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21 November, 1944; GRAVENHORST (MITTELLAND
CANAL):
Whilst a 5 Group force of 123 Lancasters attacked the Dortmund-Ems
Canal, 10 aircraft from 49 Squadron joined 128 other 5 Group
Lancasters in bombing the Mittelland Canal at Gravenhorst. Take-off
started just after 17.30hrs and included Group Captain 'Ginger'
Weir (PB300), Fulbeck's irrepressible Station Commander, piloting
K-King. The Main Force, led by 6 Mosquitoes arrived in the target
area shortly before 21.00hrs. Orbiting the target, the Controller
originally ordered the forces to stay at pre-briefed bombing
heights, but at 20.58hrs, he then ordered the Main Force to attack
from below the cloud base which was given as 4,000ft. These instructions
were subjected to severe jamming of W/T which caused much confusion.
The controller next ordered the crews to bomb the southern red
T.I's as planned. Consequently some crews bombed through cloud
and others from below, with the markers being visible through
the cloud layers. In the light of photo flashes, some 49 crews
did obtain visual identification and despite the communication
problems, the canal was successfully breached.
49 Squadron de-briefs show that the crew's of F/Lt Len Mellor
(PB373), F/O Jock Galloway and F/O Carlyle (PB484) bombed below
the clouds, whilst five other crews bombed red T.I's from above.
This just left the two aircraft being flown by F/O Maul (PB354)
and Grp/Cpt Weir - it has been speculated that one of these two
aircraft exploded after being hit by bombs or light flak, which
in turn caused the other aircraft nearby, to also explode.
The only survivor from this tragic incident was the Group Captain.
His own remarkable escape, in which he was forcibly blown out
of an exploding Lancaster does not confirm the cause, Grp/Cpt
Weir had no recollection of what happened. He remembers regaining
consciousness laying on his back on the muddy bottom of the breached
and drained canal, his deployed parachute trailed behind. This
miraculous saving of the Group Captain’s life would not
have been possible but for two reasons; one, he wore a seat-type
parachute and two, 5 Group's crews being successful in hitting
their target and draining over 30 miles of the canal.
Lancaster PB300 (EA-K)
G/C C.T. Weir Pilot (P.o.W.)
F/O F.A.
Wooding F/E (Killed)
S/L P.
Kelly NAV (Killed)
P/O A.W. Bishop W/OP (Killed)
Sgt P. Telford A/G (Killed)
F/O H.W.
Hayward B/A (Killed)
F/O A.R.
Verrier A/G (Killed)
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