LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG466), Germany, 22 March 1945
Results were very hard for individual aircrews to assess, but general satisfaction was felt by No. 460 in its attacks on Bottrop (3rd-4th February), Herne near Bochum (13th-14th March) and the Bruchstrasse plant at Bochum (21st-22nd March).
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 430
Lancaster NG466 took off from RAF Binbrook at 0111 hours on the 22 March 1945 to bomb a benzol plant at Bruchstrasse, Germany. The bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb (pound) (1,800 kg), 6 x 500 lb (225 kg) and 4 x 250 lb (110 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Nineteen aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid and one NG466 failed to return.
The crew members of NG466 were:
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Edward Ambler (1621022) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer) PoW
Sergeant Horace Brooke (1181084) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant William Thomas Dean (1608026) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Henry Hall Dunkerley (1596304) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Donald Harold Heggie (424865) (Pilot) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 8 November 1945
Sergeant David Robinson (1593794) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Arthur Charles Trotter (189197) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Lieutenant Heggie and Flight Sergeant Ambler survived and were returned safe to the UK. The remaining five crew members were killed and they are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
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
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985