Date: 31st August-1st September 1943
Unit: No. 12 Squadron
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: DV185
Code: PH-D
Base: Wickenby
Location: Töppel, N.W. Zerbst
Pilot : Sgt. Harry Machin 1166970 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Fl/ Eng: Sgt. Peter Holloway 1714832 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Nav: Sgt. Frank Lennard 1323750 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Edward Vivian Potter 42106 R.N.Z.A.F. Age 23. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Albert Purcell 1475172 R.A.F.V.R. Age 27. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Edwin Fuller Harris 1582089 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Glynn Jones 1500880 R.A.F.V.R. Age 29. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
This crew were all posted from 1656 H.C.U to 12 Squadron on the 15th August 1943.
Took off at 20.15 hrs from Wickenby to attack the heart of Germany - Berlin. 622 aircraft took part made up from 331 Lancaster's, 176 Halifax's, 106 Stirling's and 9 Mosquitoes. Due to the use for the first time of fighter flares dropped by German aircraft to mark the route of the bombers the German night-fighters made many attacks on the bomb run. This resulted in huge losses to the allies with 47 aircraft lost - 10 Lancaster's, 17 Sterling's and 20 Halifax's.
The raid was hampered by cloud and the very heavy defences around the German capital and the raid was considered as not very successful - 85 homes were destroyed, and only 1 industrial building was damaged. 66 civilians were killed and 2 German soldiers with another 109 injured - nearly 3,000 people were made homeless which resulted in Goebels ordering the evacuation of Berlin of all children and adults not engaged in war work to country areas.
The loss of allied crews on this raid amounted to:
237 Aircrew killed, 102 made P.O.W's with 3 others evading capture.
Fl/Sgt. Edward Vivian Potter (A.R. Society archives)
Lancaster DV185 loss card (Courtesy James Machin)
Burial details:
Sgt. Harry Machin. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.28
Son of Edward and Gertrude Machin husband of Marion Machin.
Sgt. Peter Holloway. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.29
Son of James and Katherine Jane Holloway, of Chislehurst, Kent.
Sgt. Frank Lennard. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.24
Son of Frank and Emily May Naomi Lennard, of Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex.
Fl/Sgt. Edward Vivian Potter. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.27
Son of William Albert and Annie Potter, of Matamata, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sgt. George Albert Purcell. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.26
Son of George A. Purcell and Mabel Purcell, of Plumstead, London.
Sgt. Edwin Fuller Harris. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.23
Son of Guy and Kate Harris, of Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Sgt. John Glynn Jones. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 5.C.25
Son of William and Margaret Ellen Jones; husband of Elion Jones, of Deiniolen, Caernarvonshire.
Researched by: Kelvin T. Youngs and David King (A.R. Society) For James Machin - relative of Sgt. Harry Machin.
Acknowledgments:
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The superb work of the C.W.G.C.
