Operation: Essen

Date: 1/2nd June 1942

Unit: 106 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: R5844

Code: ZN:?

Base: RAF Coningsby

Location: Crashed at Homburg, Germany

Pilot: Plt.Off. John Allan Worswick DFC. 116145 RAFVR Age 27. Killed

Pilot 2: Sgt. Robert Isaac Hart 1312986 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Obs: WO. George Robson DFM. 562271 RAF Age 31. KIlled

WOp/Air Gnr: Plt.Off. Alfred George Bake DFM. 48692 RAF Age 25. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Downie Brown 981758 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

Air Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Ernest Hodgson 524685 RAF Age 28. Killed

Air Gnr: Sgt. William Lewis Lambert 906679 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 00:45 hrs from RAF Coningsby to attack Essen.

The second raid in the 1000 bomber raids although the full quota could not be mustered on this night - 956 aircraft did take part made up from 545 Wellington's, 127 Halifaxes, 77 Stirlings, 74 Lancaster's, 71 Hampden's, 33 Manchester's and 29 Whitley's did make up the force.

The ground was covered in haze or low cloud resulting in very scattered bombing. Reports from Essen stated that 11 houses were destroyed and 184 damaged. A PoW camp was burnt out - this all resulted in 15 people killed and 91 injured. The scattering of the bombing also killed 83 people in Oberhausen, 52 killed in Dusberg and 15 killed in Mulheim.

The loss to the allied consisted of 15 Wellington's, 8 Halifaxes, 4 Lancasters 1 Hampden, 1 Manchester, 1 Stirling and 1 Whitley lost.

106 Sqn Lancaster R5844 was hit by 3./Res. Flak Abt.394 and impacted at Homberg at 02:07 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (30 May - 31 December 1942) The Early Years Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Burial details:

Plt.Off. John Allan Worswick DFC. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.13. Son of Benjamin Harold Mozart Worswick and Louisa Worswick, husband of Margaret Worswick, of Simonstone, Lancashire, England.

DFC Awarded with effect 14th May 1942 whilst with 106 Sqn (since deceased), Gazetted 12th March 1943.

Sgt. Robert Isaac Hart. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.12. Son of Jack and Sadie Hart, of Bow, London, England.

WO. George Robson DFM. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.11. Son of John William and Hannah Robson, of Benwell, Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Plt.Off. Alfred George Bake DFM. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.15. Son of Gilbert Victor and Mary Ann Bake, husband of Mary Agnes Bake, of Burnage, Lancashire, England.

DFM awarded as a Flt.Sgt. 525381 whilst with 50 Sqn, Gazetted 22 November 1940.

Sgt. John Downie Brown. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.9. Son of John Cummock Brown and Louisa Hutchison Downie Brown, of Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Thomas Ernest Hodgson. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.10. Son of Thomas Ernest and Ruth Hodgson, of Darlington, Co. Durham, England.

Sgt. William Lewis Lambert. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 30.E.14. Son of William and Edith Eleanor Lambert, of Ashton Gate, Bristol, England.

Researched with material supplied by John Beairsto. For David Bake, son of Plt.Off. Alfred George Bake DFM and other relatives of the crew. Also special thanks to Peter Fraser (nephew of WO. George Robson DFM) and to his family for photo's supplied.

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