Date: 25/26th May 1943
Unit: No. 149 Squadron
Type: Stirling III
Serial: BK710
Code: OJ-A
Base: Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Location: Lake IJsselmeer
Pilot: Sgt. Jack Henry Uden 1334077 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed (1)
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Leslie George Hadden 949263 R.A.F.V.R. Age 24. Killed
Nav: F/O. Walter Edwin Lawrence Morse 127978 R.A.F.V.R. Age 25. Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. Howard Stephen Winchester 128514 R.A.F.V.R. Age 26. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Arthur Williams 1295227 R.A.F.V.R. Age 34. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Horace Stephen Scott 901570 R.A.F.V.R. Age 28. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles John Percival 1600739 R.A.F.V.R. Age 26. Killed
(1) Now in contact, via a relative, with his wife - further information we hope will follow.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.44 hrs from Lakenheath, Suffolk, England to bomb Düsseldorf. 759 aircraft took part (323 Lancaster's, 169 Halifaxes, 142 Wellington's, 113 Stirlings and 12 Mosquitoes)
The raid was considered a failure - there were two layers of cloud over the target and the pathfinders had great difficulty in marking it.. It is also believed that the Germans were operating decoy markers and fire sites resulting in the main bomber force bombing became scattered over a large area. No concentrated bombing in the target area of Düsseldorf which recorded only 50 - 100 buildings destroyed and some 30 people on the ground killed.
It cost the RAF dear with 27 aircraft lost and 161 crew members were killed with another 7 injured (405 Squadron, Halifax II HR806 LQ-D crashing shortly after take off) with a further 27 being made P.O.W.
Stirling BK710 OJ-A was shot down on the return journey home by Uffz. Georg Kraft of 12./NJG1 over the North Sea 40 Kmts North West of Texel (North Holland, Salzhering) at a height of 800 mtrs. at 03.04 hrs on the 26th May. Uffz. Kraft had a total of 13 kills before he was shot down and killed on the 17/18th August 1943 by a 141 Squadron Beaufighter flown by W/Cmdr Braham.
(1) Sgt. Jack Henry Uden had 3 older brothers - all of whom served in the R.A.F. during WW2 - no further history on these but we hope further information will be added soon.
Crew of Stirling BK710 F/O. Winchester 2nd from right (Awaiting positive ID - courtesy of Peter Winchester son of F/O. Howard Winchester)
BK710 Crew - Right to Left: F/O. Howard Winchester, Sgt. Leslie Hadden, Sgt. Jack Uden, Sgt. Charles Percival, F/O. Walter Morse, Sgt. Horace Scott, Sgt. Frederick Williams (Courtesy of Peter Winchester)
Hamburg Cemetery (C.W.G.C.)
Burial details:
Sgt. Jack Henry Uden. Runnymede Memorial Panel 167
Son of William and Ethel Uden from Barking Essex.
Sgt. Leslie George Hadden. Runnymede Memorial Panel 151
Son of George and Emily Elizabeth Hadden, of King's Heath, Birmingham.
F/O. Walter Edwin Lawrence Morse. Runnymede Memorial Panel 127
Son of Edwin and Kathleen Morse, of Walthamstow, Essex; husband of Violet Lilian Morse, of Walthamstow.
F/O. Howard Stephen Winchester. Runnymede Memorial Panel 130
Son of Jack and Amy Winchester; husband of Margaret Mary Winchester, of Canvey Island, Essex.
Sgt. Frederick Arthur Williams. Runnymede Memorial Panel 170
Son of George Frederick and Mary J. Williams; husband of Phoebe May Williams, of Letchworth, Hertfordshire.
Sgt. Horace Stephen Scott. Runnymede Memorial Panel 164
Son of William and Sarah Scott, of Canterbury.
Sgt. Charles John Percival. Hamburg Cemetery 6A. E.7.
Son of Charles John and Florence Percival; husband of Alice Theresa Percival, of London, Staffordshire.
For Peter Winchester, son of F/O. Howard Stephen Winchester. Also for Sandra Uden niece of Sgt. Jack Henry Uden.
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
