Flying Officer John Henry Richards DFC RAFVR and crew - 103 Sqn and 576 Sqn - RAF Elsham Wolds - 1943.
Failed to Return - 23/24th December 1943 - Avro Lancaster III - ED913 - Op Berlin.
This crew were posted to 103 from 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme near Doncaster on the 28th Sept 1943.
The crew consisted of :-
Flying Officer John Henry Richards RAFVR - Pilot. Age 29. Son of Edmund and Maud A. Richards; husband of Avis M. Richards, of Sandford, Somerset.
Sergeant Hubert (Bert) Stanley Mitchell RAFVR - Flight Engineer. Age 39. Son of Francis and Eleanor; husband of Marion, of Port Isaac, Cornwall.
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Earl Bartleman RCAF 1st op, Sergeant J R Evans 2nd/3rd/4th/6th ops, - Sergeant G Evans RAFVR 7th/8th ops - Air Bomber.
Bartleman went on to fly with 156 Pathfinder Squadron, was commissioned and awarded a DFC. The Sgt J R Evans and Sgt G Evans may well be the same man and this is a discrepency in the 103 Sqn and 576 Sqn ORBs. The crew for the 5th op is unknown as it was cancelled due to high winds before all the aircraft had taken off so the crew is not recorded.
Sergeant Arthur Edward Hooper RAFVR - Navigator.
Sergeant Sidney Walter Irons RAFVR - Wireless Operator. Age 34. Son of Thomas and Jessie; husband of Rose Lucy, of Edmonton, Middlesex.
Sergeant Charles Milburn RAFVR - Air Gunner. Age: 19. Son of Charles and Jessie Milburn, of Rothbury, Northumberland.
Sergeant Harold Johnson RAFVR - Air Gunner. Age 19. Son of William and Florence Johnson, of Bolton, Lancashire.
On their fatal operation an 8th crew member was added to this crew - Flying Officer Bertie James Marks RAFVR - Second Pilot. Age 27. Husband of J. L. A. Marks, of Bexleyheath, Kent.
Operations flown with 103 Squadron.
20-Oct-43 Leipzig Lancaster ED913
22-Oct-43 Kassel Lancaster ED913
10-Nov-43 Modane Lancaster ED913
18-Nov-43 Berlin Lancaster JA868
22-Nov-43 Berlin Lancaster W4337
23-Nov-43 Berlin Lancaster ED417 - DNTO - Cancelled due to high winds which caused some aircraft to swing on take off
26-Nov-43 Berlin Lancaster ED913- Diverted to Croft because of bad visibilty at base.
In late November 1943 F/O Richards and his crew were transferred to the newly formed 576 Sqn also at Elsham Wolds.
Operations flown with 576 Squadron.
02-Dec-43 Berlin Lancaster ED913
23-Dec-43 Berlin Lancaster ED913 FTR - Reportedly crashed near the near the village of Altkuenkendorf, Germany. Details unknown but probably night fighter victim.
The Air Bomber, Sgt G Evans, escaped by parachute and was taken POW. He survived the war.
The deceased are buried at the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.
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F/O John Henry Richards RAFVR – Pilot – 29 – 576 Sqn - Son of Edmund and Maud A. Richards; husband of Avis M. Richards of Sandford, Somerset – Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Hubert (Bert) Stanley Mitchell RAFVR - Flight Engineer. - 39 - Son of Francis and Eleanor; husband of Marion of Port Isaac, Cornwall - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt G Evans RAFVR - Air Bomber - 576 Sqn – POW - Camps 4B/L3 – POW No 269766
Sgt Arthur Edward Hooper RAFVR – Navigator – 576 Sqn – Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Sidney Walter Irons RAFVR - Wireless Operator – 34 - 576 Sqn - Son of Thomas and Jessie; husband of Rose Lucy of Edmonton, Middlesex – Berlin 939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Charles Milburn RAFVR - Air Gunner – 19 – 576 Sqn - Son of Charles and Jessie Milburn, of Rothbury, Northumberland – Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Harold Johnson RAFVR - Air Gunner – 19 – 576 Sqn - Son of William and Florence Johnson of Bolton, Lancashire – Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
F/O Bertie James Marks RAFVR - Second Pilot – 27 - Husband of J. L. A. Marks of Bexleyheath, Kent - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
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The Air Bomber, Sgt G Evans, escaped by parachute and was taken POW. He survived the war.
The deceased are buried at the 39/45 Berlin War Cemetery.
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23 Dec 43 – Berlin – Germany – Night. 8 aircraft detailed for this late take off. Bombing was carried out from 20,000 to 23,000 ft. Only cloud and fire tracks are recorded on the photo prints. F/O Richards and crew, with F/O Marks as second pilot, and P/O Hughes and crew are both missing from this operation.
( 379 aircraft. Again cloud cover and also faulty H2S radars caused the Pathfinders problems. Marking was scattered and sparse but the south eastern suburbs of Berlin were damaged. )
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Lancaster ED913 was a long serving machine at Elsham Wolds having flown over 50 ops from May 1943.
Pics here of a nice model of ED913 made by James who is related to Charles Milburn who was killed with this crew.
Compiled by David Fell mostly from 103 and 576 Squadron ORBs and Middlebrook's Bomber Command War Diaries. Photos from the Richards, Marks and Milburn families. Not forgetting James for the photos of his excellent model.
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