Date: 30th April / 1st May 1943
Unit: No. 106 Squadron
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: ED451
Code: ZN-O
Base: Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Location: Wulfen, Germany
Pilot: Sgt. Sydney Abel 1335643 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 21. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. John Gordon Alderson R/89283 R.C.A.F. Age. 22. Killed
Nav: P/O. Vincent Anthony Nono 127018 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 33. Killed
Air/Bmr: P/O. Stanley Plaskett 145328 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles Malcolm Harrower 1377395 R.A.F.V.R. Age 31. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alfred Lionel Barber 1200694 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 34. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Douglas Brown 1004817 R.A.F.V.R. Age. 21. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.55 hrs from Syerston, Nottinghamshire - part of a force made up of 305 aircraft (190 Lancaster's, 105 Halifax's and 10 Mosquitoes) to attack the city of Essen. The raid was considered a success despite the cloud cover this night. No bombing photographs were available but 238 crews reported that they had bombed Essen. 189 buildings were destroyed, 237 severely damaged. The Krupps factory was hit again and 53 people on the ground were killed and a further 218 injured.
The raid cost the RAF 12 aircraft (6 Lancaster's and 6 Halifax's) 81 crewmen were killed, 2 injured and a further 17 made P.O.W.
It is thought that ED451 had been taken down by flak as no reports from the German night fighter have claimed this loss (they claimed 3 x Halifax's and 3 x Lancaster's). The bombing commenced at 02.31 hrs and continued until 03.19 hrs. on the 1st May.
The Aircrew Remembrance Society are pleased to announce that we are in contact with relatives of some of the crew members and have introduced them to one another having never met!
Top left: Sgt. Sydney Abel (Courtesy Geoffrey Bibby - relative of Sydney) Center: Sgt. Charles Malcolm Harrower Right: Sgt. Douglas Brown (Courtesy John Leaf - relative of Sydney)
Left to right: G/Crew, G/Crew, Sgt. Harrower, G/Crew, P/O. Plaskett, G/Crew, Sgt. Barber (Courtesy John Leaf - relative of Sydney)
The crew of Lancaster ED451. Left to right: Sgt. Brown, P/O. Plaskett, P/O. Nono, Sgt. Alderson, Sgt. Abel, Sgt. Harrower and Sgt. Barber
Above left: Sgt. Alfred Lionel Barber (Courtesy Mike Harrison) Right: Sgt. John Gordon Alderson (Courtesy John Leaf - relative of Sydney)
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (C.W.G.C)
Burial details:
Sgt. Sydney Abel. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 12.
Son of Hugh Stanley Abel, and of Lily Abel, of Stretford, Lancashire.
Sgt. John Gordon Alderson. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 13.
Son of W. T. and Elspeth Alderson, of Alliston, Ontario, Canada.
P/O. Vincent Anthony Nono. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 10.
Son of Joseph and Nora Nono; husband of Jean Ramsay Henry Nono.
P/O. Stanley Plaskett. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 11.
Son of Clive and Margaret Jane Plaskett, of Bangor, Caernarvonshire.
Sgt. Charles Malcolm Harrower. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 14.
Son of Alexander and Isabella Harrower; husband of Mary A. Harrower, of Coldstream, Berwickshire.
Sgt. Alfred Lionel Barber. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 8-9.
Son of Alfred Thomas Barber, and of Elizabeth Barber, of East Dereham, Norfolk.
Sgt. Douglas Brown. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. 17. B. 8-9.
Son of David and Fanny Rae Brown; nephew of Mrs. M. Carson, of Kirkcudbright.
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
