G'day all My name is mike smythe I'm a kiwi living here in Queensland I will be posting about my great uncle who Was a Lancaster pilot in 61 squadron out if skellingthorpe. He was pilot of Lancaster ND988 QR-E Shot down 23rd September on the Dortmund -Ems canal raid . I look forward to exchanging information On this and also the battle of Crete. Cheers Mike
good day nd 988.today.12:54am.re:new member n988 from Australia.first let me welcome you to ww2talk.you will find a lot of informative members who will help you.have a good day.regards bernard85
Hi Mike Welcome from another Queenslander. Airforce is not my skill, but if you post a name as well I am sure there are a few guys who will give you lots of good information,I googled and found this- The crew were: · F/O Ian Melville Campbell RNZAF 426213 · Sgt John Norman Hoad 1175274 23/09/1944 · Sgt R.D. Cole · F/S M.J. Milne RNZAF · Sgt John McCabe 1348047 RAF Volunteer Reserve · Flt/Sgt Samuel Vernon Wickland 640170 · Sgt H. Lea Lancaster ED470 took off at 19:07 23rd Sep 1944 to bomb the Dortmund-Ems Canal at Ladbergen near Munster. It crashed at 23:30 at Wechte, 3km from Tecklenburg. Those killed are now buried in the Reichswald Forest War cemetery and Raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany (by 136 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes) 23/24 September 1944. (RAF losses on this raid were 11 aircraft) A 61 Squadron Lancaster III ND988/E-took of at 1907 to bomb the banks of two parrallel branches of the canal at a point near Ladbergen, about 20 km NNE of Munster, and was brought down 8km NNE of the target area, crashing at Wechte, 5km WNW of Lengerich, at 2330. Taken POW was the sole survivour an RAF gunner. His six comrades were all buried at Lengerich, but later moved to Reichswald Forest, 5km south of Kleve. The pilot was FO Ian Melville Campbell RNZAF -aged 23 years on his 5th or-6th operational mission. (His service number is NZ426213) The Air Bomber was FS Montague John Miln RNZAF Aged 24 years on his 5th mission. (Miln's service number is NZ427508). So both Campbell and Miln were New Zealanders http://www.bomberhistory.co.uk/Canal%20raids/Loss%20details/Loss%20ND988.html ND988 194? The aircraft was ordered for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as ND988. 194? The aircraft was allocated to 61 Squadron. 23Sep1944 The aircraft departed Skellingthorpe, UK at 19.07 hours on a raid to bombthe Dortmund-Elms Canal. At 23.30 hours the aircraft was shot down 3 KM south of Tecklenburg. The only member of the crew to survive was Sgt H. Lea (Air Gunner) who was taken prisoner. The rest of the crew were F/OFF Ian Melville Campbell, RNZAF service number NZ426213 (Pilot), Sgt J.N. Hoad service number 1175274 (Flight Engineer), Sgt R.D. Cole service number 1486632 (Bomb Aimer), F/SGT J. McCabe service number 1348047 (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner), and Sgt S.V. Wickland service number 640170 (Air Gunner). You probably have all this? regards Robert
thanks everyone and especially to Bofors yes i have what information is posted above and some more which ill share soon. there was a RAF report made after an investigation in 1946 in which i have a copy of. it has eye witness statements by locals who witnessed the aircraft crash and was became of the crew. i do not have a photo of the crew as such or the aircraft but am searching. i will crete the post soon. thanks again for the welcoming Mike
Hi Mike and welcome, I work at New Zealand Defence Force Archives, which is the repository for all NZ military personnel records from 1921 onwards. I have made a quick search and can confirm that we have your Great Uncle's service records here. If you havent already obtained them we can provide you with a copy them, although I'll need you to PM your postal address to me. Sadly we arent yet at a level where we can email scanned images of whole files yet! Let me know and I'll get the ball rolling.
