Flt Sgt. Simmons, Sgt. Taylor, Plt Off. Woodward, Plt Off. Smith, Sgt. Grandy, Plt Off. Barrett, Sgt. Tindall. Front: Plt Off. Fisher, Plt Off. Nicholl, Fg Off. Wakefield, Plt Off. Servos, Plt Off. Davies, Plt Off. Rees and Plt Off. Grove. (courtesy Valerie Davies Arends)

Note: does anyone recognise others in this photograph, perhaps a page of remembrance could be added to them if you have additional information?

On the night of 31st August/1st September 1943 JB132 took off on operations from RAF Syerston and was expected to return at approx. 03:15 hrs.

Lancaster I R5698 UG:P of 1654 Conversion Unit (CU) took off on the name night on a training cross country exercise and was due back at RAF Wigsley at about 02:40 hrs.

At 03:26 hrs the two aircraft collided at a height of 1500 ft in a position 4 miles NW of RAF Syerston. An explosion and fire occurred in mid-air and all members of the two crew were killed. The collision was almost head-on when the aircraft were flying Northerly and Southerly direction respectively and it can be assumed from the evidence that they were both burning navigation lights. There were a number of other aircraft flying in the vicinity of RAF Syerston at the time of the accident. Cloud was 10/10 at 3000 to 4000 ft. The night was very dark and there appeared to be some mist below the cloud layer although visibility at ground level was reported to be 4 miles.

In the opinion of the Court of Enquiry was that the collision was due to the failure of both crews to keep a sufficiently good look-out when flying in a comparatively congested area on a very dark night. There was no doubt that fatigue after many hours flying must have been a contributory cause.

Burial details:

Above: Sqn Ldr. Dennis Crosby Wellburn DFC (courtesy Ken Ogilvie via the Wellburn family)\

Sqn Ldr. Dennis Crosby Wellburn DFC. Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. Sec. F. Grave 313. Grave inscription: "NEVER IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN CONFLICT WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW". Son of Stephen C. Wellburn and Jane Wellburn, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The DFC was awarded, posthumously, to Acting Sqn Ldr. whilst with 61 Sqn. London Gazette 15th October 1943.

Fg Off. Roy Leslie Clarke. Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. Sec. F. Grave 313A. Grave inscription: "AN AUSTRALIAN HERO LOVED AND REMEMBERED BY HIS LOVED ONES". Born on the 1st February 1917 in Elsternwick, Victoria. Son of Alfred James Clarke and Rebecca Ann Clarke, of Hastings, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. John Knox Watson. East Calder Churchyard. Sec E. Northern Ext. Grave 67. Son of George and Catherine Watson, of Mid Calder, West Lothian, Scotland.

Sgt. John Reid Forrest. Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. Sec. F. Grave 311. Grave inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF JACK FROM SON, PARENTS AND SISTER". Son of John and Margaret Forrest, of Glasgow, Scotland. Husband of Mary Forrest.

Flt Lt. Richard Edward Davies. Streatham Park Cemetery. Square 26. Grave 36708. Son of Richard and Margaret Alice Davies; husband of Elizabeth May Davies, of West Wickham, Kent, England.

Above as described and his 'flask' for the long cold trips (courtesy Jon Hughes)

Sgt. Jack Blackett. Durham (St. Giles) Churchyard. Grave 760. Grave inscription: “HE ANSWERED THE CALL.” Son of Robert William and Mary Blackett of Durham, England.

Fg Off. Trevor Francis Joyce. Newark-Upon-Trent Cemetery. Sec. F. Grave 312. Grave inscription: "HE SHALL GATHER THE LAMBS WITH HIS ARM, AND CARRY THEM IN HIS BOSOM ISA. 40. 11". Son of Percy Francis and Amy Mabel Grace Joyce, of Ruislip, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Alan Paterson. Montrose (Sleepyhillock) Cemetery. Sec. 6. Class A. Grave 113. Son of John Wright Paterson and Martha Guthrie Paterson, of Glendevon, Perthshire, Scotland. Husband of Margaret Smart Paterson, of Montrose, Scotland. Private grave inscription.

Further details of location sent by Ken Ogilvie:

Above Signatures on rear of the above group photograph

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Ken Ogilvie, Valerie Davies Arends, Sheila Hughes, also to Malcolm Barrass at Raf Web. Thanks also to John Wilson for the update to the callsign (Jul 2018). Also to relatives of Alan Paterson and the hundreds of unnamed people who have made the Bleasby Aircrews Memorial (Sep 2018). Crew photograph added by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) (Oct 2019). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Dec 2023).

Other sources listed below:.

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