LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Francis Graham LATHAM
Service No: 412543
Born: Rockdale NSW, 23 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE530), Netherlands, 5 May 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Germany De Wijk General Cemetery, Drenthe, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward James Latham and Charlotte Emily Latham, of Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sutherland NSW
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Date: 4-5 May 1943
Target: Dortmund
Total Force: Dispatched – 596, Attacking – 495
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 19, Attacking – 17; No. 466 Dispatched – 14, Attacking – 13; No. 467 Dispatched – 20, Attacking – 20
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 1,436
Total Aircraft Lost: 31
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 1; No. 466 – 1
During May two heavy attacks were projected against Dortmund (4 May and 23 May 1943) No. 30), an important steel, synthetic oil and transport centre. This is the largest town in the Ruhr after Essen and as the terminus of the Dortmund-Ems canal had the same importance to the eastern Ruhr that Duisburg had in the west. Both raids were favoured by excellent weather and visibility, so that although enemy defences were active the majority of the attackers arrived in a compact body. Three Australian bombers were damaged by gun fire on each occasion, but most crews reported that they ran in, aimed at well placed markers, and were away again before they could be singled out by searchlights or guns. Dense palls of smoke obscured huge fires on both nights and the centre of the city was almost entirely burnt out. Seven branches of the Hoesch combine, one of the largest steel-producing under takings in Germany, were temporarily put out of action and other steelworks, engineering factories and railway facilities were heavily damaged. The havoc caused by this simultaneous wrecking of industry, housing and transport for a short time made Dortmund the most disorganised city in Germany. In the second raid for the first time over 2,000 tons of explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped in one night. This scale of attack not only swamped enemy defences but resulted in geometric rather than arithmetic progression of damage compared with lighter attacks. In some respects the virtual elimination of this industrial centre after only two attacks, and at a total cost of sixty-nine aircraft, was one of the most remarkable successes yet gained.
Extracts from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 485-6
Wellington HE530 took off from RAF Leconfield at 2233 hours on the night of 4/5th May 1943 to bomb Dortmund, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. It was later established that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at
0058 hours on 5th May at De Wijk (Drenthe), 10 kms east south east of Meppel, Holland. One crew member was killed and four became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of HE530 were:
Sergeant John Russell Baxter (1148282) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant Ronald Ernest Dolby (414212) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 4 January 1946
Sergeant Leonard Francis James (414299) (Pilot) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 27 November 1945
Sergeant Francis Graham Latham (412543) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Reginald Lionel Lutton (413214) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 7 November 1945
In a 1945 statement the Warrant Officer James reported “the aircraft was shot down at 18,000 feet when approaching Datum near the German border. The starboard engine was damaged and lost. There was fire in the bomb bays and rear of the aircraft and the controls were jammed. Gave bale out order at 10,000 feet The B/A, Nav and WOP baled out of the front escape hatch. The WOP was in the astrodome during the attack and received slight bullet and shrapnel wounds. The Nav and B/A were uninjured. The Rear Gunner was not in the turret and had spoken over the intercom after the attack. I told him to attempt to extinguish the fire and if unable to succeed to escape. The aircraft was diving out of control below 10,000 feet. It was some seconds before I could attempt to bale out and I eventually made the front escape hatch at approximately 5,000 feet. The aircraft crashed some 2 kms from Raalte, Holland. I was uninjured and evaded capture for 3.5 days. Travelled west and south approx 60/70 kms making for Belgium then France before capture. I was told by the Germans that the Rear Gunner had been killed. Released 16/4/45.”
No. 460 Squadron lost Lancaster W4818 (Flight Sergeant Desmond Nelson Jaekel (416680) (Pilot)) on 5 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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705,166/24/49