LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Frederick Clive EBELING
Service No: 414129
Born: Mullumbimby NSW, 2 October 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 78 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Breighton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 78 Squadron Halifax aircraft JD872), France, 6 September 1943, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Choloy War Cemetery, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Frederick and Mary Ethel Ebeling; husband of Beryl Ebeling, of Casino, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Casino NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Bangalow All Souls Church Gates and Wall Memorials, Bangalow NSW
At 1933 hours on the night of 5 September 1943 Halifax JD872 took off from Breighton detailed to bomb Mannheim, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at St-Hilaire-le-Grand (Marne), 20 miles east of Rheims, France, with seven crew members killed and one who survived the crash and evaded capture.
The crew members of JD872 were:
Pilot Officer Vernon Reginald Baker (156698) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Pilot Officer Frederick Clive Ebeling (414142) (Pilot)
Sergeant Philip Groom (1222829) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Walter Roy Huntley (1300534) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Henry William Milligan (156006) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Henry John Pratt (1390630) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant H Salter (1318641) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Evaded capture
Sergeant William Sheffield (1147315) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Salter later reported “Outward bound the trip was uneventful until 5 minutes from the target area. The aircraft was attacked without warning from head on starboard bow and below by an unseen fighter. Height was 19,000 feet. I had been preparing to put the aircraft on to the bombing run and it was flying straight and level. Strikes were observed in the port wing and a small fire started. The Mid Upper gunner reported a large part of the port rudder had been shot away. The aircraft appeared to stall and the Captain gave the order ‘prepare to abandon’. The aircraft was brought under control and the order was cancelled. The Captain ordered the bombs to be jettisoned which was done in the outer ring of the target area, and the aircraft then turned on a course for home. About 3,000 feet in height had been lost during combat and the aircraft continued at 16,000 feet. In order to keep the aircraft straight and level it was necessary full right rudder continuously. The fire in the port wing had gone out and all engines were running.”
“About one hour after combat at approximately 2330 hours when the aircraft was about 100 miles into France, the Flight Engineer said he was going aft to change tanks. He changed over to the port tanks after reporting that the port gauges were unserviceable as they were showing zero reading for tanks that were presumably full. The two port engines immediately cut and it was evident that the tanks were in fact empty having been holed in the fighter attack. The pilot thought the aircraft was going into a spin and the abandon order was given. I opened the front escape hatch and jettisoned it while the pilot put the aircraft into a steep dive. The aircraft went into a spin and the lights went out just as I prepared to leave. The aircraft was spinning violently in a steep dive and I was thrown out. I suddenly found my feet go through the open hatch and I pushed my way out. The chute opened and I landed safely in 5 to 10 seconds only some 50 yards away from where the aircraft crashed and burnt furiously, with all equipment being destroyed. All the others were killed in the crash.”
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/10/160
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line