Interesting WWII query?

[Jackonicko]

My village postmaster just asked me an interesting question.

His uncle (surname Horlor or Horler) was lost on the night of 12-13 or 13-14 December 1944 during a raid on Essen. His 150 Squadron Lancaster was shot down, and the other six crew are buried in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery on the German-Dutch border.

His uncle has no known grave.

Could said uncle have been one of the three RAF aircrew lynched in Essen (and apparently never named) the following day?

I ask the question here, because in the past there has been some heavy calibre Wartime Bomber Command historical expertise displayed on Military Aircrew.

[Green Flash]

Jacko

Presume you have seen this? (http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=2057)

[Old-Duffer]

The murder of three RAF men is recorded in the book "Footprints On The Sands Of Time" page 210.

Looking at the "Bomber Command Losses" by Bill Chorley it seems that most of the crews killed that night could be accounted for and were buried together as crews. The three men who became separated from their crews were: F/O L Milner (460 sqn Lancaster PB542), F/O M Gisby (582 sqn Lancaster PB544) and F/Sgt W Horlor - see previous post for aircraft and crew details.

It seems POSSIBLE that these were the three men who, separated from their crews met their deaths when they were shot, thrown over a parapet, or beaten to death. Two Germans were subsequently hanged and others given prison sentences but the names of the victims were not confirmed but it seems likely that their remains were 'casually' disposed of by the enemy and hence they were cremated or buried in unmarked and (postwar) unlocated graves.

Old Duffer

[November4]

http://www.pro-patria.co.uk/218.jpg

Panel 218, Runnymede Memorial

[moggiee]

This is why the internet is so brilliant - loads of info in just a few hours.