Hadwin http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1943/hadwin.

html

Mission: Remscheid, Ruhr, Germany.

Date: 30/31st July 1943

Unit: No. 78 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: JD375

Coded: EY-P

Location: Rengen.

Pilot: Sgt. Derrick Hadwin 1436394 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 22, Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Bernard John Bond 1338770 R.A.F.V.R. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Arthur Bryce Cresswell 1575726 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 24, Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. George Harold Irons 1468380 R.A.F.V.R. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Alfred Bryden Radcliffe 1484662 R.A.F.V.R. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Charles Gibson 1397245 R.A.F.V.R. Age; 18, Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Arthur Suffield 1623604 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19; Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22.10 hours from Breighton. Interesting in that Sgt. John Gibson
was the youngest airman killed on bomber operations. Halifax JD375 was part
of a 264 four engine heavy bombers and a further 9 Mosquitos dispatched to
bomb Remscheid in the Ruhr. 15 were lost.

The raid was classed as an exceptionally accurate one and this area which
had never been bombed previously was devastated. 7 of this force were shot
down by flak and the other 8 by German night fighter units. This loss was
made up of 8 Stirlings, 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters.

During this raid a total of 871 tons of bombs were dropped - 107 industrial
buildings were destroyed - 3.115 houses destroyed - 1.120 people killed and
a further 6.700 were injured. Post War British Bombing survey estimated that
83% of the town was devastated. This raid cost the Germans 3 months
production and never regained previous levels.

Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2 (7 kills to his credit up to this point) claimed to

have shot this Halifax down at a height of 5.600 m. This combat took place at
00.56 hrs and the location was described as Rengen, 24km W.N.W. Cochem
(Murmeltier). Lt Hagar was a true night fighter ace with a final score of 42
kills by the end of the war. He survived but no further information is available
on his post war history.

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Sgt. John Charles Gibson (Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R.
Society November 2009)

Crash site of Halifax JD375 (Photograph kindly supplied by "Eifelverein Daun"

of Germany and Mr Roy Coppack)

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Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2 visited the crash site shortly afterwards.

(Photograph kindly supplied by "Eifelverein Daun" of Germany and Mr Roy
Coppack)

Lt Johannes Hager 6./NJG2

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Kate, mother of Sgt. John Charles Gibson at his grave in the mid sixties.
(Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R. Society November 2009)

Telegram sent by Sgt. Gibson's mother to his brother who was an engineer
serving in Gibraltar at the time.
(Courtesy of Peter Gibson - sent to the A.R. Society November 2009)

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Grave photo's kindly supplied by John Gibson (Relative of Sgt. John Charles
Gibson)

Burial Details:

Derrick Hadwin Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.

Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Hadwin, of Ulverston, Lancashire.
Bernard John Bond Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
Arthur Bryce Cresswell Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Horace and Matilda Bertha Cresswell, of Rushall, Staffordshire.
George Harold Irons Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
Alfred Bryden Radcliffe Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
No further details
John Charles Gibson Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Mrs. Kate Gibson, of St. John's Wood, London.
James Arthur Suffield Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 9. J. 15-21.
Son of Harry and Elizabeth Terry Suffield, of Harrogate, Yorkshire.
Research carried out by Kelvin T. Youngs (Aircrew Remembrance Society
February 2009) The "Eifelverein Daun" of Germany and a Mr Roy Coppack
are currently researching this loss and hope to shortly provide us with further
information. (They are also planning to build a memorial to this crew near to
the crash site and are appealing for relatives to contact them vis this website

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with further information) With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber
Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol
2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.

© 2009 Aircrew Remembrance Society - All site material is owned or managed by the Aircrew
Remembrance Society and should not be used without prior permission.

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