LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Edwin Francis GOULD
Service No: 433522
Born: East Maitland NSW, 17 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 April 1943
Unit: No. 463 Squadron, RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 463 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM648), Netherlands, 21 February 1945, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Victor and Winifred Elizabeth Gould; husband of Jean Milton Gould, of Clifton Gardens, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Summer Hill NSW
Remembered: Panel 109, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Meanwhile on 21st-22nd February Nos. 463 and 467 each sent 10 crews in a force of 154 detailed to bomb the Mitteland canal at Gravenhorst, but all brought their bombs back because the target was obscured by cloud. Nevertheless outstanding results were obtained the very next night when
167 aircraft dropped 816 tons of bombs in good weather marred only by a slight ground haze. Australian crews praised the accuracy of the target marking and the way in which the master bomber controlled the raid despite the presence of enemy fighters. Subsequent photographic assessment confirmed that bomb fall had been concentrated on a vital area where the canal retaining wall was damaged for a distance of 500 yards; a bridge had collapsed and fields on either side of the canal were again flooded; most of the repairs made since the last strike on 1st-2nd January had been wrecked.
But although militarily effective this was another costly raid, especially for No. 463 which lost three of its ten Lancasters. One, piloted by Flying Officer Farrow (1), bombed successfully but was attacked during its return flight and seriously damaged by an unseen aircraft. The starboard wing caught fire and as the flames could not be extinguished, Farrow ordered his crew members to bale out over Holland where they landed safely. Two crews captained by Wing Commander Forbes and Flying Officer Pedersen were posted as missing after this operation. Forbes had commanded No. 463 since 25th June 1944 and made an outstanding contribution, especially in training his unit in the bold but risky techniques of bombing adopted during this period by No. 5 Group. Several combats were also reported that night by pilots of No. 467 .Flying Officer Boxsell (2) fired on an Me-110 which was seen attacking another Lancaster, and, as the enemy aircraft broke away in a steep dive, it was claimed as damaged. Flying Officer Smith (3) engaged an FW-190 scoring strikes along its mainplane while Flying Officer Clark (4) and his crew fired on another FW-190 damaging its engine. One of the most skilful and courageous feats was that of Flying Officer Davies (5), a rear gunner in a Lancaster of No. 619 Squadron, who destroyed one enemy fighter, set another on fire and beat off an attack by a third.
(1) Flying Officer Graham Hope Farrow (424100) Discharged from the RAAF: 26 February 1946
(2) Flying Officer Walter Kitchener Boxsell DFC (427431) Discharged from the RAAF: 10 October 1945
(3) Flying Officer Thomas Edward Maxwell Smith DFC (423936) Discharged from the RAAF: n1 October 1945
(4) Flight Lieutenant John Boyd Clark (419614) Discharged from the RAAF: 1 February 1946
(5) Flight Lieutenant David John Davies DFC (429880) Discharged from the RAAF: 17 January 1946
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 414
Lancaster LM648 took off from RAF Waddington at 1708 hours on the night of 21 February 1945 to bomb the Mittelland Canal at Gravenhorst. The bomb load was 14 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg). Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Ten aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these including LM648 failed to return. It was later established that the aircraft was hit by flak and crashed near Weert in the Dutch Province of Limburg, Eindhoven (Woensel). Five of the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of LM648 were:
Warrant Officer Robert Kitchener Dixon (421256) (Bomb Aimer) Evaded capture, Discharged from the RAAF: 22 October 1945
Sergeant T P Freeman (2219190) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Francis Edwin Gould (433522) (Navigator)
Sergeant Leslie Harkness (1593024) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Rowland Heel (954030) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Lawrence Roy Pedersen (426237) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Edward Thomas Sumner (433169) (Wireless Operator Air)
The following report from Warrant Officer Dixon is recorded in the Squadron Operations Record Book “Sortie completed. Clear visibility excellent. Northern Red T.I. 9,000ft. Marking well placed. Canal seen visually. Results not observed owing to delay bombs being used. About 45minutes from the target in vicinity of Weert, Aircraft hit under Mid Upper by heavy flak (one explosion) causing a fire in the fuselage. Mid Upper reported a fire but I was windowing at the time and did not hear any orders following this report. Think Intercom damaged by flak. Aircraft seemed to go into shallow dive. Two minutes after fire report I heard the Captain say faintly ‘get out’. Aircraft full of smoke and I removed front escape hatch. Aircraft then went into a steep dive which made getting out difficult. I forced myself out and believe I was first out. Nearing ground I saw I was heading for a house so pulled on one strap to steer clear which increased my speed and caused heavy landing which jarred my spine. Landed 3mls south west of Weert at 2130 hours. Taken in hand by Dutch civilians and later Army who took me to hospital at Weert where spent one night. While there the Flt Eng was brought in with severe injuries. Army said that the Aircraft exploded in the air and only two chutes were seen. At the time we were hit we were not engaged by ground defences or searchlights, but there were a few scarecrows bursting”
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster PB804 (Wing Commander William Alexander Forbes DSO DFC (414219) (Pilot)) on 21 February 1945.
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster NG329 (Flying Officer Graham Hope Farrow (424100) (Pilot)) on 21 February 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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A79301, 433522
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line