Date: 14/15th January 1945
Unit: No. 61 Squadron
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: LM720
Code: QR-D
Base: Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire.
Location: Bard Hill, Salthouse, Norfolk.
Pilot: F/O. William George Corewyn 178520 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Peter Richard Earl 1649851 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Nav: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Charles Battersby 1545932 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Edward James Boakes 1586951 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Sidney Joseph James 1583124 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Douglas 1373345 R.A.F.V.R. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Richard Richardson 1590833 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 16.30 hrs from Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire to bomb the synthetic oil refinery in Eastern Germany. A total of 573 Lancaster's and 14 Mosquitoes took part in two raids this night. The attacks were classed as very successful causing severe damage throughout the plant. 10 Lancaster were lost on this raid.
Lancaster LM720 carried out the raid and on return to it's base weather conditions worsened and it is thought that this together with a poor wireless transmission advising the crew to divert to Carnaby airfield near Bridlington, Yorkshire are the reasons behind the accident.(Carnaby airfield built solely for the use of returning damaged large aircraft, with a single runway - 5 times the normal width and with a length of 9,000 metres. This airfield also had F.I.D.O.(1) in place to assist during fog.) however for some reason the aircraft headed towards Langham airfield, Norfolk. The aircraft was descending to land in very bad visibility and low cloud when the Lancaster hit a 200 ft.radar mast at Bard Hill, Salthouse, Norfolk at 01.21 hrs. 6 of the crew were killed instantly, the 7th - Fl/Sgt. Boakes died in hospital at 06.25hrs the same day.
(1) "Fog Intense Dispersal Operation"
Lancaster LM720 Crew (Courtesy of the Earl family via Matt Lacroix of bombercrew.com)
Sgt. Peter Richard Earl (Courtesy of the Earl family via Matt Lacroix of bombercrew.com)
Photographs supplied by Gerald Cubitt (Salthouse born historian)
The pylon today (Courtesy of Andy Upton)
With thanks to Val Fiddian for the use of the information and some photographs in this article. She and her website have been a tremendous help and hope that we are able to assist one another in the future with other Norfolk losses/ memorials.
Some of the crew graves (Courtesy of Andy Upton)
The private grave of Fl/Sgt. Edward James Boakes (Courtesy of Andy Upton)
Burial details:
F/O. William George Corewyn. Dalnottar Cemetery. Sec. K. Grave 11
Son of William George and Annie Leeson Corewyn, of Scotstounhill, Glasgow.
Sgt. Peter Richard Earl. Wells-Next-The-Sea Cemetery. Grave 374
Son of George William and Lizzie Earl, of Mayford, Woking, Surrey; nephew of Mr. R. C. T. Earl, of Knaphill, Woking.
Fl/Sgt. Ronald Charles Battersby. Leeds (Lawn Wood) Cemetery Sec. V. Grave 263
Son of Frederick and Louisa Battersby, of Headingley, Leeds.
Fl/Sgt. Edward James Boakes. Churchdown (St. Bartholomew) Churchyard/ S.W of Church
Son of John Henry and Nellie Eva Boakes, of Gloucester.
Fl/Sgt. Sidney Joseph James. Broadway (St. Eadburgh) Churchyard. N.W. of Church
Son of Joseph Charles and Annie Elizabeth James, of Broadway.
Sgt. John Douglas. Wells-Next-The-Sea Cemetery. Grave 395
Son of J. Douglas and Mary A. Douglas, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.
Sgt. Richard Richardson Tadcaster Cemetery Sec. B.7. Row K. Grave 4
No further details
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The superb work of the C.W.G.C. Purchase these research books "HERE"
Also thanks to Matt Lacroix and the Earl family for their gracious permission to use the crew photographs. The great web site concerned can be viewed "HERE"
