LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft HZ256), Germany, 15 April 1943
Date: 14-15 April 1943
Target: Frankfurt
Total Force: Dispatched – 462, Attacking – 365
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 6, Attacking – 6; No. 466 Dispatched – 11, Attacking – 10; No. 467 Dispatched – 5, Attacking – 3
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 801
Total Aircraft Lost: 23
RAAF Aircraft Lost: –
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 496
Wellington HZ256 took off from RAF Leconfield at night on 14/15th April 1943 being one of eleven Squadron aircraft detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. One aircraft returned after 3 hours due to illness of the Rear Gunner. The other 10 aircraft including HZ256 completed the mission, but the Rear Gunner of HZ256 was killed.
A Combat report of 21 April 1943 records the following: At 0040 hours in a position between Mannheim and Karlsruhe on a course of 101deg true at 1500ft, 200 mph HZ256 was attacked by an enemy night fighter. At the time searchlights were over Mannheim and Karlsruhe but were not in the immediate vicinity of HZ256. Visibility was excellent with three quarters moon and no cloud.
The first indication the pilot had of the attack was tracers passing overhead coming from directly astern. The pilot immediately turned to port and dived. Contact could not be made with the Rear Gunner and it was later discovered that the fighter’s first attack had wrecked the turret and seriously injured the Rear Gunner. An unidentified twin engine Aircraft again attacked from the port quarter. It was seen by the WOP in the astrodome. The pilot immediately turned to port and dived and the Aircraft was not seen again. HZ256 went on, bombed the target and landed back at RAF Ford owing to the casualties and petrol shortage. The Rear Gunner died of his wounds shortly after being removed from the turret and the Navigator and Bomb Aimer were both wounded in the shoulder and the WOP in the leg.
The crew members of HZ256 were:
Sergeant F C Blair (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) Awarded DFM
Flying Officer R F Clayton (RAF) (Navigator) Awarded DFC
Sergeant Ernest James Field (628161) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant E F Hicks (RAF) (Pilot) Awarded CGM
Pilot Officer R T Hopkins (RAF) (Bomb Aimer) Awarded DSO
Sergeant Field is buried in the Littlehampton Cemetery, Sussex, UK.
On 30 April 1943 the Operations Record Book records the above awards for gallantry for their part in the attack on Stuttgart as being the first honours to be awarded to the Squadron: Sergeant Hicks (Pilot) for skilfully evading the enemy aircraft and carrying on in a severely damaged aircraft, assisted by the Navigator, Bomb Aimer and WOP all of whom were wounded to bomb and photograph the target and then return safely to UK. The aircraft was flown and navigated back to a diversionary aerodrome successfully despite the damage and injuries to the crew. All the surviving members distinguished themselves by carrying on after the attack to bomb their objective and navigate the aircraft back. Pilot Officer Hopkins suffered a compound fracture of the arm but went forward to the bombsight, directed the pilot to the target and dropped the bombs. After which he went back and joined the Navigator and WOP in an effort to assist the Rear Gunner who had been fatally wounded.
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