Sgt Ernest L Davies RAAF and crew - 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1942.
Failed to Return - 4/5th September 1942 – Handley Page Halifax II – W1220 – Op Bremen
Ernie Davies ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to the 103 Squadron Conversion Flight in July 1942 and then to 103 Squadron proper a short time later.
They commenced operational flying on the 16th August 1942 with an operation to Dusseldorf which was aborted due to mechanical issues. Their list of ops is as follows :-
16-Aug-42 - Dusseldorf - Halifax - W1217 - Sgt EL Davies - ER - A/C would not climb above 500ft. Jettisoned 3 x 1,000lb bombs. A/C then only climbed to 700ft. Jettisoned bombs and returned to base.
27-Aug-42 - Kassel - Halifax - W1217 - Sgt EL Davies - Returned on 3 engines at low level. Engaged by intense light flak nr Bergen Alkmaar. IFF U/S.. Reported seeing Very flares E of Gt Yarmouth. Landed Swanton Morley
01-Sep-42 - Saarbrucken - Halifax - W1187 - Sgt EL Davies - A/C Found to be uncontrollable after take off. Gave order to jettison bombs and bale out. Rear gunner baled out. A/C found to be more stable. 2 x SBCs jettisoned. A/C became unstable again. Wheels up landing made on grass at base without injuries.
04-Sep-42 - Bremen - Halifax - W1220 - Sgt EL Davies - FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed NNW Leeuwarden, Holland
Sadly all the crew were killed and are buried at the Leeuwarderadeel ( Jelsum ) Protestant Churchyard, Friesland Netherlands.
Reportedly shot down by night fighter pilot Oblt. Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenfeld of the 5./NJG 2 who was a well known German night fighter ace and Knights Cross holder.
The blazing aircraft fell in two main parts. The whole crew were recovered and identified., They were given a military funeral led by Luftwaffe personnel from the night fighter base at Leeuwarden on the 7th September 1942.
The full crew was as follows :-
Sgt Ernest Lewis Davies RAAF - Pilot - 24 – 103 Sqn - Son of Allan and Sarah Jane Davies, of Nundah, Queensland, Australia - Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt John James Parish RAF – Flight Engineer - 22 – 103 Sqn - Son of John and Annie Parish, of Winson Green, Birmingham - Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.
F/O Sydney Frank Belbin RAAF - 33 – 103 Sqn - Son of Joseph Stanley and Emma Elizabeth Belbin; husband of Mattie Belbin, of Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia.
Sgt Alec Henry Beesley RAAF - 26 – 103 Sqn - Son of Esther May Beesley, of Mount Morgan, Queensland, Australia - Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt JD Whitehead RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 22 – 103 Sqn - Son of Douglas and Nellie Argyle Whitehead, of Gamston, Nottinghamshire - Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt James Grant Crockett RAAF - 33 – 103 Sqn - Son of James and Elizabeth Crockett, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia - Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands..
F/S Sidney Mervyn Selway RAFVR – Air Gunner - 22 – 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur John Valentine Selway, and of Nora Selway, of Harlesden, Middlesex - .Leeuwarderadeel Jelsum Protestant Cemetery, Netherlands.
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04-Sep-42 - Bremen
103 Squadron detailed 7 aircraft for this attack on the German city of Bremen. Cloudy conditions prevailed at take off which dispersed to small amounts over the target. Ground haze or smoke screen were encountered in the target area. The usual heavy and light flak and searchlights were encountered. Two aircraft failed to take off, one because of mechanical issues and another due to a taxying accident. 4 aircraft returned safely to base. Sgt Gilby and crew failed to return.
For this attack on Bremen Bomber Command detailed a total of 251 aircraft - 98 Wellingtons, 76 Lancasters, 41 Halifaxes, 36 Stirlings. 12 aircraft - 7 Wellingtons, 3 Lancasters, 1 Halifax, 1 Stirling - lost, 4.8 per cent of the force.
The Pathfinders introduced new techniques on this night, splitting their aircraft into 3 forces: 'illuminators', who lit up the area with white flares; 'visual markers', who dropped coloured flares if they had identified the aiming point; then 'backers-up', who dropped all-incendiary bomb loads on to the coloured flares. This basic pattern - illuminating, marking and backing-up - would form the basis of most future Pathfinder operations with proper target-indicator bombs and various electronic bombing aids being employed as they became available.
The weather was clear and the Pathfinder plan worked well; heavy bombing of the target followed. Bremen confirms that this was a successful raid.
Among the industrial buildings seriously hit were the Weser aircraft works and the Atlas shipyard. 4 dockside warehouses were destroyed and 3 oil-storage tanks were burnt out. Various public buildings together with 7 schools and 3 hospitals were hit. 124 people were killed and 470 injured.
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Halifax W1220
This machine was lost on its 3rd operation with one “DNTO “
16-Aug-42 – Dusseldorf – Halifax – W1220 – Sgt HB Smith - Navigated to target by T/R 1 x 1,000lb bomb hung up.
27-Aug-42 – Kassel – Halifax – W1220 – Sgt HB Smith
28-Aug-42 – Nuremberg – Halifax – W1220 – Sgt HB Smith – Did not take off – Aircraft unserviceable
04-Sep-42 – Bremen – Halifax – W1220 – Sgt EL Davies – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed NNW Leeuwarden, Holland.
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The mother and sister of Ernest Davies visited his grave after the war :-
Sister Margaret Elizabeth and mother Sarah Jane Davies
The stayed for a couple of days in the ‘Church House’ of the local (Prot.) St. Genoveva Church, with the family of pastor Gerrit Willem Scholte (and his wife Elisabeth Neeltje Mets, and their 2 little daughters). And in those days, his mother walked from the nearby ‘Church House’ to the churchyard every morning and evening then to her son’s grave in particular; bringing fresh flowers, praying on his resting place, and giving a last blessing and farewell to all crew on the day she had to travel back home.
Davies grave
For more information and photos of Ernest Davies see the excellent In Memory of Flight Sergeant Ernie Davies website here. Webmaster Bob Davies.
Item compiled by David Fell with thanks to Bob Davies for permission to use the photo of Ernie at the top of this page. Also thanks to Willem de Jong for the additional info and family and grave photos
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