F/L K Halnan RCAF and crew – 576 Sqn – RAF Fiskerton – 1944/45
Abandoned on return – 21/22nd February 1945 – Lancaster I – NG464 - Op Duisburg.
F/L Halnan and crew were posted to 576 Squadron at Fiskerton around late November 1944 / early December 1944. They flew their first operation to Essen on the 12th December and completed 5 more. The incident in question occurred on their 7th operation. See below :-
12/12/1944 – Essen – LM594 – F/O K Halnan RCAF
15/12/1944 – Ludswighafen/Oppau – PB753 – F/O K Halnan RCAF
28/01/1945 - Stuttgart/ Zuffenhausen – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
08/02/1945 – Politz – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
13/02/1945 – Dresden – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF - Sighted 1 twin engined night fighter. No combat.
14/02/1945 – Chemnitz – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
21/02/1945 – Duisburg – NG464 – F/L K Halnan RCAF – Abandoned on return over France -
Hit by flak which caused a fire to break out in the bomb bay and rendered the hydraulic system unserviceable. A course was set to Jouvincourt but the crew were obliged to bale out in the vicinity of Rheims.
Crew as follows :-
F/L K Halnan RCAF - Safe,
Sgt W G Young – Safe,
F/O E N Weldon RCAF – Safe,
F/O G T Shepherd RCAF – Safe,
Sgt F R Lait – Safe,
Sgt F/S H G C Farey – Safe,
Sgt R M Gray– Safe.
….......
16 aircraft detailed. Weather for take off was fine with industrial haze over England.
Over France it was clear and bright and into the target where a thin layer of 10/10ths stratus at 16000 ft was encountered. This layer was approximately 500 ft deep but ground detail could be observed. Haze over France for the homeward journey with low stratus over England clearing towards base with good visibility.
PFF opened the attack with red and green TIs and R/P flares. The early markers appear to have been scattered and inadequate but as the attack developed better placing was achieved. The attack was spread over a large area incendiaries burning along a track of almost 10 miles. Good fires were started and the target was well burning when the aircraft returned home.
Moderate heavy predicted flak which was reasonable accurate was encountered bursting between 13000 ft and 16000 ft. This tended to decrease as the raid progressed.
Searchlights were used to illuminate the base of the cloud over the target throwing the attacking aircraft into bold relief. Fighters were active with fighter flares going down along the route to the target area. 2 bombers are reported going down in flames and exploding on the ground.
F/O Burnell in M2 sighted 1 Me110 and 1 Fw190 and 4 Ju88s.
F/O Crofts in V2 claims the destruction of 1 jet aircraft which attacked from head on. The mid upper gunner, Sgt Cox, opened fire at 500 yards and the jet was seen to explode and fall in numerous pieces.
At 0100 hours a message was received from F/O Halnan in O2 “ Hit by flak, fire in bomb bay, hydraulics u/s. Abandoning aircraft between Rheims and Juvincourt.” This crew are all reported safe.
F/L Thieme in Q2 was at first reported missing but at the time of writing 4 members of the crew, F/L Thieme, W/O Lowing, Sgt Willis and Sgt Crouch are signalled as safe.
From this operation F/L Living and crew in B2 failed to return.
Training – 1 fighter affiliation, 1 air to sea firing exercise and 1 air test.
( 373 aircraft of 1, 6 and 8 Groups attacked to Duisburg. 7 Lancasters were lost and 3 crashed behind Allied lines in Europe. This was a successful area-bombing raid and much damage was caused. No other details are available. This was the last major Bomber Command raid on Duisburg.
….......
Halnan and his crew returned to 576 Squadron and resumed their tour as follows :-
16/03/1945 – Nuremberg – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF – ER - Rear turret and compressor U/S
18/03/1945 – Hanau – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
22/03/1945 – Hildersheim – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
25/04/1945 – Berchtesgaden – RA594 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
29/04/1945 - Valkenburg airfield – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
30/04/1945 - Delft Airfield – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
01/05/1945 – Rotterdam – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
03/05/1945 - Valkenburg Airfield – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
04/05/1945 - Valkenburg Airfield – PD271 – F/L K Halnan RCAF
….................
Lancaster NG464
This machine had a short career being lost on its 3rd operation.
14/02/1945 – Chemnitz – NG464 – F/O WU Holmes
20/02/1945 – Dortmund – NG464 – S/L AH Dutton
21/02/1945 – Duisburg – NG464 – F/L K Halnan RCAF - Flak victim. Aircraft abandoned. Crashed near Jouvincourt/Rheims, France.
Item compiled by David Fell
....................
|
