LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM315), Germany, 25 February 1944
Date: 24-25 February 1944
Target: Schweinfurt
Total Force: Dispatched – 734, Attacking – 662
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 17, Attacking – 17; No. 463 Dispatched – 17, Attacking – 14; No. 466 Dispatched – 16, Attacking – 12; No. 467 Dispatched – 17, Attacking – 16
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 2,152
Total Aircraft Lost: 33
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 2; No. 463 – 2
The third target for Bomber Command in the week expressly devoted to crippling the German Air Force was Schweinfurt, the chief enemy centre for production of ball bearings. A large force of American heavy bombers attacked on 24th February and that same night Bomber Command went out in strength. To avoid the increasing difficulties shown by over concentration of the bomber stream a new device of splitting the force in two and attacking at an interval of two hours was attempted. More than 300 aircraft created diversions in various areas with the result that heavy opposition was only encountered along the last leg into the target. Here the Australians were unpleasantly surprised by the strength and vigour of the ground defences, and among several aircraft heavily damaged was a Lancaster of No. 467 carrying members of the RAF Film Unit sent to make a complete record of the second phase of the raid. Australians in both waves submitted
extremely optimistic reports and considered the marking ideal, but in fact the whole raid was misplaced and centred on the villages of Garstadt and Grafenrheinfeld up to five miles south of Schweinfurt.
Extracts from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 660, 1
Lancaster LM315 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2024 hours on the night of 24/25th February 1944 to bomb Schweinfurt, Germany, a centre specialising in the manufacture of ball bearings vital to the German war effort. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Post war it was established that all the crew died and they are buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
The crew members of LM315 were:
Sergeant Leo Lorne Norman De Celles (J/92098) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Maurice Goldman (1393901) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Donald John Halke (1802238) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Norman Henry Lerigo (2217448) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Frank Lloyd (1430128) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Alfred Rothwell Mark (J/25770) (RCAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Yates (1454669) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
No. 460 Squadron lost Lancaster ND394 (Flight Sergeant Ronald Cedric Ferguson (414996) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) on 24 February 1944.
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster LM444 (Flight Lieutenant Charles James Martin (413219) (Pilot)) on 25 February 1944.
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster LL740 (Flight Lieutenant Ronald James Mortimer DFC (255684) (Pilot)) on 25 February 1944.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985