The Dambusters a Tale of Two Crews

[Peter Brown]

Two crews from the Dambuster Raid 16/17th May 1943 are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
The first being AJ-M
First wave: Second aircraft to attack Möhne Dam.
Flt Lt John Vere Hopgood DFC & Bar Pilot. Killed
Sgt Christopher Brennan Flight Engineer. Killed
Flg Off Kenneth Earnshaw Navigator. Killed
Sgt John William Minchin Wireless Operator. Killed
Flt Sgt James William Fraser Bomb Aimer. PoW No: 136 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria
Plt Off George Henry Ford Goodwin Gregory DFM Front Gunner. Killed
Plt Off Anthony Fisher Burcher DFM Rear Gunner. PoW No: 1341 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria
On the approach to the Möhne Dam it became apparent that the aircraft was in trouble. 
Hit by flak some 20 minutes before the dam was reached. Hopgood himself received a head wound, and in the front turret below him, Gregory had probably been killed, as he wasn’t answering his intercom.
On the approach to the dam the already damaged Lancaster was hit again. An engine caught fire, Hopgood struggled to keep the aircraft level, and the mine was released too late, bouncing over the dam and into the power station below, where it exploded.
Hopgood tried desperately to gain height, in an effort to give his crew a chance to bale out. He gained about 500 feet before crashing at Ostonnen. 
Fraser, Minchin and Burcher escaped, but Minchin, badly injured, didn’t survive the parachute drop. Fraser and Burcher did, but both were captured and taken prisoner. 
Minchin was badly wounded in the leg when M-Mother was hit by flak en-route to the Möhne Dam.
Burcher evacuated his rear turret and made for the crew door. There he was confronted by the pained face of John Minchin, who had dragged himself the length of the fuselage, his leg almost severed.
All Burcher could do to help his comrade was to clip on Minchin’s parachute and push him out into the darkness, pulling his D-ring in the process.

The Second being AJ-Y
Third wave. Did not reach Sorpe Dam because of navigation problems and weather conditions. Returned with mine intact.
Flt Sgt Cyril Thorpe Anderson Pilot
Sgt Robert Campbell Paterson Flight Engineer
Sgt John Percival Nugent Navigator
Sgt William Douglas Bickle Wireless Operator
Sgt Gilbert Jimmy Green Bomb Aimer
Sgt Eric Ewan Front Gunner
Sgt Arthur William Buck Rear Gunner
Anderson and his crew were the last to take off on the Dams Raid, leaving the ground at Scampton at 0015. Having crossed the coast AJ-Y encountered heavy flak north of the Ruhr, and was forced off track. By then the rear turret began to malfunction, which meant that it was difficult to deal with searchlights. These caused it to divert off track again five minutes before it reached Dülmen. At 0228, the wireless operator William Bickle received the signal “Dinghy” which directed the aircraft towards the Sorpe Dam. 
By now, mist was rising in the valleys which made the identification of landmarks almost impossible.
So it was that at 0310, after consulting his crew, Anderson decided that with dawn approaching and a rear turret not working he should turn for home. Rather than risk following the briefed return routes, he decided to go back the way he had come, crossing the coast at the Schelde estuary. AJ-Y landed at Scampton at 0530, its mine unused.
The next morning, Anderson was photographed along with the rest of the pilots who returned outside the Officers’ Mess, but the crew did not remain long on the squadron, and packed their bags that afternoon. Gibson was not happy with Anderson’s explanation. In particular, he was dismissive of Anderson’s account of the valleys being filled with mist. He himself had found his way from the Möhne to the Eder, after all. But this doesn’t take into account the fact that Gibson had left the area before 0200, more than an hour before Anderson had turned back. Hindsight suggests that he was poorly treated.
Anderson and his crew returned to 49 Squadron.
On the 23rd September 1943 Lancaster ED702, piloted by the now Pilot Officer Anderson, dropped their bomb load on Mannheim. Heading back to base, somewhere near Offenbach they were met by the night fighter flown by Lt Heinz Grimm. He attacked hitting the fuel tanks, they caught fire, Lancaster ED702 exploded over Insheim, and crashed into the field. Five of the crew were recovered from the wreckage and were buried by the local Priest Revd Jakob Storck from Offenbach on the 26th Sept 1943. The other two members of the crew were possibly thrown from the aircraft during the explosion they were found later, then buried with the rest of the crew on the 28th September 1943.

[Desert Rat]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH...!!!.....These Heroes of the RAF 617 Sqdn, went beyond the "Call of Duty" in bombing the Dams. One of my Dad's workmates before the war was - William Walter - from Edenbridge, Kent, UK...after his initial training in another Squadron, then was then transferred to 617.

Please read my story of the fight and crew on www.edenbridgetown.com  - http://www.edenbridgetown.com/in_the_past/index.shtml    turn the sound on as a Lancaster is flying over....I hope you like it?

Thank you for sharing this account and the Images....I appreciate it Very Much......Best Wishes...Desert Rat

"The William Walter Story"

The crew on their final trip, with 617 Dam Buster Squadron was carried out on January 12th 1945 to Bergen Norway     F/Officer I. S. Ross Captain and Pilot F/Sgt W. Walter Flight Engineer W/O S.R. Anderson.D.F.M Navigator. P/O R. Ellwood. D.F.M W/Operator. P/O E.G. Tilby Air Bomber F/Sgt L.D.Griffiths Mid Upper Gunner F/Officer A.F.Mckellar Rear gunner   The William Walters Story This photograph was taken of the first Lancaster crew when they had joined 57 Squadron at East Kirby, Lincolnshire, before their operation’s started.

[Peter Brown]

Very interesting site Desert Rat.

Well done, looks like you have put a lot of time and effort into it.

All the best 

[Desert Rat]

Hello Peter,

 

Thanks for your kind comments.....Yes a lot of re-search but worth it. I have many stories over the last 30 years, visiting the battlefields of WW1 & WW2...the woods of Foy where the 101st -  506th Richard Winters Guys were in the freezing cold (just as in the film - Band of Brothers) you can see the foxholes they dug, lived in, froze in, and sadly were killed in ...but many items to find here if you dig down 3 feet....Grenades, morphine ampoules, old tins of food, bullets----many still Live etc

Best Wishes to you....Desert Rat

Sole copyright of all images Ian R Bridle   www.edenbridgetown.com

Edited May 25, 2017 by Desert Rat

[Desert Rat]

Hello,

Don't know why the images are missing from the story above but I have added them again...In Memory of one of the crews of 617 Sqdn.....One William Walter came from Edenbridge and worked with my Dad before they were both called up. He is in the back row....3rd from the left.

The crew photograph taken before their final trip, with 617 Dam Buster Squadron, which was
carried out on January 12th 1945 to Bergen Norway....They were shot down by enemy fighters and crashed into the fiord and despite rescue efforts which flew in from Scotland with inflatable boats....They all drowned...!!!

Edited February 6, 2021 by Desert Rat
correction to text