LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE376), North West Europe, 1 March 1943
Wellington HE376 took off from RAF Leconfield at 1908 hours on the night of 1st/2nd March 1943 for a mining operation in the Heligoland Bight off the German coast. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Five aircraft from the Squadron took part in the mission and one of these HE376 failed to return. Post war searches and investigations found no trace of the missing aircraft or crew. The names of the missing crew members are commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK.
The crew members of HE376 were:
Sergeant William Henry Barrow (1047258) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Harold Vaughan Evans (1313826) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Jack Harvey (1083371) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph William Newton (1398368) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Robert William Paull (1387643) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
The Operation Order No 35 issued on 1 March 1943 for the above mission was as follows: Aircraft: 5 Wellingtons from No. 466 Squadron and 5 Wellingtons from No. 196 Squadron (RAF)
Target: Gardening (Rosemary) Datum Pt “Ink”
Route: Base – Hornsea – 54.00N 0720E – Spiegeroog (enemy coast) – Target – Flamborough – Base.
Vegetable Load for 10 Aircraft: 12 x B200 7 x C300 1 x C302.
Dropping Interval: 5 and 10 seconds alternately.
Pinpointing and dropping of mines to be from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet.
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