Date: 30/31st August 1943
Unit: No: 427 Squadron
Type: Halifax V
Serial: LK629
Coded: ZL-F
Location: Antwerp
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Bernard John Buxton 1034932 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 21, Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Norman Jones Huxley 820050 R.A.F. (Auxiliary) Age 26, Killed
Nav: W/O II. J. Robertson R/103625 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed
Air/Bmr: W/O II. Clement Cahill R/102903 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O II. Harold Cruse Pithie R/101308 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. William John Breen R/58998 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed (1)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Robert Anton Fraser R/176127 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed (2)
(1) Breen Island in Burntwood Lake Manitoba is named after Sgt. Breen
(2) Fraser Lake in Saskatchewan is named after Sgt. Fraser
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Leeming, Yorkshire at 2358 hrs as part of a 660 string force to bomb Münchengladbach, Germany. Visibility was good this night and the pathfinders mission was classed as almost perfect. The bombing was very concentrated and although German reports are only short a total of 1,059 buildings were destroyed - 171 industrial, 19 military, 869 domestic with 117 people killed on the ground.
25 aircraft were lost on this raid - 8 Halifax's, 7 Lancaster's, 6 Stirlings and 4 Wellingtons. It is thought possible that LK629 was shot down by Lt. Walter Schön of Stab 1./NJG1 who engaged LK629 at a height of 4,200m and the aircraft crashed at 03.50 hrs 10 KM South West of Antwerp. Lt. Schön who was already a Luftwaffe night fighter ace at this time (A total of 9 before his death) was killed on the 20/21st October 1943 at Gross-Ballersetd near Stendal airfield after air combat.
It was claimed by the allies that the bombers shot down 8 Luftwaffe night fighters during this raid and that they were attacked a further 33 times after the raid had been completed and on their return leg.
Pilot of LK629 Halifax Fl/Sgt. Bernard John Buxton
Some of the crew with W/O II. Pithie 3rd from the left, back row. (Remainder unidentified as yet) of Halifax LK629
Burial Details:
Bernard John Buxton Schoonselhof Cemetery Grave. IVa, B.17
Son of Charles F. and Dorothy N. M. Buxton, of Seaton Ross, Yorkshire
Norman Jones Huxley Schoonselhof Cemetery Grave. IVa, B.28
Son of Richard Ikin and Nellie, of Altrincham, Cheshire
J. Robertson Schoonselhof Cemetery Grave. IVa, B.29
Son of Warrender Henderson and Isabella Taylor, of Banff, Alberta, Canada
Clement Cahill Schoonselhof Cemetery Special Memorial. Grave. IVa, B.26
Son of Clement Joseph and Catharine Cecilia, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Harold Cruse Pithie Schoonselhof Cemetery Special Memorial. Grave. IVa, B.25
Son of Alexander Taylor and Annie Maria (Nee Cruse) of Vancouver, Canada
William John Breen Schoonselhof Cemetery Special Memorial. Grave. IVa, B.17
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Breen of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Robert Anton Fraser Schoonselhof Cemetery Grave. IVa, B.27
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fraser of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
With thanks to Jim Henderson, second cousin to Harold Cruse Pithie for further information and corrections and to Joseph Sullivan for much of this information and some of the photographs and to Theo Bolton for the information of Luftwaffe night fighter claims also thanks to the C.W.G.C. for the burial details. Also thanks to Mike Harrison for Buxton grave photo.
