The historian researching the background of this mission has come up with the following:
I have researched the last flight of LV881 ZA-C which I feel is pretty common knowledge. The mission was unusual however as to the facts I have put in the attached report.(below)
Sir Arthur Harris was under heavy pressure to cancel the mission due to the weather conditions: Clear sky, no cloud cover and a full moon. It is not clear why he was so insistent that it went ahead. The resulting loss of life and aircraft from that mission was the worst ever.
There is a 'conspiracy theory' (CT) surrounding that evening, as it is obvious that German intelligence were aware of Bomber Command's plans in advance. It is suggested Harris knew this but went ahead anyway to convince the Germans that their spy intelligence network was reliable.Hard to believe.
I might mention that my father took part in that mission as part of 10 Squadron in LV785 ZA-C. The aircraft received damage from flack and were attacked by a defensive night-fighter whilst returning. It crash landed at Melbourne which resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair.
The mission was just 3 months before D-Day and it is thought that the intelligence reports for March 30th had to be trusted so a diversion could be employed in June. Depends if you believe in CT.
REPORT:
MARCH 30th 1944.
Starting on the night of November 18th 1943, the RAF began a bombing campaign against Berlin, a campaign that culminated in a night raid on Nuremburg, on the night of March 30th 1944.
The campaign was launched by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command, Sir Arthur Travers Harris, GCB, OBE, and AFC. The campaign also included raids on Cologne, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Leverkusen, Manheim and Stuttgart.
It is well documented that the ‘Battle of Berlin’ was a failure, losing 1,047 bombers, 1,682 being damaged, resulting in the loss of 7,000 aircrew. The raid on Nuremburg was however, the costliest RAF Bomber Command mission of the war, losing 95 bombers with a further 71 damaged out of a total of 795 aircraft: 12% of the task force. This force was made up of 572 Lancaster bombers, 214 Halifax and 9 Mosquitos.
German intelligence had identified Nuremburg as the target that night and defences were well prepared; every available night-fighter was lying-in-wait and the ground defences of searchlights and anti-aircraft flak guns were increased along the bomber stream’s route. It is also documented that the evening was clear and featured a full moon; unusual for a night mission and against normal procedure.
The task force was intercepted as they crossed over the Belgian border with 82 bombers being lost in the first hour. A further 13 aircraft were lost on their return and it is clear that LV881 met its fate in these circumstances along with the other casualties.
RAF 10 Squadron provided 22 Halifax bombers on that evening, LV881, ZA-V being part of the third group, ‘C flight’.
In a message sent to “Exascot”, it is recorded that LV881 was shot down by defensive night-fighters at approximately 0100 hours on March 31st 1944, crashing close to Steinheim, in North Rhine, Westphalia.
These facts would appear to fit the above information surrounding the details of the last flight of LV881 ZA-V.
What we would really appreciate is if anyone can help us with the background or living relatives of the crew.