Hello, I am looking for information regarding Frank E. Hogan (Pilot Officer, J.92655), a Canadian airman, from St. Albert, Alberta. He was the son of Michael and Blanche Hogan. I know he was shot down on February 2 or 3, 1945 over Wiesbaden, Germany. He and the rest of the crew were initially classified as "MIA," but their bodies were later found. I am also fairly certain that the plane was a Lancaster X KB. 792. I was hoping for more information regarding Hogan's last flight; however, anything would be much appreciated. Thank you very much for your time and efforts.
Details of the above loss..... 2-3 February 1945 428 Squadron Lancaster I KN792 NA-I Op. Wiesbaden The aircraft took off from Middleton St.George at 2020 hours and exploded over the target area. Crew. F/L. D E. Berry AFC RCAF + P/O. J C. Harris MID + F/L. C J. Ordin RCAF + P/O. F E. Hogan RCAF + F/O. C. Walford RCAF + P/O. K M. Hammond RCAF + P/O. C M. Roche RCAF PoW Source - RAF Bomber Commands Vol.6 - W R. Chorley. During the course of 1945, RAF Bomber Command visited Wiesbaden on 7 occasions, 548 aircraft were dispatched with 514 attacking the target (Industry) 1320 tons of HE along with 813 tons of incendiaries were dropped. 7 aircraft were lost or missing.
X KB 792 NA-I MK10 Lancaster built in Canada. Built by Victory Aircraft at Malton in Apr.44. Flown to England in Jul.44. Assigned to 428 Squadron in Sep.44; Crash-landed in France after the only raid on Wiesbaden on its 15th Op.; Killed were (P)(F/L D.E.Berry,) F/L C.Order, F/O C.Walford, P/O (AG)K.M.Hammond, (B)F.E.Hogan, J.C.Harris MiD RAF. POW's were P/O C.M.Roche, & one RAF crew; 2/3.2.45 F/Lt D. Berry RCAF and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-792 coded NA-I, failed to return from this operation. P/O J. Harris RAF F/Lt C. Ordin RCAF P/O F. Hogan RCAF F/O C. Walford RCAF P/O K. Hammond RCAF P/O C. Roche RCAF–POW6 crew were killed and 1 POW after exploding over the target area. All buried at Durnbach War Cemetery Gmund am Tegernsee Miesbacher Landkreis Bavaria (Bayern), Germany Plot: 5.
Clarifying that Serial is KB792 (ID letter "I") and that Berry (at least, if not the rest of his crew) was on his 28th Op. Chorleys mentions that most of the crew were operating for the 30th time, so were approaching the end of their "tour" after this flight. Sadly, they never made it home. The Lancaster B Mk X was produced in Canada, you may be able to find more details as to where and when it was built! It was fitted with "Fishpond" Gee and H2S equipment. The Germans had developed a system (Naxos) to home in on H2S signals and so locate the bomber stream. Bomb load comprised 1 x 4,000lb HC X1 (?tallboy? hard to read clearly) plus 1,350 x 4lb IB (incendiary bombs) and 150 x 4lb IB "X" type. It also carried a number of 5-ZG 97 "nickel" which may have been propaganda leaflets rather than chaff.. (always open to correction!) Frank Hogan is shown as being the bomb aimer. HOGAN, FRANK EDWARD. Rank: Pilot Officer. Trade: Air Bomber. Service No: T/92655. Date of Death: 02/02/1945. Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Grave Reference: 5. F. 12. Cemetery: DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY. The rear gunner was able to bale out and was taken PoW as a Prisoner of War. No other details on the Loss Card Chorley's BC Losses of WW2 remarks that P/O Harris was the son of Major George Arthur Harris, D.S.O., O.B.E., T.D., Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Northern Ireland. (I haven't yet established if he is related to Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1st Baronet GCB, OBE, AFC who was the Commander of Bomber Command! His father was George Steel Travers Harris, who was in the Indian Civil Service.)
This should help you out, SJHS. The survivor was P/O Charles Michael Roche of Dorval, Quebec. Regards, Dave
