From They Shall Grow Not Old:

Robinson, Donald Alfred, Flying Officer - Navigator R.C.A.F. From Toronto, Ont. KIA Mar. 24/44 #433 Porcupine Squadron.  Buried in the Berlin War Cemetery, Charlottenburg, Germany.

Halifax aircraft LV 841 lost during Operations over enemy territory.

Also killed were Flt. Sgt. Dancey, Glen Allen, R.C.A.F. Wireless Air Gunner age 26

FS Davey, Leonard Gerald, RCAF (WAG) from Westbourne, Manitoba , Sgts E. Osbourne (RAF), F.E. Simmons (RAF) and O.W. Spourne (RAF)

Just a start for your research anyhow...

Hi Mike....I really appreciated the photos and the letter that was addressed to my mother (Elsie).  I remember her showing it to me when i was young.  I wonder how it got on the web but.... I'm very happy to have a copy of it. :)  Would you know if I could get a copy of this military record?  I'm sorry if i'm asking alot but i want to start a scrapbook about him and his life.  I want to pass this down to my son after i am gone.  I want him to know about his family history.

Thanks in advance and take care......have a great day;  i'm having one because of the info. you sent me :)

My apologies but I missed one of the seven members of your Uncle's crew on which he served as Navigator.

The Pilot was Pilot Officer Howard Walter Lossing, R.C.A.F. J89246 from Norwich, Ontario K.I.A. age 24.  It was his 9th operational mission.  Although the newspaper article on the one website states it was aboard a Lancaster bomber - the aircraft they were flying with the Porcupines at the time of their loss was a Halifax bomber - a B Mark III by its serial.  No. 433 Squadron was assigned the codes BM.  I'm uncertain as to the individual letter this particular aircraft was issued at the time.

Will e-mail you a nice pic off forum of one.

Thank you soooo very much for this touching info.  It made me cry just to read how many did not come home....  These boys must of been going through hell with the bombing, the noise, the termoil, confusion etc..... :(   This was a big loss for alot of families.  I did read somewhere that his plane was off course because of the smoke (23000 ft high) caused by the bombing.  Yes, it is a very high price to pay for freedom.  I remember going to Ottawa with my Dad (when i was young) for the Remembrance Day Parade and how sad it was.  I also remember alot of people crying and it seems to me that every Nov 11, it would rain.

Well again, i thank you and take care.......God Bless

Hi Mike, thanks for sending the site but i'm one step ahead of you..ha ha ha!  I sent in a request yesterday to have my uncles records from the Archives in Ottawa.  I should be getting them in a month or so (that is if everything goes well) and i hope.  I found myself a very interesting hobby and at the same time, i will be leaving something for my son when I'm gone.  I take this project to heart and i want to thank everyone that is helping me out in this new adventure.  God Bless you all....

A little more on the R.A.F. Operations of that fateful night:

24/25 March 1944

811 aircraft - 577 Lancasters, 216 Halifaxes, 18 Mosquitos - to Berlin. 72 aircraft - 44 Lancasters, 28 Halifaxes - lost, 8.9 per cent of the force.

This night became known in Bomber Command as 'the night of the strong winds'. A powerful wind from the north carried the bombers south at every stage of the flight. Not only was this wind not forecast accurately but it was so strong that the various methods available to warn crews of wind changes during the flight failed to detect the full strength of it. The bomber stream became very scattered, particularly on the homeward flight and radar-predicted flak batteries at many places were able to score successes. Part of the bomber force even strayed over the Ruhr defences on the return flight. It is believed that approximately 50 of the 72 aircraft lost were destroyed by flak; most of the remainder were victims of night fighters. Needless to say, the strong winds severely affected the marking with, unusually, markers being carried beyond the target and well out to the south-west of the city.

This was the last major RAF raid on Berlin during the war, although the city would be bombed many times by small forces of Mosquitos.

147 aircraft from training units carried out a diversionary sweep west of Paris; 27 Mosquitos bombed night-fighter airfields and 15 Mosquitos bombed Duisburg, Kiel and Münster; aircraft of No 100 Group flew 4 RCM sorties and 10 Serrate patrols. 1 Serrate Mosquito lost.

9 aircraft dropped supplies to the Resistance without loss.

Total effort for the night: 1,023 sorties, 73 aircraft (7.1 per cent) lost.

What is truly remarkable is that even given the odds and these terrible losses, the aircrew buckled on their 'chutes and headed out to their aircraft again and again, night after night (and sometimes in daylight) and they did this unfailingly until their Tours were complete or they did not return ...  May we never see their likes again.  This Remembrance Day take a minute to thank a Vet- there are fewer and fewer left from the Second World War and the day will come soon enough when there will be none at all ...

The best we can hope is that by knowing we will never forget ...

Dave, sorry to answer so late and i did check out the sites you sent me.  Got info. from a few of them ...Howard Lossing... I saved it and the newspapers also.  I did check out the 54 site and found some people looking for some of my uncles crew.  That was very interesting...and appreciated.

Take care and God Bless  :)