During WW2, the City of Wuppertal suffered numerous Allied Air Raids, primarily Night-time Attacks from the RAF’s Bomber Command during the British-waged Battle of the Ruhr Bomber Offensive. The largest Raids was on the Saturday Night of 29/30th May 1943, heavy enough to cause a Firestorm. The other Factor that led to such high Casualty rates in Wuppertal was its Location. The City is located on the Banks of 2 very Steep Granite Riverbanks. The RAF had dropped timed Explosives that caused the Foundations of Buildings to literally melt away. The initial City name was Barmen-Elberfeld was changed in a 1930 Referendum to Wuppertal
29/30th May 1943, 158 Squadron RAF Lissett Bob as Lancaster Rear Gunner.
719 Aircraft – The Route was 5134N 0330E, 5059N 0626E, Wuppertal, 5120N 0721E, 5033N 0723E, 5038N 0600E, 5122N 0320E
292 Lancasters, 185 Halifaxes, 118 Stirlings, 113 Wellingtons, 11 Mosquitos.
This Attack was Aimed at the Barmen half of the long & narrow Town of Wuppertal and was the outstanding success of the Battle of the Ruhr. Both Pathfinder Marking & Main Force Bombing was particularly Accurate and a large Fire area developed in the Narrow Streets of the Old Centre of the Town. It is probable that this Fire was so severe that the 1st, small form of what would later become known as a ‘Firestorm‘ developed. Because it was a Saturday Night, many of the Town’s Fire & Air-Raid Officials were not present, having gone to their Country Homes for the Weekend, and the Fire Services of the Town – in their 1st Raid – were not able to Control the Fires. Approximately 1,000 acres – possibly 80% of Barmen’s built-up area – was Destroyed by Fire. 5 out of the Town’s 6 largest Factories, 211 other Industrial Premises and nearly 4,000 Houses were completely Destroyed.
33 Aircraft – 10 Halifax’s, 8 Stirlings, 8 Wellingtons, 7 Lancasters – Lost, 4.6% of the Force.
Other Allied Aircraft also carried out numerous smaller Air Raids on Wuppertal. Overall, more than 6,500 people lost their lives during WW2 in Wuppertal from such Raids; 38% of the built-up Urban area was Destroyed.
One of these RAF Raids in February 1943 allegedly caused serious damage to the Goldschmitt Adhesives Firm, which was making “Tego-Film“, a Wood Adhesive for the German War Effort – new Aircraft designs meant to make large use of Wooden Airframe components. Such as the Ta154-Moskito as a form of recognition of the RAF’s de Havilland Mosquito, and built primarily of plywood, bonded with a special Phenolic Resin Adhesive called Tego-Film. Also the He162-Spatz Jet Powered Fighter had their development seriously delayed or even temporarily curtailed as a result of the deficient replacement Adhesive due to plywood delamination of the Wooden Airframes of such Aircraft. This resulting in Crashes of the Prototype Airframes for both the mentioned Focke-Wulf and later Heinkel Defensive Fighter Designs. (The exact date for this especially critical RAF Night Raid is not certain; the progress on the Ta 154’s Development – which occurred nearly a year before the He 162’s 1st Prototypes were even built – and exactly when the corrosive replacement Adhesive was 1st used for building its Production Airframe Series, cause doubt concerning the early February 1943 Timeframe.
He162-Spatz Jet Powered Fighter
35 Squadron Graveley Losses – 4 Aircraft
29th May 1943 Halifax II- W7876 to Wuppertal crashed Aahen area
Sgt Alex Rex Sarjent – PoW Halifax II W7876
Sgt R G Hands – PoW Halifax II W7876
Sgt W T Gray – Killed Halifax II W7876
Sgt H B T Knowles – PoW Halifax II W7876
F/S L H Garner, – Killed Halifax II W7876
Sgt D R Brown, – PoW Halifax II W7876
29th May 1943 Halifax II TL-C, DT804 Take-Off 22.00hrs to Wuppertal Shot Down by Night Fighter crashed 01.43Hrs Duras, Limburg, Belgium
P/O Ronald Hoos Pilot Age 25 – Killed
Sgt R W Hodge, Navigator Age 20 – Killed
Sgt J G Kennedy, Navigator Age 22 – Killed
Sgt J Davidson, Wireles Op, PoW Stalag Luft 4
Sgt A Tannock, Air Gunner, Age 20 – Killed
Sgt A Taylor, Air Gunner, Aged 22 -Killed
Sgt Ernest Bell, Flt Eng, Age 25 – Killed
29th May 1943 Halifax II HT793 Wuppertal
S/L P Johnson Killed
F/S EA Roede PoW
Sgt FJ Jarvis Killed
F/O RG Houston PoW
P/O R Wood PoW
F/S BT Royall PoW
Sgt AW Gowan PoW
Sgt MT Byme PoW
Shot down by Fighter and Crashed near Sittard (Limburgh) Holland
29th May 1943 Halifax II HR833- TL-F Wuppertal. Failed to Return and the Squadron’s Operations Record Book shows “This Aircraft is Missing; No Message was received”. Attacked by a Night Fighter near Antwerp & Exploded. Shot Down & Bombs exploded, Crashing at Hoogstraten, near Antwerp, Belgium. Its 6-man Crew comprised:
WO1 James Livingstone Lee – Pilot RCAF – KIA
Sgt G A Jones – Navigator – PoW – evaded until 3rd September 1943; following his Capture he was Imprisoned for the remainder of the War. Captured: Brussels (3rd Sept-43?), Imprisoned: Stalag IV-B, Muhlberg, Repatriated.
William Abbotson Tetley (Air Bomber) KIA
F/S Herbert John Ross, Age 27 – KIA
Sgt Victor Stanley Platt, – Air Gunner – KIA
Sgt Frank Morley Trayner – Air Gunner – KIA
P/O J C Goodson Flight Engineer- PoW – survived the Crash (wounded) and was Captured, Antwerp 30th May ’43 (Wounded) Interrogated & