Sgt Eric S Siddall RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 26/27th November 1943 – Avro Lancaster III – JB458 – Op Berlin.
Eric Siddall and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds early November 1943. They were lost on their 4th operation. See below :-
18-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB551 – Sgt ES Siddall – Early return – Starboard outer engine unserviceable. Bombed orbiting beacon.
22-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall
23-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall – Did not take off - Cancelled due to high winds which caused some aircraft to swing on take off
26-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall – FTR - Crashed near Altenstadt, Germany.
Claimed shot down by the night fighter pilots Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Engel of the 1/NJG6 and Major Wilhelm Herget of the Stab I/NJG4 and also by heavy Flak units. The aircraft exploded in mid-air, the wreckage coming down over a wide area between Höchst and Oberau.
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Sgt Eric Smith Siddall RAFVR – Pilot - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of John Alan and Hilda Siddall of Hazel Grove, Cheshire – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt Wilfred Claude Buzan RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of Charles Edward and Emily Florence Buzan of Dover, Kent – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt Dugald Blue RAFVR – Navigator - 28 – 103 Sqn - Son of Dugald and Anna Montgomery Blue; husband of Ruth E. Blue of East Finchley, Middlesex – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt David Ivor James Evans RAFVR – Air Bomber - 103 Sqn – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt H Wood RAFVR – 103 Sqn – POW – Camp 4B – POW no 267194
Sgt Albert Marino Grimson RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt Nicholas Daunt Taylor RAFVR – Air Gunner - 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of Thomas and Sarah Taylor; husband of Joan Cliffe Taylor of Sheffield – Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt Albert Marino Grimson RCAF
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26-Nov-43 – Berlin
103 Squadron detailed 30 aircraft for this attack on the Nazi capital of Berlin. This number was thought to be a Bomber Command record for a Squadron at that time. Bombing heights were between 21000 ft and 23000 ft although one aircraft bombed from 16000 ft. F/S Law, P/O Young and W/O Graham returned early. Heavy flak was very intense in barrage form and a great deal of light flak was bursting at 15000 ft. Searchlight cones were numerous. There were two combats reported. F/S Richter was attacked by a Bf110 from the port quarter closing to 150 yards. His rear gunner opened with a long burst which caused smoke to come from the port engine. It was claimed as a probable. S/L Scragg was attacked by 2 Bf110s 600 yards astern and his gunners found their guns frozen. Evasive action was taken and the aircraft lost. In addition F/S Griffin sighted a Bf110 at 400 yards but nothing resulted. F/O Pugh, F/O Sumner and Sgt Siddall and their crews failed to return. F/O Brevitt crashed into a Halifax whilst landing. All except the mid upper gunner were killed. Bad visibility prevented our aircraft returning to base and apart from the early returns all landed at No 6 Group airfields in East and North Yorkshire.
For this attack on Berlin Bomber Command detailed a total of 443 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos to Berlin and with another combined diversion attack to Stuttgart. Both forces flew a common route over Northern France and on nearly to Frankfurt before diverging. The German controllers thought that Frankfurt was the main target until a late stage and several bombers were shot down as they flew past Frankfurt. Only a few fighters appeared over Berlin, where flak was the main danger, but the scattered condition of the bomber stream at Berlin meant that bombers were caught by fighters off track on the return flight and the casualties mounted. 28 Lancasters were lost, 6.2 per cent of the force, and 14 more Lancasters crashed in England. The weather was clear over Berlin but, after their long approach flight from the south, the Pathfinders marked an area 6-7 miles north-west of the city centre and most aircraft bombed there. Because of Berlin's size, however, most of the bombing still fell within the city boundaries and particularly on the semi-industrial suburb of Reinickendorf; smaller amounts of bombing fell in the centre and in the Siemensstadt (with many electrical factories) and Tegel districts. The Berlin Zoo was heavily bombed on this night. Many of the animals had been evacuated to zoos in other parts of Germany but the bombing killed most of the remainder. Several large and dangerous animals - leopards, panthers, jaguars, apes - escaped and had to be hunted and shot in the streets.
The diversionary raid on Stuttgart was carried out by 157 Halifaxes and 21 Lancasters. 6 Halifaxes lost, 3.4 per cent of the force. The bombing was very scattered and caused little damage but part of the night-fighter force was drawn off from the Berlin operation.
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Lancaster – JB458
This machine was lost on its 7th operation
18-Oct-43 – Hanover – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ET Jones RCAF - Combat with twin engined night fighter. Attack broken off
22-Oct-43 – Kassel – Lancaster – JB458 – F/O CP Ready
03-Nov-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – JB458 – W/O ET Townsend RNZAF
18-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – F/O HD Churchill
22-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall
23-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall – DNTO - Cancelled due to high winds which caused some aircraft to swing on take off
26-Nov-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – JB458 – Sgt ES Siddall – FTR - Crashed near Altenstadt, Germany.
Item compiled by David Fell
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