W/O Kenneth Breckon DFM RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 22/23rd August 1943 – Avro Lancaster III – ED701 – OpLeverkusen
The Breckon crew
Kenneth Breckon and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds early May 1943. They were lost on their 14th operation. See below.
23-May-43 – Dortmund – Lancaster – W4323 – Sgt K Breckon - Combat with twin engined night fighter. Badly damaged. Rear and mid upper turrets damaged. Enemy aircraft claimed destroyed. Landed Downham Market.
This was a superb effort by Ken Breckon and his crew who were on their first operation and coped exceptionally well for a novice crew. Both Ken Breckon and George Ferrell were awarded the DFM. See Footnotes below.
25-May-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – ED701 – Sgt K Breckon
27-May-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED701 – Sgt K Breckon – Early return - Starboard outer engine unserviceable after take off.
29-May-43 – Wuppertal – Lancaster – ED701 – Sgt K Breckon
11-Jun-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4364 – Sgt K Breckon
12-Jun-43 – Bochum – Lancaster – W4364 – Sgt K Breckon
14-Jun-43 – Oberhausen – Lancaster – W4364 – Sgt K Breckon - Hit by flak.
03-Jul-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4364 – W/O K Breckon
08-Jul-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – ED701 – W/O K Breckon
12-Jul-43 – Turin – Lancaster – ED701 – W/O K Breckon – Early return – Starboard outer engine burst into flames and was feathered. Unable to climb over Alps
24-Jul-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – ED701 – W/O K Breckon
25-Jul-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED922 – W/O K Breckon
27-Jul-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – ED701 – W/O K Breckon
22-Aug-43 – Leverkusen – Lancaster – ED701 – W/O K Breckon – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed near the castle at Heusden, Germany.
Reportedly shot down by night fighter pilot and ace Oberleutnant Heinz Stuning of the 3/NJG1
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W/O Kenneth Breckon DFM RAFVR – 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Christopher and Nellie Breckon, of Loftus, Yorkshire – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt William John Wearn RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Florence Amy Wearn of Farnborough, Kent – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
F/S Claude William Jones RAFVR – Navigator - 28 - 103 Sqn - Son of George Walter Jones and of Kate Clinch Jones (nee Edwards) – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt Thomas Davison RAFVR – Air Bomber - 31 - 103 Sqn - Son of William John and Elizabeth Ann Davison; husband of Sheffield – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt John Harwood RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt Albert Edward Lefort RAFVR ( pictured above ) – Air Gunner - 22 - 103 Sqn - Son of Edward Albert and Matilda Jane Lefort, of Islington, London – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
F/S William Henry Austin RAFVR – Air Gunner - 32 - 103 Sqn - Son of William and Netta Austin of Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia – Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Above - L to R - George Ferrell and Kenneth Breckon pictured at their medal investiture at Buckingham Palace
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22-Aug-43 - Leverkusen
103 Squadron detailed 21 aircraft for this attack on the German city of Leverkusen. This was a most unsatisfactory attack as the target was cloud covered with tops 18000 ft to 20000 ft. This hide the target markers. ETA and “glow “ bombing resulted. Bombing heights were between 17000 ft to 21500 ft. Flak was moderate and in barrage form and searchlights hardly lit up the thick cloud. All crews were unhappy with the trip and felt that skymarking may have saved the effort. All aircraft returned to base except W/O K Breckon and crew who are reported missing.
For this attack on Leverkusen Bomber Command detailed a total of 462 aircraft - 257 Lancasters, 192 Halifaxes, 13 Mosquitos. The Nazi IG Farben chemical plant was chosen as the aiming point for this raid. This was an important German chemicals company that manufactured the Zyclon B gas used to by the Germans to exterminate millions of European Jews in the Holocaust. There was thick cloud over the target area and there was a partial failure of the Oboe signals. Bombs fell over a wide area; at least 12 other towns in and near the Ruhr recorded bomb damage. 3 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes lost, 1.1 per cent of the force.
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Lancaster - ED701
This machine gave good service being lost on its 38th operation. It was flown by a variety of captains the first being Sgt G M Pettigrew. See below.
