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17/18 December, 1944; MUNICH:
Four consecutive operations were scrubbed before 17 of the squadron's
aircraft eventually got away from Fulbeck bound for Munich on
17 December. It was another exclusive 5 Group attack using 280
Lancasters led by 8 Mosquitoes. Although there was some undershooting,
most crews reported the bombing to be fanning out from the sector
as planned. Four Lancasters from the Group failed to return.
Back at Fulbeck, the squadron's aircraft started landing at around
02.00hrs. F/O Edward Essenhigh (PB355) and crew were overdue
and reported as missing. It was established later in the day,
that their aircraft had in fact crashed on Worthing beach at
17.55hrs the previous evening en route to Munich. The aircraft
had blown up, luckily without loss of civilian life. Only one
crew member was found in the wreck; that of F/Sgt Gordon Callon.
His body was recovered from the rear turret and at the time caused
some consternation to those at the scene, as he wore pilots wings.
Sgt Callon was one of the volunteer pilot/rear gunners operating
the 'Village Inn' turret. The bodies of the remainder of the
crew have never been found; their whereabouts and indeed the
reason for the aircraft's demise still remains a mystery. Gordon
Callon is buried in Littlehampton, Sussex, whilst his fellow
crew members are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.
Lancaster PB355 (EA-B)
F/O
E.G. Essenhigh Pilot (Killed)
Sgt
H. Varey F/E (Killed)
Sgt
L.B. Bourne NAV (Killed)
F/S
F.B. Rees W/OP (Killed)
Sgt
J.W. Moore A/G (Killed)
F/O
J.A. Thomson B/A (Killed)
F/S
G.F. Callon P/AG (Killed)
Crew on their 11th operation
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