Date: 15/16th March 1944
Unit: No. 51 Squadron
Type: Halifax III
Serial: HX330
Code: MH-V
Base: Snaith, Yorkshire
Location: Hericourt, France
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Alwyn Kevin Dudley Fell 413112 R.A.A.F. Age 31. Killed
Fl/ Eng: Sgt. Maurice Duckworth 1589150 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Nav: P/O. Herbert Frederick Tomalin 159417 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Charles Elmer Harvey 1580365 R.A.F.V.R. Age 24. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Terence Raymond Dennis 1315320 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Philip Rodney Cattrall 2216054 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: W/O. Ronald Sharp R/180338 R.C.A.F. Age 19. Killed (1)
REASON FOR LOSS:
Halifax III HX330 MH-V took off from Snaith, Yorkshire at 19.11 hrs. Shot down by Luftwaffe night fighter (as yet unidentified) and crashed at Hericourt some 45 km East South East of Vesoul, France.
863 aircraft - made up from 617 Lancaster's, 230 Halifax's and 16 Mosquitos took part in this raid.
The German night fighters split the force into two parts. The bombers flew over France nearly as far as the Swiss border before turning North East to approach Stuttgart. This resulted in delaying the Luftwaffe making contact with the bomber force. When the German fighters did arrive just before Stuttgart was reached a fierce combat followed.
A total of 37 aircraft were lost (27 Lancaster's and 10 Halifax's - 2 other Lancaster's force landed in Switzerland.)
Adverse winds delayed the opening of the attack and the same winds may have caused the pathfinder marking to fall back well short of the target area - despite the clear weather conditions.
Some of the bombing fell in the city centre but most were ineffective and fell into open country south - west of the city.
The bombing destroyed some housing and a college. A total of 88 people on the ground were killed and a further 203 injured.
Stuttgart raid 15/16th March 1944
Aircrew losses:
Killed: 218
Injured: 3
P.O.W: 47
Interned: 1
Evaded:17
(1) Sharp Rapids on the Kississing River, Manitoba is named after W/O Sharp
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Alwyn Kevin Dudley Fell. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.8.
Son of Lindsay James Fell and Catherine Fell; husband of Elsie Mary Fell, of Forbes, New South Wales, Australia.
Sgt. Maurice Duckworth. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.10.
Son of John and Lavinia Duckworth, of Huncoat, Accrington, Lancashire.
P/O. Herbert Frederick Tomalin. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.12.
Son of Herbert and Louisa Tomalin, of Brockley, London.
Fl/Sgt. Charles Elmer Harvey. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.7.
Son of Charles Frederick and Fanny Harvey, of Hall Green, Birmingham.
Sgt. Terence Raymond Dennis. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.13.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Dennis, of Ramsgate, Kent.
Sgt. Philip Rodney Cattrall. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.11.
Son of Harry Wignall Cattrall and Cynthia Irene Cattrall, of Maeshafn, Mold, Flintshire.
W/O. Ronald Sharp. Choloy War Cemetery 2A.B.9.
Son of Arthur W. Sharp and Alice L. Bessant Sharp, of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.
Researched by: Stephane in France and Kelvin T. Youngs - further assistance provided by the 51 Squadron Historical Association.
Acknowledgments: With thanks to the following (Purchase them "HERE"): Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt "Bomber Command War Diaries".The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
