F/L James R Frith RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1942
Failed to Return – 27/28th August 1942 – Handley Page Halifax II – W1270 – Op Kassel.
James Frith was posted to 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on the 7th April 1942 from 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourn. He flew his first operation as co-pilot in the crew of Sgt Staniland on the 26th April 1942 to Dunkirk and completed 3 more with the same crew.
He was then made captain of his own crew and flew 5 operations on Wellingtons and 1 on Halifaxes being lost on the 7th.
01-Jun-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith – Early return - Misinterpretation of recall signal
02-Jun-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith
05-Jun-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith
06-Jun-42 – Emden – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith
08-Jun-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith
25-Jun-42 – Bremen – Wellington – R1163 – F/O JR Frith
01-Aug-42 – Dusseldorf – Halifax – W1212 – F/L JR Frith
27-Aug-42 – Kassel – Halifax – W1270 – F/L JR Frith – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed south of Haaksbergen. Holland.
Take off - 2054 Elsham Wolds. Shot down by a night fighter (Hptm Wolfgang Thimmig and Oberfeldwebel Hans Steckemetz III./NJG1 - Bf 110 F-4) and crashed 2354 near Burserveen (Overijssel), 4km south of Haaksbergen, Holland
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F/L James Rothwell Frith RAFVR – Pilot – 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Ernest and Charlotte Edith Frith of Tynemouth, Northumberland - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands
Sgt Walter Duncombe RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 103 Sqn - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands.
P/O Edward Arthur Rutherford Briant RAFVR – Observer – 33 – 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur James Briant and Alice Emmeline Briant; husband of Dorothy June Briant, of Richmond, Surrey - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt George Hunter RAFVR - Bomb Aimer – 32 – 103 Sqn - Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Jane Wilson of South Shields, Co. Durham; husband of Doris Wilson of South Shields - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands.
F/S Barriemore Smallwood Blundall RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 22 – 103 Sqn - Son of Enock Smallwood Blundall and Jenny May Blundall of Ealing Common, Middlesex - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt John David Craig RAFVR ( pictured below ) - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 23 – 103 Sqn - Son of Charles and Cecilia Gibson Craig, of Dundee - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands.
P/O Percival Gerald Hopkins RAFVR - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 28 – 103 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Jane Emily Hopkins; husband of Margaret Hopkins, of Christchurch, Hampshire - Haaksbergen General Cemetery, Netherlands. See item atv foot of page.
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27-Aug-42 – Kassel
103 Squadron detailed 12 aircraft for this attack on Kassel. There was a bright moon and no cloud was encountered all along the route but ground haze in varying degrees was encountered. This did not prevent crews identifying the river and built up areas which were successfully bombed. Most crews praised the Pathfinder Force. Little to moderate inaccurate flak with little searchlight activity was encountered over the target area but several aircraft appear to have flown over strongly defended areas en route. The bombing was between 6000 ft and 11000 ft. W/O Telfer experienced an engine failure and returned to base after jettisoning his bombs in the sea off Cromer. F/S Tilley landed at Downham Market due to fuel shortage. Sgt Davies landed at Swanton Morley returning on 3 engines and sustained some damage from light flak over Bergen Alkmaar. F/L Frith and crew failed to return.
Bomber Command detailed 306 aircraft of 5 types to attack Kassel. 31 aircraft - 21 Wellingtons, 5 Stirlings, 3 Lancasters, 1 Halifax, 1 Hampden - lost, 10.1 per cent of the force. 142 Squadron, based at Grimsby, lost 5 of its 15 Wellingtons taking part in the raid. Many of the casualties were attributed to night-fighter action.
There was only a little cloud over Kassel and the Pathfinders were able to illuminate the area well. Widespread damage was caused, particularly in the south-western parts of the city. Kassel reports that 144 buildings were destroyed and 317 seriously damaged. Several military establishments were hit and the number of dead soldiers, 28, exceeded the number of civilians killed, 15. 187 civilians and 64 soldiers were injured. Among the buildings severely damaged were all three of the factories of the Henschel aircraft company.
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Halifax W1270
This machine was lost on its first operation with 103 Squadron.
01-Aug-42 – Dusseldorf – Halifax – W1270 – F/L JR Frith
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P/O Percival Gerald “Hoppy” Hopkins RAFVR
"Hoppy" Hopkins enlisted in the RAF in 1940 and qualified as an Air Gunner and was commissioned. He was posted to 142 Squadron at RAF Grimsby with his crew but moved to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds at the end of April 1942 where he joined the crew of James Frith.
John Corbould-Warren has written an excellent booklet about his late father describing his RAF career and subsequent visit to the Netherlands for a commemoration of the Frith crew a few years ago
I haver converted this to a Flip Book format and this can be viewed by clicking on the book cover below.
Item compiled by David Fell. Thanks to Matthijs Zwaal for the Jones photo
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