LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 463 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM242), Germany, 12 September 1944
The load on this occasion was predominantly an incendiary one and the whole centre of the city was soon set ablaze; 12 hours after the raid ended nearly 50 fires were still burning furiously in Darmstadt. Crews of No. 463 who bombed from an altitude of 14,000 feet returned jubilantly with excellent photographs showing huge fires around their given aiming points, and also reported several very heavy explosions. No. 467 Squadron was equally convinced that a devastating blow had been struck. Some particular pride was felt in the rugged heroism of Flight Sergeant Morland (1) a mid-upper turret gunner whose aircraft was attacked five times by a Ju-88 soon after leaving the target. During the second attack a cannon shell hit the starboard wing and Morland’s turret, wounding him and disabling one gun. The rear-turret guns had already jammed so that for the three subsequent fighter attacks, all from the rear, the pain-stricken Morland and his one serviceable gun were left to beat off the determined enemy. He performed this task so well that the Ju-88 finally disengaged with flame and smoke pouring from one engine; it was claimed as probably destroyed.
(1) Warrant Officer David Moorland DFM (430665) Discharged from the RAAF: 21 September 1945
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 298-9
Lancaster LM242 took off from RAF Waddington on the night of 11/12th September 1944 to bomb Darmstadt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after takeoff and it did not return to base. Seventeen aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid and LM242 failed to return. Post war it was established that the aircraft had crashed near Frankfurt and one crew member had been killed and six had become Prisoners of War.
The crew members of LM242 were:
Flight Sergeant Clive Henry Giles (437917) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 6 December 1945
Flying Officer William James Hagan (432160) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 25 October 1945
Flight Sergeant William Harry Meager (1456465) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Vincent Gerald Montgomery (423291) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 19 November 1945
Flight Sergeant Charles Robert Richardson (436701) (Rear Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 8 February 1946
Flying Officer James William Taylor (418585) (Pilot and Aircraft Captain) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 11January 1946
Flying Officer Bruce Oliver Thwaite (423353) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Repatriated: 6 February 1945, Discharged from the RAAF: 3 December 1946
In a later report, Flying Officer Hagan stated: “We were attacked by a night fighter and while in a corkscrew were hit by flak. The main spar was blown away and the aircraft was on fire as was the starboard wing. Plane going down in a shallow dive, a burst of cannon or flak behind pilot wounding him and Navigator. Bale out order heard with difficulty over noise and wind in aircraft. Baled out after engineer at 10,000 feet so didn’t see crash. All OK except Engineer who is missing. Crashed 8-10 miles north of Darmstadt. Woman informed passing L/W who pounced on us before we could hide. Released by Russians,”
Flight Sergeant Giles reported: “Attack by fighter from port quarters shot away main spar. Aircraft alight. Skipper said jump jump. Baled out at 9,000 feet. Aircraft in a dive and on fire, crashed south west of Frankfurt. Found by Army guards in a forest. Released by Russians”.
Flight Sergeant Richardson reported: “Hit by JU88 from fine port. Emergency jump order given. I left by turret doors, height 9,000 feet. Hydraulic control to rear turret unserviceable. Aircraft could not be pulled out of dive. Too busy watching JU88 crash in flames. All prisoners except engineer. Bomb Aimer broke his back and repatriated to the UK.”
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