419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Halifax BB327

Crew of BB327

There is no mention of when Sgt. Morris arrived at 419 squadron, most likely in February of 1943 as he completed his 2nd Pilot training on March 1st and March 4/5.
The records sometimes simply mention crew arrivals as "two crews arrived today" no names or where they came from. ORB log entries became better and more informative later on in the war.
Sgt. Morris and his crews, for there were changes in the crews of his aircraft on at least three of the operations. The crews first mission was a Gardening operation. On the night of March 22/23 they mined the dark seas around St. Nazaire.
The next two operations would take them to the capital of Germany. March 27/28 brought the crew over Berlin, but their next night which was also to target Berlin became complicated by icing on a number of the Halifax involved. Morris's aircraft was one of those which experienced the heavy buildup of ice on the wings making controlling the aircraft and obtaining the proper lift difficult. Those aircraft encountering these conditions aborted the operation and returned to base.

Into the Ruhr Valley

The city of Essen was a target of 419 squadron many times through out the war. The Krupps arms factories were under constant attack by both Bomber Command and USAAF. The camoflaging of the real buildings and the contructing of false buildings made it difficult on some raids to pinpoint the exact factories. Many false factries dotted the area and were moved about the lands around Essen, many had additional "effects" thrown into them. Fake "lights showing" appeared to be windows which had not been properly blacked out, leading the Bomb Masters to believe they were over the target. Fires were started in fields to look like the factories had been hit and in flames, again leading waves of bombers to drop bombs in fields far away from the actual the Krupp works.
So on April 3/4th Sgt. Morris and his crew found themselves over Essen and it's heavily defended skies. Amongst the many diversions and the batteries of search lights and flak guns. Some designed to lead the bomber streams away from the target. His report for the night mentions no problems encountered and a safe return to base.

Duisberg

Duisberg was another of the targets that 419 squadron returned to many times during the war. Morris and his crew were to take part in a raid on Duisberg on the night of March 26th their part in this raid on ended just after take off when they lost the port inner engine and returned back to base.
The crew then took part in a successful operation over Berlin, followed on the 29/30th of March by another operation over Berlin. This time heavy icing forced many of the aircraft to jetison their loads to gain height and some to return to base as Sgt. Morris was forced to do.
On the night of April 8th. Sgt.Morris and his crew were sent to Duisberg. A previous raid two days earlier had been a disaster. The markers to layout the target area were late in being dropped, some aircraft circled the target area for thirty minutes before the flares finally were dropped. But the markers fell in far out spread patterns which missed the target altoghter.
Now on this April 8th attempt, the defences would be ready and waiting, even though 419 had a stroke of luck and lost none of their crews or aircraft the disasterous previous raid. Sgt. Morris and Halifax BB327 would be lost on this night.

Sgt. Turner's story

In his report completed after his release from the prison camps at the end of the war, he ststed that everything was normal, nothing out of the ordinary until they reached the target. When suddenly the Halfax went into evasive action, even the Bomb Aimer was taken by surprise as he called out for orders for the bomb run. Sgt.Turner reported remembering nothing from that time until he found himself becoming conscious as he parachuted to down to ground. Then after hitting the ground he again lost any memory of things going on around him until finding himself in a cell like room. He was told by his captors that the othermembers of the crew were all dead. And relized that for him the war was over.
BB327

Halifax BB327 came down near Bochum and the crew were originaaly buried at Krefeld. After the war they were reburied at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Crew of BB327

Into the Ruhr Valley

Duisberg

Sgt. Turner's story

BB327

Flight Sergeant

Delmar Cyril Way

Air Gunner age 30
Killed in April 8th, 1943
From High River Alberta
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Percy John Ireland

Air Gunner age 30
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Silver Park Saskatchewan
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

John Hubert Morris

Pilot Age 20
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Alexandria Ontario
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Flying Officer

Arthur Reginald Hickey

Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Timmins Ontario
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Kenneth Herbert Goldbold RAF

Navigator Age 22
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From London, England
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Reginald John Amos RAF

WAG age 20
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

L.E. Turner RAF

Flight Engineer age 23.
PoW # 1105 Stalag Luft I

Crew of BB327

Into the Ruhr Valley

Duisberg

Sgt. Turner's story

BB327

Flight Sergeant

Delmar Cyril Way

Air Gunner age 30Killed in April 8th, 1943 From High River Alberta Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Percy John Ireland

Air Gunner age 30Killed in Action April 8th, 1943 From Silver Park Saskatchewan Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

John Hubert Morris

Pilot Age 20 Killed in Action April 8th, 1943 From Alexandria Ontario Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Flying Officer

Arthur Reginald Hickey

Bomb Aimer Killed in Action April 8th, 1943 From Timmins Ontario Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Kenneth Herbert Goldbold RAF

Navigator Age 22 Killed in Action April 8th, 1943 From London, England Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

Reginald John Amos RAF

WAG age 20Killed in Action April 8th, 1943 From Cheshunt, Hertfordshire Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Sergeant

L.E. Turner RAF

Flight Engineer age 23.PoW # 1105 Stalag Luft I

Air Gunner age 30
Killed in April 8th, 1943
From High River Alberta
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Air Gunner age 30
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Silver Park Saskatchewan
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Pilot Age 20
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Alexandria Ontario
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Timmins Ontario
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Navigator Age 22
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From London, England
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

WAG age 20
Killed in Action April 8th, 1943
From Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
Burial Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Flight Engineer age 23.
PoW # 1105 Stalag Luft I