Date: 12/13th June 1943
Unit: 408 Squadron (Goose)
Type: Halifax II
Serial: JB790
Coded: EQ-V
Location: Burgsteinfurt
Pilot: Fl/Lt. George Russell Large J/9688 R.C.A.F. Age; 25. P.O.W. No: 1502. Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria (1)
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Thomas Leith-Ross 1487121 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 19. Killed
Nav: Sgt. Albert Frederick Rayment R/121901 R.C.A.F. P.O.W No: 230 Stalag Lemsdorf
Air/Bmr: F/O. Francis Lloyd Milburn J/20816 R.C.A.F. Age; 23. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Norman Bainblatt R/133514 R.C.A.F. P.O.W No: 25 Stalag Lemsdorf
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Joseph Elland Forest R/96860 R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No: 30 Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria
Air/Gnr: Sgt. David Hester Hutchinson R/137936 R.C.A.F. P.O.W. No: 174 Stalag Lemsdorf
(1) P.O.W. But later killed by Allied fighter aircraft who strafed a prisoner of war column on the 16th. April 1945.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.39 hrs from Leeming, Yorkshire to join a massive attack of 503 aircraft on Bochum. Weather conditions were favourable (small amounts of cloud, moderate visibility and a half moon). Some 24 aircraft failed to return home.
It was shot down by Hptm. Egmont Prinz zur Lippe Weissenfeld of III./NJG1 at 01.22 at 15,000 ft over Sellen, 3 km North West of Burgsteinfurt. He was killed later in the war on 12th March 1944 along with his crew in the Belgian Ardennes during a transit flight in bad weather. Credited with 49 kills.
It is likely that due to the recent visit of relatives to the crash site and the great assistance provided by German researchers further information may well be added to this and other articles.
Amazing photographs recently supplied to relatives on a visit to the crash site. (Courtesy Hazel Ross-Hughes)
Scene of the crash site 2010. (Courtesy Hazel Ross-Hughes)
Hazel Ross-Hughes (left) with eye witness of the crash Herr Werdeling
For further pictures please click "HERE"
Police report (Courtesy Hazel Ross-Hughes)
Police report (Kindly translated by Rüdiger Kaufmann - the A.R. Society researcher in Germany)
Burgsteinfurt, the 13th of June 1943
Concerns: Shooting down of an enemy aircraft
On 13.6.43, at about 13.30 hrs an enemy airplane was shot down over the city area. This plane crashed near the House side Werding at Stellen No. 101 and burned almost completely out.
Our Fire fighters came immediately to the crash site and fought the fire. Also the Police, Gendamerie, Stadtwacht and Landwacht (Local organisations in City and Country like the Volkssturm in1945) were used for a barrier and searching for jumped out flyers. The airplane dropped their bombs shortly before the crash at farmland near Veltrup in the grounds of farmer Schulze-Veltrup. One of these bombs exploded near the high voltage power line (50000 and 10000 Volts) and cut them out of service. Apart from this there was a unexploded LB30 and other unexploded Bombs at the ground near the Power line.
The VEW (Electricity Company) is still waiting with there until all bombs are eliminated. The bomb squad from Münster was informed immediately. The dangerous area is protected by a guard of the Stadtwacht and signs.
Three enemy flyers were captured at the city area of Emsdetten. A further flyer landed with parachute at the Bauernschaft (area) Hollich near the House side of farmer Tetenborg. Some flyers still not captured. Additionally one flyer was burned in the plane. One dead flyer was found in the woods between Werdeling and Palstring at Stellen.
There must be 7 flyers in this plane. Therefore two flyers are missing. The local Police stations at Borghorst, Neuenkirchen and Wettringen were asked for support. Alerts to the authorities were made by Police officer Husken from Sch. D. R. (Schutzpolizei des Reiches).
Sign Kühn
Master of the Schutzpolizei
Sgt. Thomas Leith-Ross Flight Engineer JB790
Message from the A.R. Society and also shown below in German (Apologies for my poor translation)
Egmont Prinz zur Lippe Weissenfeld and right Commemorative headstone in Canada to Francis Lloyd Milburn
Burial Details:
Fl/Lt. Thomas Leith-Ross Reichswald Forest Cemetery. 24.D.16. (Shown above right)
Son of James Alexander and Margaret, of Carclinty, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland.
F/O. Francis Lloyd Milburn Reichswald Forest Cemetery. 24.D.15.
Son of Frank and Bena Milburn, of St. Vital, Manitoba, Canada.
(1) George Russell Large Adegem War Cemetery. X1.H.4. (Shown above left)
Son of Alexander Russell Large, and of Florence Lillian Large, of Makaroff, Manitoba; husband of Isabelle Kathleen Large.
ORB Copy and photo of Sgt. Thomas Leith-Ross kindly supplied to the Aircrew Remembrance Society by the niece Hazel Ross-Hughes. 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.
