LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM100), Germany, 4 December 1944
Date: 4-5 December 1944
Target: Heilbronn
Total Force: Dispatched – 292, Attacking – 284
RAAF Force: No. 463 Dispatched – 21, Attacking – 21; No. 467 Dispatched – 20, Attacking – 20
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 1,267
Total Aircraft Lost: 12
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 463 – 1; No. 467 – 1
Two forces were dispatched on 4th-5th December against Karlsruhe and Heilbronn and both achieved moderate success, but, whereas No. 460 had a quiet night over Karlsruhe, Nos. 463 and 467 had trouble both with icing and with enemy fighters which swarmed to the bomber stream after some loads of incendiaries had been dropped by accident or in emergency on the outward journey. Twelve bombers were shot down including one from each RAAF squadron while Flying Officer Huxtable (1), Flight Lieutenant Kynoch (2), Flying Officer Shanahan (3) and Flight Lieutenant Redwood (4) all had to fight off enemy attacks.
(1) Flying Officer Denzil Christopher Huxtable DFC (421733) Discharged from the RAAF: 3 December 1945
(2) Flying Officer William Morris Kynoch DFC (419657) Discharged from the RAAF: 11 April 1946
(3) Flying Officer Peter Kenneth Shanahan (425902) Discharged from the RAAF: 11 January 1946
(4) Flying Officer Henry George Redwood DFC (428804) Discharged from the RAAF: 29 November 1945
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 307
Lancaster LM100 took off from RAF Waddington at 1625 hours on 4 December 1944 to bomb Heilbronn, Germany. The bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb (pound) (1,800 kg) bomb, 14 x 106 x 4 lb (2 kg) incendiaries. Twenty aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and one of these PB 740 failed to return. LM100 completed the mission and landed at 2230 hours. The Rear Gunner Sergeant Steele was killed during the mission.
The crew members of LM100 were:
Flying Officer John Alphonse Chalk (419946) (Bomb Aimer) Safe, Discharged from the RAAF: 18 January 1946
Sergeant W T J George (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner) Safe
Flying Officer William Morris Kynoch DFC (419657) (Pilot) Safe, Discharged from the RAAF: 11 April 1946
Flight Sergeant Keith Ronald Morris (415481) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) Safe, Discharged from the RAAF: 1 January 1946
Flying Officer Alton Neil Robinson (422885) (Second Pilot) Safe, Killed on Air Operations: 2 February 1945
Flight Sergeant J G Scammell (RAF) (Navigator) Safe
Sergeant Ronald Arthur William Steele (1867974) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
The Pilots report in the Operations Record Book records the following “Sortie completed. Fighter attack on aircraft at 1936 hours, height 13,200 feet. Radio, starboard flap and main plane trailing edge, under carriage, hydraulic line severed, starboard wheel punctured, fuselage forward of rear turret and starboard outer prop damaged. Rear Gunner killed in fighter attack. Landed at Manston.” This was the first trip by the Rear Gunner since leaving hospital after being shot up by a fighter on a previous mission.
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster PB792 (Flying Officer Jocelyn King Waring (434058) (Pilot)) on 4 December 1944.
No. 467 Squadron lost Lancaster PB740 (Flying Officer John Bithel Plumridge (428353) (Pilot)) on 4 December 1944.
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