170 Sqdn 9/10 April 1945

[SandyYoung]

I'd appreciate advice regarding records for 170 Sqdn on 9/10th April 1945, in particular the circumstances of the loss of a Lancaster in which F/O John Wotherspoon, 165703, was crew.

Any pointers gratefully received.

Sandy Young.

[November4]

Sandy

According to Chorley in Bomber Command Losses...

Lancaster PB704 TC + R Op: Keil
Took off from RAF Hemswell at 1932. Lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Crew
FS RA Thorpe (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1808821/THORPE,%20ROLAND%20HENRY%20ALBERT)
FS HV Blakey (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1529940/BLAKEY,%20HARRY%20VERNON)
FO Wotherspoon (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1532116/WOTHERSPOON,%20JOHN)
Sgt FWR Goodenough (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1798538/GOODENOUGH,%20FREDERICK%20WILLIAM%20REECE)
Sgt AA Jarvis (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1801120/JARVIS,%20ALAN%20AUBREY)
Sgt RJ Harford (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1799397/HARFORD,%20RICHARD%20JOSEPH)
Sgt LA Hill (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1800122/HILL,%20LAWRENCE%20ABRAHAM)

The last 3 were all aged 19.

Panel 268 of the Runnymede Memorial

http://pro-patria.co.uk/Panel268.jpg

Although officially listed as lost with no trace, this site (http://www.aircrewremembered.com/raf1945/3/thorperoland.html) says

it is known that this Lancaster PB704 was intercepted and shot down by probably Hptm. Franz-August von Tesmar (1) of 11./NGJ3 - but no records at this stage of the war were found.


(1)Hptm. von Tesmar (2 kills) aircraft was hit by debris from this Lancaster and was forced to ditch into the sea. His crew were all killed but he was picked up and rescued. - See more at: Thorpe Roland (http://www.aircrewremembered.com/raf1945/3/thorperoland.html#sthash.3xIyPGXu.dpuf)


That site also has a photo of the crew

http://www.aircrewremembered.com/raf1945/3/thorperoland_files/107-squadron-lancaster-pb704-crew.jpg

Crew of Lancaster LB704 Back Row L-R: Sgt. Harford , Middle Sgt. Jarvis, Sgt. Hill.
Front Row L-R: Sgt. Goodenough, F/O. Thorpe, F/O. Wotherspoon (Courtesy Una Barrett via Linda Ibrom)

[November4]

In The Bomber Command War Diaries, Middlebrook and Everitt record

9/10 April 1945
Kiel

591 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitoes of 1, 3 and 8 Groups. 3 Lancasters lost.

This was an accurate raid, made in good visibility on two aiming points in the harbour area. Photographic reconnaissance showed that the Deutsche Werke U-boat yard was severely damaged, the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer was hit and capsized, the Admiral Hipper and the Emden were badly damaged, The local diary says that all 3 shipyards in the port were hit and that the nearby residential area were severely damaged. 81 civilians were killed; there were probably naval casualties as well.

On flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/16118167@N04/6357877489/)there is this photo of the Admiral Scheer after the raid.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6357877489_a88e3182a6.jpg

[SandyYoung]

November 4,

Thanks for these posts.

John Wotherspoon was in a reserved occupation but left that to serve, a decision which cost him his life. His widow, Scotland's oldest practising bookseller, ran a bookshop in Campbeltown for many years until her death in October 2000.

(Incidentally, November 4 was the callsign of a Met Police car in the mid-sixties).

Kind regards,

Sandy.