A very bad week for Wickenby crews, with 7 aircraft lost, 41 aircrew killed, 7 becoming POW’s and one evading capture. Three attacks were made, 2 to Frankfurt where one 626 Sqn aircraft and all her crew were killed, and one to Berlin, where 12 Sqn lost 4 aircraft and 626 Sqn 2 aircraft – more detail is below.
The attack on Berlin, which was the last major attack made on that city during the war, was known as the “night of the strong winds”, which were much more powerful than predicted causing many aircraft to be blown off course and into heavy flak areas, which caused a large proportion of the losses. In all, Bomber Command lost 72 aircraft on this one operation, a loss rate of 8.9% – Wickenby’s loss rate was 20%.
Extract from Station Diary
Fg Off George Kewley (5th from left standing) who was killed, with all his crew, during the attack on Frankfurt on 22/23 March 1944Flt Lt John Bracewell, DFC, aged 23, the son of Tom & Olive Mildred Bracewell of Burnley, Lancashire, and his crew, who were all killed during the Berlin operation on 24/25 March 1944. Pilot – (4) F/L J.H. cewell DFC, Flight Engineer – Sgt A W Varrie, (5) Navigator – F/O D.A. Colombo DFC, (3) Bomb Aimer – F/O A.B. Hunter, Wireless Operator – (2) F/O R.H. Stevens, Mid-upper Gunner – Sgt. H. N. Norton, Rear Gunner – Sgt. C. W. HicksFS Colin Bates and his crew who were shot down during the Berlin raid – only Bates and McPherson survived as POW’s – Standing L to R – Sgt Peter Hendon – F/E, Sgt Ronald Plant – W/O, F/Sgt JA (Freddie) Brammall – Nav, Sgt David Brown – RG Seated L to R – Sgt HF (Mac) McPherson – BA, F/Sgt Colin (Skip) J Bates – Pilot, Sgt Peter Emms – MUGSgt Alf Summers (centre wearing bobble hat), the mid-upper gunner in Fg Off Hentsch’s aircraft that was shot down during the Berlin operation. This photograph was taken in a German POW camp.Most of the crew of Wg Cdr Ross’s aircraft that was lost during the Berlin attack, Fred Bladon was their normal pilot, but Wg Cdr Ross (OC 626 Sqn) flew that night – Tom Bint first left, Cecil (Nat) Nathanson is next, then Canadian Johnny Gibson, Aussie F/Sgt Stan Jones, Pilot Officer Fred Bladon and the wireless operator F/Sgt (Chris) Christie extreme right.
Extract from 12 Sqn Appendix to Operational Record Book
Extract from 626 Sqn Appendix to Operational Record Book
RAF Wickenby - This week in history - World War 2 