Sgt Ronald G Winchester RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 16/17th June 1943 – Avro Lancaster I – W4901 – Op Cologne
Ronald Winchester and crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds late March/early April 1943. They were lost on their 11th operation
27-Apr-43 - St Jean du Luz/Biscay coast – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
04-May-43 – Dortmund – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
18-May-43 - Biarritz/Biscay coast – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester – Early return - Wireless receiver unserviceable. Returned with mines.
23-May-43 – Dortmund – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester - Port engine on fire near target. Fire extinguished. Returned on 3 engines. Believed damage due to fire from another bomber.
25-May-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester – Early return - Intercom unserviceable.
27-May-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
29-May-43 – Wuppertal – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
11-Jun-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
12-Jun-43 – Bochum – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
14-Jun-43 – Oberhausen – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester
16-Jun-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt RG Winchester – FTR – Flak/fighter victim. Crashed near Middelgaal, Holland.
Claimed by flak of the Flak-Abteilung 665 and by night fighter pilot Leutnant Werner Baake of the 1/NJG1. Victory to Lt. Baake later credited by the Luftwaffe.
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Sgt Ronald Gordon Winchester RAFVR – Pilot – 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Mark Thomas Gordon and Elvina Mercy Winchester; husband of Maureen Joyce Winchester, of St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
Sgt Horace Rocknean RAF – Flight Engineer – 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of Patrick and Esther Rocknean, of Highbury, London – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
P/O George Graham Tebble RAFVR – Navigator – 103 Sqn - Son of Robert Soulsby Tebble and Jane Ann Tebble, of Bedlington Station, Northumberland – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
P/O Charles Patrick St Ledger RAFVR – Air Bomber – 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Charles Douglas and Amy Gurney Hasluck St. Leger; nephew of George Randall, of Pyrford, Surrey – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
Sgt Alexander Muir Park RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of Joseph King Park and Isabella London Muir Park; husband of Isabella Campbell Moore Park, of Bothwell, Lanarkshire – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
Sgt James Arthur Keighley RAFVR – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
Sgt Desmond Estcourt McGill RAFVR – Air Gunner – 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Walter and Doris Lucy McGill, of Liverpool – Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands
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16-Jun-43 - Cologne
103 Squadron detailed 22 aircraft for this attack on the German city of Cologne. The Pathfinders used sky marking and ground marking because of the 8/10ths cloud, thundercloud, with tops at 17000 ft to 20000 ft but these dropped to 10000 ft to 15000 ft over the target. Results were not observed satisfactorily. The Germans used false markers and also decoy fire sites with a certain amount of success. As the moon was bright the searchlights beneath the cloud were ineffective. Flak was as usual. There were several sightings of enemy aircraft which were easily evaded and no combats occurred. Most crews were unsatisfied with this cloud marking technique and being unable to observe results. It was however noted that glows in the cloud indicate large fires beneath. Three aircraft returned early. F/O Dexter and Sgt Winchester and their crews failed to return. All other aircraft returned to base.
For this attack on Cologne Bomber Command detailed a total of 202 Lancasters and 10 Halifaxes of 1, 5 and No 8 Groups. The marking for this raid was not by Oboe but by 16 heavy bombers of the Pathfinders fitted with H2S. The target was cloud-covered and some of the Pathfinder aircraft had trouble with their H2S sets. The skymarking was late and sparse, and the bombing of the all-Lancaster Main Force was thus scattered. 14 Lancasters lost.
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Lancaster – W4901
This machine gave good service and completed 18 operations operations with Sid Burton and crew plus several others and them became the regular aircraft of Ronald Winchester and crew. 33 ops in total. The first operation was as shown below :-
28-Feb-43 - St Nazaire – Lancaster – W4901 – Sgt SG Burton - Coned by searchlights before the target. Dived to avoid them and struggled to pull out at 7,000ft.
Written and compiled by David Fell
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