Looks as if Mike is taking his time to respond, but what a generous offer from Dave G! I notice that Miln was also a Kiwi. In RAAF files I came across some photos as a cadet, are there any such in the RNZAF files? To have face to put to Names helps bring them back to the present, in some small way. Whilst Mike may have these details, it's useful should any relatives of other crew searching for info to have these Names for a Search Engine to find:- CAMPBELL, IAN MELVILLE. Rank: Flying Officer. Trade: Pilot. Service No: 426213. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Age: 23. Regiment/Service: Royal New Zealand Air Force. 61 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: 24. F. 13. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Dr. John George Campbell and Violet May Campbell, of Whangarei, Auckland, New Zealand. HOAD, JOHN NORMAN. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Flt. Engr. Service No: 1175274. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Age: 23. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 61 Sqdn. Grave Reference: Coll. Grave 24. F. 14-18. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Herbert and Annie M. Hoad, of Birmingham. COLE, RICHARD DERRICK. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Nav. Service No: 1486632. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 61 Sqdn. Grave Reference: Coll. grave 24. F. 14-15. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY. Additional Information: Son of Richard and Margaret LilianC Cole, of West Hartlepool, Co. Durham. M.A. MILN, MONTAGUE JOHN. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: Air Bomber. Service No: 427508. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Age: 24 Regiment/Service: Royal New Zealand Air Force. 61 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: Coll. grave 24. F. 14-18. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Robert Miln and of Annie Augusta Miln (nee Mosley), of Te Anga, Auckland, New Zealand. McCABE, JOHN. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Wireless Operator (Air). Service No: 1348047. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 61 Sqdn. Grave Reference: Coll. grave 24. F. 14-18. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY. WICKLAND, SAMUEL VERNON. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 640170. Date of Death: 23/09/1944. Age: 23. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. 61 Sqdn. Grave Reference: Coll. grave 24. F. 14-18. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Joseph James Wickland and Elizabeth Jane Wickland; husband of Ivy Wickland, of Greenwich, London. Ian Campbell was able to be identified, presumably by his uniform, but Miln wasn't so lucky. (I assume it's a small typo on Cole grave number, should be 14-18). The rear gunner obviously rotated his turret to bale out and survive but the others look to have been trapped as it plunged out of control. H Lea 1895544 became POW No 919 in Camp L7. Hope that helps
Hello to all. My appologies for such a long time offline. I am back once more and have resumed my research into the aircraft. I will add another post tomorrow. Many thanks to those who have provided me with the information above ! thanks again Mike
Hello Mike Around 1982 I undertook an investigation to all the 14 Ac which were lost on 24/24.9.1944 Found them all including ND988 f/O Campbell. An interesting story is air/27/1931 orb 467 squadron bombing DEK on 23/9/44: Sortie completed 10/10ths thin cloud, tops About 11000 ft Bombed estimated 150 yards nw of glow red TI throughout cloud as ordered from15500 at 2150 No results Observed Red TI clearly seen Below cloud on run up. Immediately after bombing an À/C blew up on port bow very close. Pilot DoD steep turn to stbd. To avoid parts of this A-C which desintegrated after on fire in P/O and à bomb blewing up. I am be sure That This A-C was ND 988 and à Victim of THE numerous flakguns in THE target area. Several flaksoldiers were killed that night, Some through flooding of THE Canal German and RAF sources Saïd that THE nightfighters didnot reached THE targetarea in time. THE first lanc Victim of à nightfighter was PB409 of sq/L Higgs sich crashed in Leer (drosten Always thougt that THE crasside wasin THE center of THE village of Ladbergen but believe now that this crash, From which I have 2 foto's, is From an earlier raid on 17/9/1943 Found iT strange that THE bodies of THE crew were buried in Lengerich and not in Ladbergen ND868 and LM309 which collided in THE neighbourhood, had their crewmembers buried in THE countryside and not on a Gerhard
Hi - my name is Chris Cole My Uncle was the navigator on Lancaster ND988 QR-E. I have found a letter from Sergeant H Lea who was the tail gunner. He was the only survivor of the crash and he gives an account of what happened from his perspective. I'd be interested in how many flights the crew made before the on on 23 Sept. Chris
Hi - My Uncle was the navigator on ND988 - I have a letter from H Lea who was the tail gunner - he was the only survivor. I'd be interested in learning about any information that you have please? Chris
A belated welcome to you, Mike. It seems like you have found out a fair bit of information already. All the best for future research.
Hi Chris Great to hear from you,my apologies for the long delay. I am very interested in reading the letter from Sgt Lea,i tried to find him through various channels in previous years. you can email me on m.smythe68@optusnet.com.au regards Mike