Personnel Index - Detail
14/15 June, 1943: OBERHAUSEN:
An all Lancaster force of 197, guided by 6 Oboe Mosquitoes made a successful attack on Oberhausen. Despite the target being cloud-covered, accurate sky-marking enabled the bombers to do considerable damage. Twelve Lancasters lifted from Fiskerton's runway, the last one away by 22.32hrs. The crews found themselves engaged in a savage battle from both flak and fighters which resulted in Bomber Command losing 17 aircraft.
Of those missing: Sgt Frost (ED434) and crew had been shot down by a German night fighter flown by Hauptmann Hans-Dieter Frank I./NJG1. The aircraft fell to the ground 2 kilometers East of Dodewaard, Holland at 01.13hrs. The pilot and flight engineer survived to become POW's in Stalag 357, Kopernikus; the remainder of the crew are buried in Uden War Cemetery.
Lancaster ED434
Sgt R. Frost Pilot (P.o.W.)
Sgt N.C. Hitchcock F/E (P.o.W.)
F/O A.E. Whittaker Nav (Killed)
Sgt J.R. Coulsey W/AG (Killed)
F/S W.L. Chatfield RCAF A/G (Killed)
Sgt V. Horsley A/B (Killed)
Sgt P.A. Toms A/G (Killed)
Crew on their 3rd operation
The full PoW record card is shown below.
Additional information courtesy of our Archivist, Ed Norman.
Intelligence Debriefs:
11/12-6-43. DUSSELDORF
ED 434 Frost, Hitchcock, Whittaker, Coulson, Chatfield, Ross. Toms.
2300-0404 hrs. Dusseldorf 020hrs , 21000 ft, good vis: ground haze or smoke, no cloud. Saw red and green T.I. Red T.Is in sights. Mass of fires well concentrated round markers. 30 x 41b IBs hung up. 16 bundles of G32A dropped.
12/13-6-43. BOCHUM.
ED 434 Frost, Hitchcock, Whittaker, Coulsey, Chatfield, Mathison, Toms.
2245-0443 hrs. Bochum 0149 hrs, 21000 ft, 3/10ths cloud at 12000 ft. Red & green T.Is. 1 green in sights. 2 reds one mile west of town; 3 reds 3 miles S.E of town. Target well illuminated on arrival. Fires were covering target area.
14/15-6-43. OBERHAUSEN
ED 434 Frost R, Hitchcock P, Whittaker A, Coulsey A, Chatfield W, Horsley W, Toms P
MISSING WITHOUT TRACE. Route believed - 51 40N 03 30E, 51 02N 06 30E, Oberhausen.