419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Halifax BB376

Crew of Halifax BB376

It was their first sortie, the crew's pilot P/O John Symons had completed two prior operations as 2nd. Pilot and now on the night of September 29/30 he was taking his inexperienced crew to Bochum. Of the crew only RAF Sgt. David Lucas had been part of an operation prior to this night.
After their departure from base nothing more was heard from them. The only clues could be in the reports of the crews who did return and what they experienced.

Nine crews reported they made it to the target, very heavy cloud cover was encountered by the crews as they reached the enemy coast. The clouds had cleared however by time the stream reached the target. Searchlights seemed to light up the whole Ruhr valley, working in groups of five or six, in the target area itself one captain estimated that there were hundreds of them.
Although the searchlights were in force the flak intensity was reported as "strangely below par" for the Ruhr. This may have been a plan which allowed the night fighters a wider access to bombers. The flak was seen to be aimed at the sky markers being dropped by PPF.
Flak, searchlights and night fighters were not the only danger in the skies that night one Moose Halifax almost collided with another squadron's Halifax which was being flown at ninety degrees to the bomb run straight across everyone's path.
The route to the target also had dangers. One Moose aircraft became coned my a heavy searchlight battery as it flew over Hengelo, Holland. The Halifax was subjected to heavy flak which was mentioned as "uncomfortably accurate" The dropping of "Windows" extracted the aircraft from the trap as the tinsel pieces dropped did their job.
What exactly happened to the Symon's crew could have been flak or fighters from what was seen by other crews. No one will know for sure.

Crew of Halifax BB376

Flying Officer

Gordon Edward Donaldson

Navigator Age 27
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Toronto Ontario
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Pilot Officer

John Ritchie Symons

Pilot Age 34
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Vancouver British Columbia
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

William Douglas Miller

Bomb Aimer Age 26
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Lake Megantic Quebec
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

Edwin Mills Cockin

Air Gunner (M/U) Age 24
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Forest Hill Ontario
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

David Lucas RAF

WAG
Killed in Action September 30 1943
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

Albert William Chandler RAF

F/E Age 21
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From London England
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

William George Morgan RAF

Air Gunner (R/G) Age 37
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From North Sheilds Northumberland
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Crew of Halifax BB376

Flying Officer

Gordon Edward Donaldson

Navigator Age 27Killed in Action September 30 1943 From Toronto Ontario Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Pilot Officer

John Ritchie Symons

Pilot Age 34Killed in Action September 30 1943 From Vancouver British Columbia Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

William Douglas Miller

Bomb Aimer Age 26Killed in Action September 30 1943 From Lake Megantic Quebec Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

Edwin Mills Cockin

Air Gunner (M/U) Age 24Killed in Action September 30 1943 From Forest Hill Ontario Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

David Lucas RAF

WAG Killed in Action September 30 1943 Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

Albert William Chandler RAF

F/E Age 21Killed in Action September 30 1943 From London England Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Sergeant

William George Morgan RAF

Air Gunner (R/G) Age 37Killed in Action September 30 1943 From North Sheilds Northumberland Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Navigator Age 27
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Toronto Ontario
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Pilot Age 34
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Vancouver British Columbia
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Bomb Aimer Age 26
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Lake Megantic Quebec
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Air Gunner (M/U) Age 24
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From Forest Hill Ontario
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

WAG
Killed in Action September 30 1943
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

F/E Age 21
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From London England
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial

Air Gunner (R/G) Age 37
Killed in Action September 30 1943
From North Sheilds Northumberland
Remembrance Runneymede Memorial