Date: 30/31st July 1943 (Friday/Saturday)
Unit: No. 78 Squadron
Type: Halifax II
Serial: JD375
Coded: EY-P
Location: Rengen.
Pilot: Sgt. Derrick Hadwin 1436394 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 22, Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Bernard John Bond 1338770 R.A.F.V.R. Killed
Nav: Sgt. Arthur Bryce Cresswell 1575726 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 24, Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. George Harold Irons 1468380 R.A.F.V.R. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alfred Bryden Radcliffe 1484662 R.A.F.V.R. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Charles Gibson 1397245 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 18, Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Arthur Suffield 1623604 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19; Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 22.10 hours from Breighton. Interesting in that Sgt. John Gibson was amongst the youngest airman killed on bomber operations. Halifax JD375 was part of a 264 four engine heavy bombers and a further 9 Mosquitos dispatched to bomb Remscheid in the Ruhr. 15 were lost.
The raid was classed as an exceptionally accurate one and this area which had never been bombed previously was devastated. 7 of this force were shot down by flak and the other 8 by German night fighter units. This loss was made up of 8 Stirlings, 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters.
During this raid a total of 871 tons of bombs were dropped - 107 industrial buildings were destroyed - 3.115 houses destroyed - 1.120 people killed and a further 6.700 were injured. Post War British Bombing survey estimated that 83% of the town was devastated. This raid cost the Germans 3 months production and never regained previous levels.
Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2 (7 kills to his credit up to this point) claimed to have shot this Halifax down at a height of 5.600 m. This combat took place at 00.56 hrs and the location was described as Rengen, 24km W.N.W. Cochem (Murmeltier). Lt Hagar was a true night fighter ace with a final score of 42 kills by the end of the war. He survived but no further information is available on his post war history.
Sgt. John Charles Gibson (Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R. Society November 2009)
Crash site of Halifax JD375 (Photograph kindly supplied by "Eifelverein Daun" of Germany and Mr Roy Coppack)
Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2 visited the crash site shortly afterwards. (Photograph kindly supplied by "Eifelverein Daun" of Germany and Mr Roy Coppack)
Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2
Kate, mother of Sgt. John Charles Gibson at his grave in the mid sixties. (Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R. Society November 2009)
Telegram sent by Sgt. Gibson's mother to his brother who was an engineer serving in Gibraltar at the time.
(Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R. Society November 2009)
Grave photo's kindly supplied by John Gibson (Relative of Sgt. John Charles Gibson)
Burial Details:
Derrick Hadwin Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Hadwin, of Ulverston, Lancashire.
Bernard John Bond Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
Arthur Bryce Cresswell Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Horace and Matilda Bertha Cresswell, of Rushall, Staffordshire.
George Harold Irons Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
Alfred Bryden Radcliffe Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
John Charles Gibson Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Mrs. Kate Gibson, of St. John's Wood, London.
James Arthur Suffield Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Harry and Elizabeth Terry Suffield, of Harrogate, Yorkshire.
With some great assistance from Peter Gibson. With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