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – ED701 – Sgt GM Pettigrew - Landed at Westcott
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Footnote
Technical Sergeant George Washington Ferrell DFM, Air Medal
George Ferrell was born in 1914 and lived in New Jersey USA. Prior to enlistment in the RCAF his occupation is shown as semi skilled sailor and deckhand. He transferred to the USAAF 29th July 1943 and survived the war. He died in 1969 and is buried at the Hoboken Cemetery,
He flew the first 5 operations with Breckon's crew and then was replaced and does not appear on the crew lists again. I presume this was something to do with him transferring from the RCAF to the USAAF
Above - George Ferrell pictured at the investiture of his DFM at Buckingham Palace. By this time he had transferred to the USAAF
DFM Citation
FERRELL, Sergeant George (R117536) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.103 Squadron - Award effective 2 June 1943 as per London Gazette dated 2 June 1943 and AFRO 1459/43 dated 30 July 1943. American in the RCAF. Born 14 October 1914 in Trenton, New Jersey. Home in Belleville, New Jersey. Electrician. Enlisted in Montreal 12 July 1941 and posted to No.1 Manning Depot. To No.4 WS, 27 September 1941. Promoted LAC, 29 October 1941. To Trenton, 8 June 1942; to No.6 BGS, 18 July 1942; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 28 August 1942. To “Y” Depot, 29 August 1942. To RAF overseas, 26 October 1942. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 29 February 1943. Discharged from RCAF, 28 July 1943. Cited with a Sergeant K. Breckon (RAF, awarded DFM). RCAF photo PL-22188 (ex UK-5990 dated 4 November 1943) taken when he was a Technical Sergeant with American forces, after investiture at Buckingham Palace. RCAF photo PL-22190 (ex UK-5992 dated 4 November 1943) shows Flight Sergeant D.C. Moore (George Medal, Durham, Ontario) chatting after investiture with other recipients, notably (on his left) Technical Sergeant G.W. Ferrell (DFM, Belleville, New Jersey). Sergeants Breckon and Ferrell were pilot and mid-upper gunner, respectively, of an aircraft which attacked Dortmund on night in May 1943. On the return flight the aircraft was subjected to repeated attacks by an enemy fighter. Although his turret was rendered unserviceable early in the combat, Sergeant Ferrell operated it manually, at the same time giving his captain a commentary on the attacker's movements. In spite of his difficulties Sergeant Ferrell eventually delivered a well directed burst of fire and shot the attacker down. Soon after crossing the enemy coast one of the bomber's engines caught fire and became unserviceable while a little later another engine ceased to function. Despite this, Sergeant Breckon flew on and, although a third engine became unserviceable as the English coast was reached, he succeeded in gaining an airfield where he executed a masterly landing without the aid of flaps. These members of aircraft crew displayed great skill, courage and determination in circumstances fraught with great danger. NOTE: Public Record Office Air 2/4974 has recommendation for a CGM (Flying) drafted 29 May 1943 by the Commanding Officer of No.103 Squadron. This award was supported up to the level of Air Officer Commanding, No.1 Group, so it was presumably downgraded at Bomber Command Headquarters. He had flown only one sortie (five hours ten minutes). During the attack on Dortmund on the night of 23/24th May 1943, Sergeant Ferrell, a Canadian, was mid-upper gunner of a Lancaster aircraft. After leaving the target, his aircraft was attacked by an enemy night fighter which carried out nine separate attacks in all. On the third attack both the mid-upper and rear turrets were rendered unserviceable almost simultaneously. Undaunted by the extremely hazardous position in which he was thus placed, he showed exceptional courage and determination in continuing coolly to warn his captain of each impending attack and giving him evasive directions at the same time endeavouring to ward off the attacks by manipulating his turret manually, rotating it by hand to whatever side the attack was coming from, and opening fire as best he could under these extremely difficult circumstances. On the sixth attack after his turret became unserviceable he got the fighter into his sights and opened fire, whereupon the fighter went into a steep dive and was seen to crash on the ground. Sergeant Ferrell not only showed exceptional skill as a gunner, but displayed outstanding gallantry and coolness in the face of danger and by his fearless determination and presence of mind extricated his crew from a perilous situation. He has set a high example for all to follow, and I have no hesitation in strongly recommending him for the immediate award of the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. Public Record Office Air 50/292 has the following Combat Report for the night of 23/24 May 1943, Lancaster C2/103, W4325: Returning from a raid on Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943, while flying at 18,000 feet, position 5205N 0640E, visibility good, about 8 to 10 miles with moon practically full on port quarter up, the time 0218 hours, the rear gunner of Lancaster C.2 {Sergeant Lefort] sighted a Ju.88 on green quarter down, 350 yards range. The rear gunner gave instructions to the pilot to make a diving turn starboard, which was carried out, and as this evasive action was being taken, the rear gunner and mid-upper gunner [Ferrell] opened fire but observed no hits. The fighter was unable to get a burst in on this attack, so broke off on the red quarter down, whereupon the pilot from instructions from the rear gunner resumed course and the Ju.88 positioned himself on the port quarter up about 400 yards away. When the fighter committed himself to the attack once more, the rear gunner again gave orders for a diving turn to port, which the pilot carried out immediately and the rear gunner and mid-upper opened fire, observing hits, and once again the fighter was forced to break off the attack without opening fire, whereupon the pilot resumed course after receiving instructions to do so from the rear gunner, and the Ju.88 positioned himself on the green quarter up about 450 yards. When the fighter committed himself to the attack once more, the mid-upper gave instructions to the pilot to make a diving turn to starboard, which was carried out; the Ju.88 opened fire from 200 yards for about two seconds and put both rear turret and mid-upper turret unserviceable, but was unable to follow up attack and broke away down to port, whereupon the pilot resumed course after receiving orders from the mid-upper to do so and the Ju.88 positioned himself more on the red quarter down about 350 yards away. The mid-upper, fearing that the intercom might be put unserviceable, gave the skipper orders to corkscrew continually while continuing on course, which was carried out. The Ju.88 attacked once more and his cannon shells hit the starboard main plane and rudder. The fighter broke off the attack at 150 yards, diving down on starboard quarter and back up, position on the green quarter up about 300 yards away, and attacked once again from that position. In the meantime the mid-upper, finding his turret unserviceable, put it in hand rotation, and rotating the turret by hand to the side from which the attack was coming, while the rear gunner with one hand and elevator and depressed the gun, and with the other opened fire, but found it difficult to make a correct allowance. The Ju.88 altogether made six attacks from alternate sides and the mid-upper continued to rotate his turret from side to side, opening fire as best he could each time. On the sixth attack after the turrets were unserviceable, the fighter ran through the mid-upper’s cone of fire and was seen to heel over on his side, dive straight down and was seen to crash on the deck and burst into flames by the rear gunner, wireless operator and engineer. There were no searchlights cooperating with fighter and there was no flak.
A most interesting photo of George Ferrell’s USAAF tunic which shows his RCAF AG Wing and his DFM ribbon as well as his USAAF insignia and awards.
Item compiled by David Fell
Photo of the Breckon crew and Albert Lafort courtesy of the Lafort family. I have had these a long time and it may be incorrect in which case I shall update if advised
Photo of George Fennelly and uniform and citations courtesy of Paul Biddle
Breckon and Ferrell B and W photos via Phil Laviollette
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