Log entries Lest We Forget…. #18 Biddenden
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2017-03-13 20:17
Thehurks
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- Found it
SMITH, ROBERT EDWARD. Sergeant (Air Gunner), 1890521. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 7 (Pathfinder Force) Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 23 April 1944. Aged 18. Son of Frank William and Elsie Smith of Biddenden, Ashford, Kent. Buried Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Grave Ref: 1. H. 9. Robert was a crew member of Lancaster bomber ND353 MG-N, which was flown by Flight Lieutenant A.H. MacGillivray R.C.A.F. The aircraft took of at 2320 hours on 22 April 1944 from R.A.F. Oakington, Cambridgeshire on a bombing raid to Düsseldorf, Germany. The raid was carried out by 596 aircraft, they being 323 Lancasters, 254 Halifaxes, and 19 Mosquitos, which belonged to all groups with the exception of No. 5. 2,150 tons of bombs were dropped in this old-style heavy attack on the German city which caused much destruction, but also allowed the Luftwaffe night-fighter force to penetrate the R.A.F. bomber stream. The attack fell mostly in the northern districts of Düsseldorf and widespread damage was caused. Once over the target area Robert’s aircraft was attacked and badly damaged by a German nightfighter which resulted in the bomber crashing. A total of 29 aircraft, which were 16 Halifaxes and 13 Lancasters were lost on the raid to Düsseldorf. Incredibly four of the seven crew of Robert’s bomber survived and were captured, the fact that the four survived, is probably even more remarkable because all seven of the Lancasters crew had eluded death less than three weeks previously when returning from a raid on Nürnberg. On that occasion their Lancaster ND350 MG-Z was diverted away from R.A.F. Oakington to R.A.F. Feltwell, Norfolk due to dense fog, but on landing at 0614 the aircraft crash-landed, and hit a concrete pill-box at which point their Lancaster burst into flames, but all had escaped without injury.
