Does anyone have any information regarding Operation 401C on the night of 3rd July 1944.
My cousin Fl/Sgt Leonard James Smith was dorsal turret gunner on Halifax JU292 FS-W 148 Sqdn lost on this Op, all killed after a nightfighter attack,by Ober Ltn Johannes "Hans" Krause KC in a Do-217 N-2
I believe that the Halifax you are interested in is in fact Halifax JP292, which FTR from SOE operations Poland 4/7/1944. This information is from "The Halifax File".
Hi,
A definite typo on my part sorry,(one of the perils of online typing!), but not the same aircraft, I'm afraid this is definitely JP292 FS-W, lost over Sombor, your one is probably its replacement,since the Warsaw uprising was a few months later.
I am researching my cousin Fl/Sgt. Leonard James Smith, who was a dorsal turret gunner on Halifax JP292 FS-W for William, that was part of 148 Squadron, R.A.F (Special Duties-S.O.E.) Balkan Air Force who was killed along with all of the crew when W - William was shot down by a nightfighter in the viscinity of Sombor, Yugoslavia, (present day Serbia).
He was on Operation 401C, dropping supplies to Josip Bros Tito's Partisans, the mission took place over the night of 3-4th July 1944, I have the RAF version of events, but it gives no name to the nightfighter unit, or aircraft.
Details:
Aircraft: Halifax, JP292, Squadron letters FS-W, W - William.
Unit: 148 Squadron R.A.F. (Special Duties - S.O.E.) Balkan Air Force.
Mission: Operation 401C, Supply drop to Partisans,
Date: Monday the 3rd, Tuesday the 4th July 1944
Weather over Brindisi: Bad, 3/10ths cloud cover, all light, and medium bombers grounded.
Weather over Drop Zone: Unknown
Time off: Brindisi, Italy, 20:45 GMT, (21:45 local).
Estimated arrival over drop zone: 22:15, GMT, (assuming a direct course, and fair winds, 00:15 local GMT+2).
Estimated time of attack: 23:00 - 00:15, (local GMT+2).
Attacked By: Unidentified Nightfighter.
Where: Viscinity of Sombor, Yugoslavia.
It would be nice to finish the story with the details from the 'Other side'.
Further researches have revealed that it could have been a Luftwaffe Ltn Bock, (poss III/NJG 101) who shot down a Halifax at 02:15 that night, or more likely, it could have been Luftwaffe Ober Ltn. Josef (or possibly Johannes, "Hans"), Krause, of 6/NJG 101 who shot down two Halifax's, one at 22 26, on the night of the 3/4th July, and the second at 22.52 on the same night, all three over Sombor. (now confirmed)
The flight duration time would have indicated the 22:52 one being W - William, since 148 Squadron lost three Halifaxes over the night of 3-4th July 1944, over Sombor, the fourth over Budapest
(from the Roll of Honour:
3/4.7.44: Aircraft: Halifax Mk II, JP179-P, P - Peter
Sgt. Thomas William Hugh Tomlinson, R.A.F.V.R. Flight Engineer.
F/Sgt. John Kennedy, R.A.F. Wireless Op.
F/Sgt. Evan Ffoulkes Jones, R.A.F.V.R. Gunner.
W/O. Harrison John Phillip, R.A.F.V.R. Gunner.
All buried at Belgrade War Cemetery, Yugoslavia
3/4.7.44: Aircraft: Halifax Mk II, JP292-W, W - William
W/O. Charles Thomas Fairweather, R.A.F. Pilot.
F/Sgt. Richard Jacques, R.A.F.V.R. Flight Engineer.
P/O. Allen Haigh, R.A.F.V.R. Navigator.
F/O. John Stanley Brown, R.C.A.F. Air Bomber.
F/Sgt. Ronald Frederick Houghton, R.A.F.V.R. Wireless Op/Air Gunner.
F/Sgt. Leonard James Smith, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner. (My Cousin)
F/Sgt. John Easton, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner.
All are buried at Belgrade War Cemetery, Yugoslavia
3/4.7.44: Aircraft: Halifax Mk II, JP247-E, E - Easy.
F/Lt. George Raymond Wood, R.A.F.V.R. Pilot.
F/Sgt. James William Hern, R.A.F. Air Gunner.
Both are buried at Belgrade War Cemetery, Yugoslavia
3/4.7.44: Aircraft: Halifax, JP286-? (Definitely 'Clandestine'! Extra crew, AND Army personnel on board!)
S/L. Surray Philip Victor Bird, R.A.F.V.R. Pilot.
P/O. Harold Pearson, R.A.F. Flight Engineer.
F/Sgt. Peter Lake, R.A.F.V.R. Navigator.
W/O. Donal David Charles Stewart, R.C.A.F. Air Bomber.
F/Sgt. Arthur Archer Lee, R.A.F.V.R. Wireless Op.
F/Sgt. Ronald Radford, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner.
F/O. Kenneth Peter Mcleod Cran, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner.
F/Sgt. Marcel Tilmont, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner.
Passengers: Lt. Col. E.P.E. Broughay. Maj. R.J.M. Wright.
Lt. A. Vincent. Sgt. A.S. Manley.
Aircrew are buried at Budapest War Cemetery, Hungary)
I'm actually looking for aircrew photos of my cousin.
I really must thank you for noticing that typo error, I've just checked my manuscript, and found three other instances! I checked back on the ORB's, and all the other details are correct, so where the Warsaw link came from I don't know.
The perils of aircraft designation! Having references to JUnkers has not helped either!
Anyway to re-iterate my main request, has anyone any 148 Squadron, aircraft or crew photos please? Particularly of JP292 FS-W, or W/O Fairweather's crew!
I only have one of Len taken in Foggia 31 January 44, and its one of those 'stiff posed portrait' ones.
Can anyone out there help? Also any information on any others in the crew.
W/O. Charles Thomas Fairweather, R.A.F. Pilot. (I have some info but not a lot just CWGC notes)
F/Sgt. Richard Jacques, R.A.F.V.R. Flight Engineer. (no info at all)
P/O. Allen Haigh, R.A.F.V.R. Navigator. (no info at all)
F/O. John Stanley Brown, R.C.A.F. Air Bomber. (no info at all)
F/Sgt. Ronald Frederick Houghton, R.A.F.V.R. Wireless Op/Air Gunner. (I have some info but not a lot just CWGC notes)
F/Sgt. Leonard James Smith, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner. (My Cousin)
F/Sgt. John Easton, R.A.F.V.R. Air Gunner.(I have some info but not a lot just CWGC notes)