LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft MS473), North Sea, 14 May 1943
Date: 13-14 May 1943
Target: Berlin
Total Force: Dispatched – 427, Attacking – 378
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 17, Attacking – 16; No. 466 Dispatched – 13, Attacking – 12
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 1,055
Total Aircraft Lost: 24
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 466 – 1
Within the Ruhr proper, only one target with a well-defined central city area now remained undamaged. This, the coal producing and steel centre of Bochum lying mid-way between Essen and Dortmund, was attacked twice by a large force (May 13-14 and June 12-13). Already on 29th-30th March when the main attack was against Berlin, Wellingtons, including twelve of No. 466, had dropped 152 tons of bombs on Bochum, but with little effect. Even for the first major raid the Lancasters of No. 5 Group were not available as they bombed Pilsen in Czechoslovakia that night . On the last raid only four-engined aircraft were engaged.
Both these raids were highly successful, the first razing the city centre and the second extending damage to industrial suburbs. Again there were no navigational or marking difficulties and, as at Dortmund, success lay in the ability of determined and well-trained crews to burst through enemy opposition. Australians reported the familiar crises of engine failure, fighter attack and damage from gun fire, but none of these was a real deterrent to crews which saw in this laying waste of the Ruhr a positive contribution to Allied victory. On 13th-14th May two RAAF aircraft were damaged but reached England. Some Australians in a Lancaster of No. 12 Squadron were not so fortunate and had to descend in the sea twenty miles from the Dutch coast. The crew drifted for five days in their dinghy and was then rescued by a British mine-sweeper.
Extracts from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 486-7
Wellington MS473 took off from RAF Leconfield at 2356 hours on the night of 13/14th May 1943 to bomb Bochum, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and MS473 did not return to base. Fourteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and of these MS473 failed to return and Wellington HZ271 crashed with no fatalities on return to the UK. Post war it was concluded that the aircraft came down in the North Sea. Four of the crew members were Prisoners of War and the body of Pilot Officer Sampson was found on the 10th August 1943 near Scheveningen. He is buried in the Westduin General Cemetery, Netherlands.
The crew members of MS473 were:
Flight Sergeant John Frederick Cahill (403633) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 1 March 1948
Sergeant Charles William Jones (1382389) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Roy John Thomas Lester (1282544) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Kevin Stanislaus Murphy (403621) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 17 October 1945
Pilot Officer Thomas Sampson (411032) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
In a later report the then Flight Lieutenant Cahill stated “The aircraft set course from base for target 15 minutes late. Engines were overheated in endeavouring to reach target on time. The starboard motor packed up. Hit by light flak. Baled out at 2,500 feet. All except Pilot baled out between 2/3000 feet. Pilot remained in Aircraft. Aircraft in control when pilot ordered bale out. Walked about 30kms on own at night. Captured by German policeman at 0700 hours on 15 May about 20 kms west of Alpen. Liberated 2 May 1945 by British Army.”
The then Warrant Officer Murphy reported “Was told engines were not performing well at Dutch coast. On reaching target area the Aircraft only at 14,000 feet. On release of bombs Aircraft dived to 9,000 feet due to engine failure. Pilot ordered prepare to bale out and acknowledged. Aircraft losing height until at approximately 5,000 feet bale out ordered and then retracted immediately as engines picked up a little. Engines failed again and bale out ordered. Acknowledged. Aircraft still losing height and engines misfiring. Ht 2,500 / 5,000 feet. All four baled out except Pilot. I approached two civilians whom I believed belonged to an aid organization. They took me on a bike to Rheinberg and handed me over to the local police. Released 16 April 1945.”
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