LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft MS494), 30 May 1943
Date: 29-30 May 1943
Target: Wuppertal (Barmen-Elberfield)
Total Force: Dispatched – 719, Attacking – 644
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 12, Attacking – 11; No. 466 Dispatched – 14, Attacking – 13; No. 467 Dispatched – 22, Attacking – 19
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 1,822
Total Aircraft Lost: 33
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 2; No. 466 – 3
More suitable targets were found during this period in three cities on the fringe of the Ruhr—Wuppertal, Krefeld and Remscheid. None of these contained industries of first magnitude, but each supplied a proportion of the components, special steels, machine tools and textiles on which depended the heavy industry of the Ruhr. Wuppertal consists of the twin towns of Barmen and Elberfeld lying together in a deep, narrow valley. These were attacked separately, one heavy raid laying each section of the city in ruins. Krefeld (June 21-22) and Remscheid (July 30-31) suffered the same fate when attacked in clear weather, for fires, once they had gained firm hold, raged unchecked through the innumerable workshops and small factories within the residential area of these cities.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 488
Wellington MS494 took off from RAF Leconfield at 2226 hours on the night of 29/30th May 1943 to bomb Wuppertal, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and the aircraft did not return to base. It was later established that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 0034 hours near Beesel (Limburg), 12kms north-east of Roermond, Holland. Four of the
crew were Prisoners and Flight Sergeant Hay had been killed. He is buried in the Jonkerbos War
Cemetery, Netherlands.
The crew members of MS494 were:
Sergeant Wiliam Vernon Garfield (1418021) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Francis Hay (1023216) (RAFVR) DFM (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Alexander Napier (1080105) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant James Paterson (1344018) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Lindsay Oliver Howard Upjohn (411972) (Pilot) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 31 October 1945
In a later statement the then Warrant Officer Upjohn reported “The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter. Prepare to bale out order acknowledged and jump also acknowledged. The aircraft was out of control on fire and the controls all shot up. Believe the Rear Gunner was killed in the fighters first burst and unable to bale out. I baled out at 8,000 feet. Aircraft crashed approaching Dutch frontier near Eindhoven I believe. I landed in trees near woods without any boots. After search found a small hut and some clogs. Accosted by a civilian who seemed very friendly. He indicated I was to follow him which I did but we met a body of Wehrmacht and I was captured.”
No. 460 Squadron lost Lancaster ED759 (Flight Sergeant Harry Ellis Bull (413924) (Pilot)) on 30 May 1943.
No. 460 Squadron lost Lancaster W4985 (Flight Sergeant Tom Taylor (413803) (Bomb Aimer)) on 30 May 1943.
No. 466 Squadron lost Wellington HE212 (Pilot Officer Henry Simon Raoul Lloyd (147904) (RAFVR) (Pilot)) on 30 May 1943.
No. 466 Squadron lost Wellington HZ269 (Pilot Officer John Charlwood Launder (160037) (RAFVR) (Pilot and Aircraft Captain)) on 30 May 1943
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