| Name |
WHITE |
| First names |
Edward |
| Rank |
F/Sgt |
| Service |
RAF |
| Service number |
1452881 |
| Crew position |
Pilot |
| Age |
20 |
| Date of death |
20/02/44 |
| Cemetery |
Hannover
War Cemetery Germany |
F/Sgt Edward White is centre, rear row
(with thanks to Nick White.......nephew of Edward)
 |
Further images kindly provided
by Nick White (nephew of Edward).
Several of the images are taken in Canada during training with
the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and others at an OTU
in the UK. |
Wilkinson, Talwadge, White(J), Scammell, Williams(K),
Walker, White(E)
Williams(H), Weir, Wood, Shadforth, Winfield |
Walker, Collis, Docherty, White, Hartford,
Golightly, Winfield, Messeson
Cunningham, Dalton, Wort, F/L Carfoot, P/O Wheate, Bell, May,
Chappell
|
Edward White is fourth from the left (photographed
in front of a Harvard) |
|
19/20 February, 1944; LEIPZIG:
If the previous raid had been relatively quiet for the squadron
then the Leipzig trip proved to be quite the opposite. Again
Bomber Command put up over 800 aircraft, but this time as they
crossed the Dutch coast the German night-fighters were waiting,
and a running battle ensued all the way to the target. False
wind forecasts had many aircraft reaching the target area too
early
The losses suffered by Bomber Command on this night were horrendous
-78 aircraft and crews, which included 44 Lancasters and 34 Halifaxes;
this figure represented 9.5 per cent of the force. The Halifax
IIs and Vs would never be asked to operate over Germany again
following this raid.
Reported missing was 21 year-old pilot,
F/Sgt Ed White (JB469) and crew who were all killed when B-Baker
was shot down; they are buried together in Hannover War Cemetery
with the exception of Sgt James Ellis the W/Op, who sadly has
no known grave but is remembered at Runnymede.
This was an exceptionally young crew; two were 19, two were 20
and 22 respectively and Sgt Compton was aged 21, thus giving
an average age of 20.
The cause of loss has been attributed to Oblt Martin Becker of
2./NJG6. Becker claimed for his eighth victory a Lancaster/Halifax,
south east of Celle, interception height of 4,500mts at 03.02hrs.
Becker survived the war and attained the rank of Hauptman with
57 confirmed victories.
Lancaster JB469 (EA-B)
F/S E. White Pilot (Killed)
Sgt J.R. Ward F/E (Killed)
Sgt W.W.
S. Compton NAV (Killed)
Sgt J.E.
Ellis W/OP (Missing)
Sgt D.N.
Stevens A/G (Killed)
Sgt J.T.
Loveland B/A (Killed)
Sgt H. Thomas
A/G (Killed)
Crew on their 4th operation
|
The following Luftwaffe documentation
was provided by Colin Cripps
(49Sqn Researcher) |
|
