LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Frederick James BREEN
Service No: 402760
Born: St Peters NSW, 3 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Breighton, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 460 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z1335), Germany, 27 July 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Hamburg Cemetery, Hamburg, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Charles and Alma Irene Marguerite Breen, of Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Rockdale NSW
Remembered: Panel 107, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Date: 26-27 July 1942
Target: Hamburg
Total Force: Dispatched – 403, Attacking – 304
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 12, Attacking – 11
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 724
Total Aircraft Lost: 30
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 2
The raid of 26th-27th July was a maximum effort for the (Bomber) command and it was hoped, by increased weight of numbers, to saturate the defences. The first wave attacked with incendiaries in bright moonlight just before 1 a .m., but only scattered fires (some obviously dummy sites), and much smoke, were seen by the main force which faced very heavy gun barrages, and was badly harassed by night fighters. The RAAF crews claimed accurate hits, but many bombs fell wide on residential areas, and the biggest patch of damage was some twelve acres of the commercial section of the city near the Binnen Alster, which suffered badly from fire.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 314-5
Flying Officer Breen and crew were detailed to operate in Z 1335 against Hamburg, Germany, on the night of the 26/27th July 1942. The aircraft left RAF Station Breighton at 2248 hours on 26 July but the aircraft failed to return. Bomb load 9 x 30 x 4 lb (pound) (2 kg) incendiaries. Twelve aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid on Hamburg. The aircraft did not return and later it was learned that all crew members had been killed.
The crew members of Z1335 were:
Sergeant Aubrey Archdale Bice (405066) (Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Frederick James Breen (402760) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Storey (403965) (Observer)
Sergeant Archibald Edmond Tinkler (400741) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Ivan Thomas Tulloh (401865) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
No. 460 Squadron lost Wellington Z1483 (Flight Lieutenant Vernon Frank Keyser (406359) (Pilot)) on 27 July 1942.
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, 163/24/282
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985