Date: 10/11th September 1942
Unit: No. 22 O.T.U.
Type: Wellington IC
Serial: X9932
Code: - ?
Base: R.A.F. Stratford-Upon-Avon
Location: Osterwick
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Daniel Lawrence Pablo R/109023 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
Obs 1: Sgt. Charles Edward Pollard R/123260 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed
Obs 2: P/O. Clifford Roy Sullivan J/85162 R.C.A.F. Age 19. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Wallace Hayden Johnson R/82881 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Eddie Stanley Joseph McCasky R/110750 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed (1)
(1) McCasky Lake in Manitoba is named after Sgt. McCasky
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Stratford-Upon-Avon at 20.30 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.
The pathfinders marked the target area successfully using the "Pink Pansies" (2) 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.
Sgt. Eddie Stanley Joseph McCasky (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.
Wellington IC X9932 was shot down by Lt August Geiger from 8./NJG1 at a height of 4,000 mtrs. 1 km East of Osterwick at 00.02hrs. Hptm. Geiger (49 kills) was later shot down by W/Cmr Bob Braham D.S.O. D.F.C. from 141 Beaufighter squadron over Ljsselmeer on September 29/30th 1943.
Sgt. Charles Edward Pollard with his grandfather Anthony Pollard (Courtesy Thomas Pollard)
(2) "Pink Pansies" an incendiary bomb - 2,800 lb.'s. - used as a target marker made up from Benzol, rubber and phosphorous)
Sgt. Charles Edward Pollard (Courtesy Thomas Pollard)
Lt. August Geiger on right with Hptm. Lutje (A.R.S. archives)
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (Courtesy C.W.G.C.)
Burial details:
Crew originally buried in the Parich Cemetery, Osterwick, Germany then exhumed and buried as below:
Fl/Sgt. Daniel Lawrence Pablo. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll grave 12. D. 8-11
Son of Lawrence Edward and Pearl Pablo, of Emo, Montana, U.S.A.
Sgt. Charles Edward Pollard. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll grave 12. D. 8-11
Son of Charles Edward Pollard and Laura Pollard (Nee Hole), husband of Reta May Titus, of 271 Harvie Avenue, Toronto, Canada.
P/O. Clifford Roy Sullivan. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll grave 12. D. 8-11
Son of Bernard and Frances Sullivan, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. Wallace Hayden. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll grave 12. D. 8-11
Son of William Clifford Johnson and Mabel Gethin Johnson, of Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt. Eddie Stanley Joseph McCasky. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Coll grave 12. D. 8-11
No further details as yet.
Further information supplied by Colin Bamford A.R.S. volunteer. With thanks to Thomas Pollard, nephew of Sgt. Charles Pollard for photographs.
Acknowledgments: With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses" Vol 3, Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries", Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt "Bomber Command War Diaries", the superb work of the C.W.G.C.
