Pilot Officer JOHN LA POINTE BERRY J/90142, 424 Sqdn., Royal Canadian Air Force who died age 21 on 31 March 1944 Son of J. A. Berry and Ellen I. Berry, of Carman, Manitoba, Canada. Remembered with honour DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY CWGC :: Cemetery Details
John LaPointe Berry was born in 1922 and was raised at Myrtle MB. John joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and trained as an Air Gunner. He served under Bomber Command #6 Group in 424 Squadron out of Skipton Swale in England. Mid Upper Gunner Berry was on his third bombing mission (The Nuremberg Raid Mar.30/31 1944) when #LV944 was shot down over Schweinfurt, Germany. The Halifax III crashed at Falkenstein, Germany and all seven crew members perished. P/O Berry (J90142) was laid to rest at Durnbach War Cemetery in Germany at the young age of 21.
Full crew of the Halifax LV944: Pilot: Metzler, Harry Warren S/L RCAF + Sgt G Myles RAF + F/L R J Digney RCAF + F/O F F P Paquin RCAF + F/O N A MacAulay RCAF + Sgt J L P Berry RCAF + Sgt J B Allen RCAF + Name: METZLER, HARRY WARREN Initials: H W Nationality: Canadian Rank: Squadron Leader (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 424 Sqdn. Age: 30 Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: J/5666 Additional information: Son of Harry and Edwardina Agnes Metzler, of Fort William, Ontario, Canada. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 11. J. 2. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: DIGNEY, RODERICK JOSEPH Initials: R J Nationality: Canadian Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Nav.) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 424 Sqdn. Age: 29 Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: J/9497 Additional information: Son of Clement and Mary Ella Digney, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. B.Sc., Chemical Engineering. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 11. J. 3-5. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: PAQUIN, FELIX FREDERIC FLORENT Initials: F F F Nationality: Canadian Rank: Flying Officer (Air Bomber) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 424 Sqdn. Age: 24 Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: J/22094 Additional information: Son of Wilfred and Georgina Paquin, of St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 11. J. 3-5. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: MacAULAY, NORMAN ALEXANDER Initials: N A Nationality: Canadian Rank: Flying Officer (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 424 Sqdn. Age: 26 Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: J/19100 Additional information: Son of Alexander and Christina MacAulay, of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 11. J. 3-5. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Name: ALLEN, JACK BEATTY Initials: J B Nationality: Canadian Rank: Pilot Officer (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 424 Sqdn. Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: J/88053 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 11. J. 3-5. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY
Name: MYLES, GEORGE Initials: G Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Pilot Officer (Flt Engr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 424 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn. Age: 35 Date of Death: 31/03/1944 Service No: 183075 Additional information: Husband of Edna May Myles, of Liverpool. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 11. J. 3-5. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY
The Nuremberg raid of 30/31 March 1944 This would normally have been the moon stand-down period for the Main Force, but a raid to the distant target of Nuremberg was planned on the basis of an early forecast that there would be protective high cloud on the outward route, when the moon would be up, but that the target area would be clear for ground-marked bombing. A Meteorological Flight Mosquito carried out a reconnaissance and reported that the protective cloud was unlikely to be present and that there could be cloud over the target, but the raid was not cancelled. 795 aircraft were dispatched - 572 Lancasters, 214 Halifaxes and 9 Mosquitos. The German controller ignored all the diversions and assembled his fighters at 2 radio beacons which happened to be astride the route to Nuremberg. The first fighters appeared just before the bombers reached the Belgian border and a fierce battle in the moonlight lasted for the next hour. 82 bombers were lost on the outward route and near the target. The action was much reduced on the return flight, when most of the German fighters had to land, but 95 bombers were lost in all - 64 Lancasters and 31 Halifaxes, 11.9 per cent of the force dispatched. It was the biggest Bomber Command loss of the war. Most of the returning crews reported that they had bombed Nuremberg but subsequent research showed that approximately 120 aircraft had bombed Schweinfurt, 50 miles north-west of Nuremberg. This mistake was a result of badly forecast winds causing navigational difficulties. 2 Pathfinder aircraft dropped markers at Schweinfurt. Much of the bombing in the Schweinfurt area fell outside the town and only 2 people were killed in that area. The main raid at Nuremberg was a failure. The city was covered by thick cloud and a fierce cross-wind which developed on the final approach to the target caused many of the Pathfinder aircraft to mark too far to the east. A 10-mile-long creepback also developed into the countryside north of Nuremberg. Both Pathfinders and Main Force aircraft were under heavy fighter attack throughout the raid. Little damage was caused in Nuremberg. 'The Bomber Command War Diaries' - M. Middlebrook / C. Everitt
A bit more on Nuremberg that I posted yesterday. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/34310-nuremberg-raid-30-31-march-1944-a.html