Date: 21/22nd June 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 463 Squadron (R.A.A.F.)
Type: Lancaster 1
Serial: DV280
Coded: JO-S
Location: 5 kms N.N.E of Oss
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Eric Alfred Leith Smith 415280 R.A.A.F. Age 22. Killed
Co/pilot: F/O. Arthur Bennett Gossip 411262 R.A.A.F. Age 23. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Derek Colin Sykes 1653469 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Nav: F/O. K. Forth P.O.W. (Interned in Camps 9C/L3, PoW No. 52460. No further details as yet.)
Air/Bmr: F/O. Harry Frederick Raynham 151064 R.A.F.V.R. Age 25. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Percival Henry Minton Jones D.F.M. 1390870 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John (Jack) Henry Hollis 1866571 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Ernest Fittall 1897158 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Waddington, Lincolnshire at 23.05 hrs. Part of a force of 123 aircraft to attack the synthetic oil plant in the Ruhr valley. The original force of 256 aircraft split up over Tilburg area - 133 Lancasters split to attack the synthetic oil plant at Wesseling. They both flew over the Dutch coast with no enemy intercepts. At around 1 am the Nachtjägar attacked.
DV280 was shot down at a height of 16,000 ft over the Uden-Heimond area by Uffz. Johann Werthner from 7./NJG2 (This kill making him an ace). He also went on this night to claim another Lancaster from 57 Squadron, NN696.
On the 25th January 1946 the London Gazette published details of the D.F.M. awarded to Fl/Sgt. Percival Jones. (Further details to follow) It is also reported that F/O. Forth was admitted to hospital having broken his pelvis after a heavy landing.
DV280 Crew photo - no names to all the faces as yet, we think that the pilot Fl/Lt. Eric A.L. Smith is shown, rear row third from left.
A relative has identified Sgt. Ronald E. Fittall as front row on extreme right.
Are you able to identify the others? (Courtesy Janet Robinson via Linda Ibrom)
DV280 "Bombing up" on an earlier mission
(With thanks to Jan Ruijs of the Netherlands for this information)
Left to right: Sgt. John H. Hollis, Sgt. Ronald E. Fittall and F/O. Harry F. Raynham
(See credits below)
Memorial today at R.A.F. Waddington and Uden War Cemetery
Burial Details:
Fl/Lt. Eric Alfred Leith Smith. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B.8.
Son of Horatio Joseph and Janie Parks Smith, of Mount Lawley, Western Australia.
F/O. Arthur Bennett Gossip. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B11.
Son of Harold Edwin and Millicent Gossip, of Wamberal, New South Wales, Australia.
Sgt. Derek Colin Sykes. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B.7.
Son of Douglas H. and Dorothy A. Sykes, of Bridgend, Glamorgan.
F/O. Harry Frederick Raynham. Uden War Cemetery 2.F.7.
Son of Harry Lucas Raynham and Johannah Louisa Raynham, of Lobatsi, Bechuanaland.
Further information:
Harry F. Raynham R.A.F.V.R. was born on the 27th March 1919 at “The Fort”, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, the son of Harry Lucas and Johanna Louisa Mosenthal Raynham (nee Gers). Harry, known to family and friends as “Freddie” was the last of four children, his father having left England as a young man and married Johanna, a local girl from Graaf-Reinet, South Africa in 1903.
According to the family, Harry served in the Merchant Navy before volunteering for the air force. He is remembered on the roll of honour for Jeppe High School, Johannesburg,
Dr William Raynham and his wife, close cousins of Harry visited his grave at Uden War Cemetery in 1956.
Fl/Sgt. Percival Henry Minton Jones D.F.M. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B.12.
Son of Humphrey and Hilda Alice Jones, of Welling. Kent.
Sgt. John (Jack) Henry Hollis. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B.9.
Son of Walter and Annie Hollis, of Meriden, Warwickshire. (Born in Coventry)
Sgt. Ronald Ernest Fittal. Uden War Cemetery. 5.B.10.
Son of Edwin James Fittall and Kate Fittall, brother of James Edwin Fittall, of Martin, Kent.
Researched by Linda Ibrom for the Aircrew Remembrance Society and dedicated to all the relatives of the crew.
With thanks to the following: Janet Robinson for photo's of John Hollis and the possible crew photo, special thanks for photo’s of F/O. Raynham to Dr. William Raynham, cousin and Robert Raynham, also thanks to James Fittall nephew of Sgt. Ronald Ernest Fittal for his photo. Jan Ruijs of the Netherlands for the bomb load information and the correction to the Lancaster photo. Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses" Vol. 5, Theo E.W. Boiten, Rod J. Mackenzie - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol. 2", Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt "Bomber Command War Diaries", the Commonwealth Graves Commission.
