Date: 10th September 1942 (Thursday)
Unit: No. 22 O.T.U.
Type: Wellington IC
Serial: R1616
Code: - ?
Base: R.A.F. Stratford-Upon-Avon
Location: Biervliet, Holland
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. John Daniel Williams R/79368 R.C.A.F. Age 30. Killed
Obs: P/O. William Thomas Beilby McBratney J/85161 R.C.A.F. Age 28. Killed (1)
Air/Bmr: Sgt. William Thomas Cranna R/93683 R.C.A.F. Age 26. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles Herbert Leslie Bell R/94770 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Raymond Woods Hughes R/99971 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Killed
(1) McBratney Lake in Manitoba is named after P/O McBratney
(2) Bell Coulee in Saskatchewan is named after Sgt. Bell
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Stratford-Upon-Avon at 20.05 hrs to bomb Düsseldorf. A huge force took off - a total of 479 aircraft mad up with 242 Wellington's, 89 Lancaster's, 59 Halifax's, 47 Stirling's, 28 Hampden's and 14 Whitley's.
Fl/Sgt. John Daniel Williams (A.R.S. archives)
The pathfinders marked the target area successfully using the "Pink Pansies" (3) in converted 4,000 lb. bomb casings. The city was hit in all areas apart from the north, also hit was the neighbouring town of Neuss. Reports are that 39 industrial firms in Düsseldorf and a further 13 in Neuss were damaged to the extent that no production could take place for various periods, 8 public buildings were destroyed and 67 damaged. 911 houses were also destroyed, 1,506 seriously damaged and another 8,340 lightly damaged.
P/O. William Thomas Beilby McBratney (Courtesy Colin Bamford)
On the ground 132 people were killed, made up of 120 in Düsseldorf and 12 in Neuss. A further 11 people were classed as "missing" 2 days after the raid. 19,427 people were made homeless.
The raid took it's toll on the R.A.F. though with 33 aircraft lost. (20 Wellington's, 5 Lancaster's. 4 Stirling's, 3 Halifaxes and 1 Hampden) 60 crewmen were killed, 1 injured and 13 made P.O.W.
Oblt. Albert Schulz (A.R.S. archives)
Wellington IC R1616 was shot down by Oblt. Albert Schulz from 1./NJG2 at a height of 4,500 mtrs. South West of Biervliet at 23.45hrs. He became a night-fighter ace with a total of 10 kills (plus another during daylight) before he was killed on the 30th January 1944 during combat with B-17'S over Bodenwerder. (full story regarding his loss "HERE")
(3) "Pink Pansies" an incendiary bomb - 2,800 lbs - used as a target marker made up from Benzol, rubber and phosphorous)
Burial details:
Fl/Sgt. John Daniel Williams. Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery Row C. Grave 25
Son of Percy and Madeline Daisy Williams; husband of Margaret Mary Williams, of Verdun, Province of Quebec, Canada.
P/O. William Thomas Beilby McBratney. Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery Row C. Grave 27
Son of Howard A. and Edith G. McBratney, of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada.
Sgt. William Thomas Cranna. Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery Row C. Grave 24
Son of Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Cranna of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
Sgt. Charles Herbert Leslie Bell. Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery Row C. Grave 30
Son of William Herbert and Florence Kate Bell, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. Raymond Woods Hughes. Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery Row C. Grave 26
Son of Thomas James Hughes and Eva Lydia Green Hughes, of Kent Bridge, Ontario, Canada.
Researched by: Kelvin T. Youngs, David King (A.R. Society) With further information supplied by Colin Bamford.
With thanks to; Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses" Vol 7, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt (Bomber Command War diaries) C.W.G.C. Theo Boiten - "Nachtjagd War Diaries" Vol 1.
