Berlin

March 1944

24^th

Tonight is Williams Eleventh operation.

811 aircraft - 577 Lancaster’s, 216 Halifaxes, 18 Mosquitos - to Berlin. 72 aircraft - 44 Lancaster’s, 28 Halifaxes – lost.
This night became known in Bomber Command as 'the night of the strong winds'. A powerful wind from the north carried the bombers south at every stage of the flight. Not only was this wind not forecast accurately but it was so strong that the various methods available to warn crews of wind changes during the flight failed to detect the full strength of it. The bomber stream became very scattered, particularly on the homeward flight and radar-predicted flak batteries at many places were able to score successes. Part of the bomber force even strayed over the Ruhr defences on the return flight. It is believed that approximately 50 of the 72 aircraft lost were destroyed by flak; most of the remainder were victims of night fighters. Needless to say, the strong winds severely affected the marking with, unusually, markers being carried beyond the target and well out to the south-west of the city.
This was the last major RAF raid on Berlin during the war, although the city would be bombed many times by small forces of Mosquitos.

147 aircraft from training units carried out a diversionary sweep west of Paris;

27 Mosquitos bombed night-fighter airfields and 15 Mosquitos bombed Duisburg, Kiel and Münster; aircraft of No 100 Group flew 4 RCM sorties and 10 Serrate patrols. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.
9 aircraft dropped supplies to the Resistance without loss.

Squadron 78

23 aircraft detailed for operations, Target Berlin.
March 24 1944 13 aircraft reached and attacked target.
2 aircraft did not take off.

The ground crew prepared and managed to get airborne the LV901, HX241, LV899, LV872, LV868, LV905, LW511, LW520, LK762, LV820, LW510, LV815, LW518, LW515, HX355, LV788, LW589, LV903, LK749, LW507 and LV795.

Handley Page Halifax III

LK749 EY-J

The force crossed Denmark and into the Baltic, crossing the coast near Rostock, then turning East on a course that take them to Berlin.
The primary target was attacked and bombed at 22:37 hour, from a height of 19.000ft. Target identified by green and red TI's , Bombed on the red T.I. On ground. Two large explosions seen on entering target area also on leaving target area.

Returned early

LW511

returned early owing to W/T failure
Furthest point reached mid north sea at 54.19N/02.11E

Returned early

LV901

bombed alternative target SYLT due electrical failure.

Lost on Raid

LW510

Airborne 18.59 from Breighton. On there way back a fix was received at 22:45 hours, also message from aircraft “Returning to base, one engine u/s. Another fix at 22:55 hours when the LW510 got permission to land at Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Aircraft crashed one mile ahead of runway
All crew were killed. Four were taken to Cambridge City Cemetery for burial, the rest were taken to their home towns for burial. Sgt. Neal and Sgt. Nelson both came from Liverpool and both are buried beside each other in Anfield Cemetery. F/O M.A.Wimberley KIA Sgt. H.J.Neil KIA F/S W.H.Shields KIA f/O R.S.Kelly RAAF KIA Sgt. L.J.Edge KIA Sgt. D.H.A.Brignell KIA Sgt. H.R.Nelson KIA

Lost by Flak

LW518 EY-A

Airborne 19.02 hour from Breighton, reported missing.
Shortly after completing the bomb-run and setting course for
base, shot down by Flak, crashing at Fahlhorst,
7 km W of Ludwigsfelde. All were buried 28Mar44 at
Fahlhorst. Their graves are now located in the Berlin 1939-45
War Cemetery. F/S H.K.Barden KIA Sgt. F.Curtis KIA F/O A.Lees KIA F/S N.S.Davidson RCAF KIA F/S V.W.Spencer KIA Sgt. J.A.Lincoln KIA Sgt. P.D.Cleal RCAF KIA

Lost in Combat

HX355 EY-D

Airborne 18.50 hour from Breighton, reported missing.
Badly shot about over the target area by a night-fighter and later abandoned near Den Haag. The Halifax crashed in the North Sea near Oostvoorne (Zuid-Holland) some 4 km ENE of Brielle. F/L E.W.Everett PoW Sgt. K.H.Jones PoW Sgt. J.R.Stewart PoW F/O J.K.M.Green PoW Sgt. J.E.Johnson PoW Sgt. J.R.Graham PoW P/O A.P.Sinden PoW F/L E.W.Everett was interned in Camp L1 with F/O J.K.M.Green. No POW Nos, Sgt. J.R.Graham, POW No.3993 and Sgt. Stewardess, POW No.4025. Sgt. Johnstone in Camps 4B/L1, POW No.3993. Sgt. Jones in Camps L3/L1, POW No.3998. P/O Independent was captured at Rockland, Holland, 20Dec44 and interned in Camp L1. No POW No.

Lost in Combat

LW589 EY-G

Airborne 18.41 hour from Breighton, reported missing.
Flew well S of track on the return and was eventually shot down by a night-fighter, crashing at les Hautes Rivieres (16 km NE of Charleville-Mézières, France. All are buried in les Hautes Rivieres Communal cemetery. F/S H.Jackson KIA Sgt P.J.S.Crawford KIA Sgt J.Dear KIA Sgt J.Smith KIA Sgt H.D.Patchett KIA Sgt R.W.McNeil RCAF KIA Sgt W.G.Baker KIA "

Lost in Combat

LV903 EY-H

Airborne 18.58 hour from Breighton, reported missing.
Cause of loss and crash-site not established. Those killed are buried in the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery. F/L D.F.Constable DFC RAAF KIA F/S G.T.A.Lovell KIA Sgt D.T.Cash KIA Sgt C.M.McLeod PoW Sgt T.Ratcliffe KIA F/O H.A.Mace PoW Sgt E.T.W.Byford KIA F/S T.L.Schioler RCAF KIA F/O H.A.Mace was interned in Camp L1, PoW No.4104. Sgt C.M.McLeod in Camps L6/357, PoW No.3262.

Lost in Combat

LW507 EY-K

Airborne 18.54 hour from Breighton reported missing.
Cause of loss not established. Crashed in the near vicinity of Berlin, where Sgt Smith and Sgt Daniels are now buried in the city's 1939- 1945 War Cemetery. Sgt Middleton was able to convey a message from his PoW Camp indicating the German authorities had allowed two of the surviving crew to attend the funerals. Sgt B.T.Smith KIA Sgt T.Willis PoW Sgt L.W.Edwards PoW Sgt H.Middleton PoW Sgt S.Johnson PoW sgt L.Daniels KIA Sgt R.J.Finn RCAF PoW Sgt L.W.Edwards spent three days in Berlin's Spandau Prison before being interned in Camps L6/L4, PoW No.3367, with Sgt R.J.Finn, PoW No.3369 and Sgt H.Middleton, PoW No.3371. Sgt S.Johnson in Camps L6/357, PoW No.3370 with Sgt T.Willis, PoW No.3368.

March 1944

25^th

No operation or standby for squadron 78