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Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 27 Apr 2002 3:25AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 31 May 2002 6:36AM GMT
Surnames: Redfern, Carroll, Richmond, Johnson, Clarke, Wood, Tinman
I received a relatives WW2 record and thought some others could be interested.

Lancaster Mark 111 JB 179 took off from Warboys Airfield at 5.10pm on 2.12.1943 to carry out a bombing attack on Berlin.
The crew of the aircraft consisted of 7 men, and only three bodies ever recovered. It was shot down 2.12.1943 between 8pm & 9pm.

They were:

Service No: Rank: Name: Occupation:

1035035 F/Sgt J.G. Redfern Capt.
1484120 Sgt B. Carroll Nav.
1059399 F/Sgt J. Richmond Wop.
A. 15467 P/Off L.J. Johnson F/E
Can.R.147572 F/Sgt W.R Clarke B/A
2216037 Sgt K. Wood Mug
A. 422012 F/Sgt W.R. Tinman R/G

A. - is Royal Australian Air Force attached to the British RAF.

The two bodies recovered from Colbitz Cemetery were identified as:

Aus. 422012 F/Sgt W. R. Tinman &
2216037 Sgt K. Wood

The other body was found some distance away. It is not identified in the records.

Regards Leigh

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 8 Apr 2015 3:44AM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Johnson
My great uncle was Pilot Officer Leslie Johnson - 15467, he was missing in action, I would love to try and track down information on him. If anyone can help please email me at rabbitohs2win@hotmail.com. Many thanks Trish (NSW Australia)

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 8 Apr 2015 10:50PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 9 Apr 2015 2:55AM GMT
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802150/JOHNSON,%...

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15...

http://www.156squadron.com/display_gravephoto.asp?photoid=18...

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veter...

http://lostaircraft.com/database.php?lang=en&mode=viewen...

The link above says that he was a POW, but that must be an error as he has the same date of death as the other members of the crew.

http://www.156squadron.com/view_aircrew.asp?pCrewid=470

http://www.156squadron.com/

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Contacts.aspx#servicerecords

http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs32.aspx

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/Lis...

He would have initially been reported as MIA until it became likely to the authorities that he had been, or could be presumed to have been KIA.

Anyway, there are at least 60 viewable pages about him in the Australian records.
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/di...

If you right mouse click on those document images, you can open each of them in a separate browser tab and or download and save them for viewing offline, they're much easier to view by either of those two methods than they are in the initial display window.

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 20 Jul 2015 4:21PM GMT
Classification: Military
Surnames: Carroll
I realize this is a *very* old thread but Bernard Carroll was a relative - he was my grandfather's cousin. There's a photo of him here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/66744948@N03/8622389876/

There was a book published in German in the last couple of years which covers JB179's fate in detail, I'll see if I can find the title

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 20 Jul 2015 4:25PM GMT
Classification: Military
Surnames: Carroll, Johnson
The navigator Bernard Carroll was a relative - he was my grandfather's cousin. There was a book published in German in the last couple of years which covers JB179's fate in detail, I'll see if I can find the title. It's in German but gives exact details of what happened. I had the relevant pages translated by a friend and from memory the aircraft was set on fire by Anti-aircraft fire (aluminium can and does burn so it was the actual structure of the aircraft on fire I believe); the aircraft was then located by a German night-fighter pilot who shot it down. I'll send on more details when I can retrieve them

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 20 Jul 2015 4:30PM GMT
Classification: Military
Surnames: Carroll, Johnson
This is the book: https://portal.dnb.de/opac.htm?method=simpleSearch&cqlMo...

From Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/brennend-abgest%C3%BCrzt-Rekonstruktion...

It is only available in German unfortunately but the author Jorg Heilbig is very helpful. There is an entire chapter on JB179

Re: Plane shot down over Colbitz. Germany. WW2

Posted: 20 Jul 2015 4:36PM GMT
Classification: Military
And some final information while I think of it: this aircraft was with 156 Squadron RAF which was a Pathfinder squadron. These aircraft generally flew target-marking missions ahead of the main force and were responsible for locating and then illuminating with flares the correct bombing location and so were something of an elite force.
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