Date: 18th March 1944
Unit: No. 51 Squadron
Type: Halifax III
Serial: LK750
Code: MH-Y2
Base: Snaith, Yorkshire
Location: Baumholder, Germany
Pilot: F/Sgt. Charles Roland Seaman 1484103 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. William Powell 1589940 R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. (P.O.W. No:3203 Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria)
Nav: F/Sgt. William A. Robson 1576137 R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. (P.O.W. No:3204 Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria)
Air/Bmr: F/Sgt. Edward Andrew Glover 426086 R.A.A.F. Age. 29. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Robert H. Pickford 1330795 R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. (P.O.W. No:3205 Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Louis Henderson Gulliver 635576 R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. (Badly Injured - P.O.W. Details to follow)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Leslie Harold Baldwin 1825182 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
"I saw the website and contacted the Webmaster. I sent him the photograph and story of my father and those who flew with him on the night they were shot down. I am very surprised and pleased the story has been received and treated with such respect. It has taken around 13 years to finally trace the last surviving crew member, F/Sgt William Robson (Navigator). It has been a long and rewarding journey, during which I have been fortunate to meet the families and survivors. I have also met many aircrew who flew with 51 Squadron during World War 2. To me, they are all heroes. Once again, thank you to Aircrew Remembrance Society for all you are doing to keep their memories alive.
Regards,
Peter H Gulliver"
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 1932 hrs from R.A.F. Snaith in East Yorkshire to bomb the German city of Frankfurt. 846 aircraft took part: 620 Lancaster's, 209 Halifax's and 17 Mosquitos. During the raid 22 aircraft were lost (12 Halifax's and 10 Lancaster's) 20 were claimed to have been shot down by the Luftwaffe night fighters and two by flak over the target.
Halifax LK750 was hit by flak and then attacked by Oblt. Hans-Georg Birkenstock at a height of 6.000 mtrs. at 23.05hrs over Baumholder who was also shot down by return fire from LK750 - he and his two other crew members bailed out and survived but the aircraft a Bf110 G-4 of Stab1/NJG/5 crashed near to Halifax LK750. (Oblt. Hans-Jörg Birkenstock:- Total of 7 claims before being killed on the 19/20th May 1944 in a crash following air combat at Vossenack/Eifel)
The report from surviving crew members is that the Bf110 rammed the Halifax after being hit. The Halifax broke into 3 pieces and Sgt. Louis Gulliver came down in the centre section of the aircraft and dropped 23,000 ft without exiting the aircraft and although very badly injured, survived.
The raid destroyed 5,495 houses, 99 Industrial buildings, 412 smaller industrial units, 56 public buildings. 421 civilians were killed and 55,000 people were without homes. A military train was also hit and 20 soldiers killed with another 80 wounded although the report from Frankfurt states that this was shot up by cannon fire and may have been attacked by R.A.F. Fighter Command Intruder aircraft.
The usual Mid upper gunner, F/Sgt. Stan Walton D.F.M. did not take part in the operation that night.
Notes on the fate of the Luftwaffe Nachtjäger crew:
Aircraft: Bf 110 G4. After combat and subsequent collision with enemy aircraft. Halifax III LK750 MH-V 51 Squadron
Oblt. (Oberleutnant) Hansjörg Birkenstock, baled out-wounded (Later killed in action 19.05.1944)
Bordfunker (Wireless Operator): Uffz. Walter Welz, baled out-wounded (Believed to have survived the war)
Bordschütze (air gunner): Ogfr. Kurt Maciejewski, baled out-wounded (Later killed in action - 27.05.1944)
Further information has been received from the son of Louis Gulliver including the medical reports following his amazing survival from 23,000 ft written by the German doctors who treated him. Also received is a letter he wrote after being liberated by the Americans in 1945. See below.
Halifax LK750 on the final flight. Painted by Mr. S. Childs.
Crew of Halifax LK750 Left to right top: F/Sgt. Charles Seaman, Sgt. William Powell, F/Sgt. William Robson, F/Sgt. Edward Glover
Bottom Left to right: Sgt. Robert Pickford, Sgt. Leslie Baldwin, Sgt. Louis Gulliver
Above left: F/Sgt. Stan Walton D.F.M. (M.U.G.) usual crew member who did not fly on this operation. Right: Sgt. Louis Gulliver on his wedding day July 1945 to Ruth Juniper (He refused crutches when the pictures were taken and also when he walked down the aisle)
Sgt. Louis Gulliver was again seriously injured in a car accident in 1958 when once again he had to have major surgery on his legs. During these operations he had his knee cap removed and for the first time since LK750 was shot down he could actually bend his knee.
His son Peter, told us another snippit from his childhood days with his father:
"When I was very small, he always walked with a stiff left leg. After the car smash, he had a big operation on his left leg, where they removed the knee cap, moved a few bits about, and he was able to bend his leg again, and walk properly for the first time in years. He kept working until he was 69, until he had a couple of bad falls, and knew it was time to pack it in.
His medical statement from Germany said all the fractures were closed, but he had holes and scars to both legs. I asked him when I was very small once when we were both in the garden at home (and when he was wearing a pair of shorts) why he had holes in his legs. He just looked at me, smiled, and said he fell out of an aeroplane when he was a young man, and I of course just laughed and walked off. Little did I know what had really happened, but obviously now I do. He said very little about it in his lifetime, but he did say once that he was one of the lucky ones, because he came home, and three other young men didn't."
Above left: Louis Henderson Gulliver (died 7/10/1996 - age 78) Right: Robert H. Pickford (Pictured in 2001)
Above left: William Powell with the son of Louis Gulliver, Peter. Right: Peter Gulliver with a painting presented to him at the 51 Squadron reunion April 2009.
Oblt. Hans Jorg Birkenstock
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Reports sent by other surviving crew members can be found "HERE"
For the amazing Luftwaffe medical reports please click "HERE"
Touching letter he sent home to his girlfriend "HERE"
The 3 graves at Rheinberg War Cemetery (Courtesy Peter Gulliver)
Burial details:
F/Sgt. Charles Roland Seaman. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave: 9.L.23
No further details as yet.
F/Sgt. Edward Andrew Glover. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave: 9.L.25
Son of Edward John and Phoebe Glover; husband of Kathleen Alice Glover, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Sgt. Leslie Harold Baldwin. Rheinberg War Cemetery Grave: 9.L.24
No further details as yet.
Article information and photographs of crew submitted by: Peter Henderson Gulliver - son of Sgt. Louis Henderson Gulliver.
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 Commonwealth Graves Commission.
