I am researching Derrick Cox who lost his life in Lancaster RA526 P4-J on March 12th 1945 when it was shot down whilst minelaying. I would like to know if 153 Squadron has a Roll of Honour and if so is he named upon it. I have details of his last flight but would like to know if it's possible to find out what other missions he flew on. Also if possible I would like to find information about Lancaster RA526 P4-J especially about how it was equipped for the minelaying operations. Any help will be appreciated
the following is from the Nachtjagd War Diariesvol 2, by Theo Boiten.
12/13 March 1945
On this night, besides the usual Mosquito attack on Berlin, Bomber Command sent 19 Lancasters and Halifaxes on mine laying duties to the Kattegat. The Berlin bound Mosquitos were plotted from 19.56 hrs in the Leeuwarden area and all the way to the target, but there was no reaction by the Nachtjagd against this threat.
Meanwhile, at around 20.18 hrs, the mine laying force began to cross the Danish coast in the Viborg area and headed towards their mine laying target in the Kattegat, to the north of Vestjaelland. Two spitzenbesatzungen from 1./NJG3 were scrambled from Grove at around 20.45 hrs to intercept. In the ensuing combats, three Lancasters failed to return; all falling foul of Hptm. Schrdöer, St Kpt. of 3./NJG3. He destroyed one aircraft in the target area, another off Samsö Island, along the initial stage of the return route, while his third adversary went down on the western coast of Jütland.
Hptm Eduard Schröder 3./NJG3: 24 Kattegat W.Samsö (NA-6) 21.16Lancaster RA526 of 153 Sqn.
Hptm Eduard Schröder 3./NJG3: 25 Kattegat S. Hov (NA-8)21.27Lancaster NG233 of 433 Sqn.
Hptm Eduard Schröder 3./NJG3: 26Jütland 75km. N.Bornholm(NS-7) 21.45Lancaster ME449 of 103 Sqn.
Hope this helps,
Mike H
-- Edited by MikeH on Tuesday 9th of December 2014 02:33:41 PM
Hi Mike
Sorry to trouble you again but does your book give any information about Lancaster PB347 that flew from RAF Metheringham on September 19th 1944 for a raid on Rheydt and was shot down by a nightfighter? I am reserahing Rex Chatwin who was a member of the crew.
Thanks
Terry
The Roll of Honour was compiled by me and a friend from the Netherlands in the 1980s. It has the the names of all the 153 crews who went missing and the cemetery details/next of kin details for the casualties. So Sgt Derrick Edward Cox 3050655 RAF (VR) Rear Gunner Ayres crew, is indeed in it.
I have all of the monthly summaries for 153 Squadron operations and some of the debriefing reports for individual crews but they are not in digital form. Ayres crew joined 153 on 30/11/44. they were on the Nurnberg raid 02/01/45, Mannheim 01/03/45, Kassel 08/03/45 but those are the only sheets I have. They will have done other ops. The monthly summary for the final gardening op says 'Defences in the Gardening area consisted of occasional predicted Flak and 2 a/c were seen to be shot down by it. Another a/c was seen to go down for an unobserved cause. Fighters were also active in the area..' Ayres plane was one of five despatched on the gardening op. 4 landed safely back at base.
My Father, F/O C.I.Edwards was W/op on one of 5 Lancasters from 153 Squadron that were on 'Gardening' Operations in the Kattegat on 12th March. Sgt Derrick Cox is recorded as part of the crew of Pilot K.A.Ayres DFC. on board RA526. According to my late father's Flying Log Book the flight was chased Fighters in his words "Very Twitchy". As a result RA526 was shot down at 21.16 hrs crashing into the sea near the island of Samso killing 6 crew members. A full report on a website Airwar over Denmark records burial details including on 21st July the remains of Sgt Derrick Cox were found near Lille Vorbjerg on the island of Samso. He was laid to rest on 23rd July 1945 in Traneberg Cemetery. I don't know if their website is still available but you can try www.flensted.eu.com/1945024.shtml contact: Soren C. Flensted. I researched all this information in 2003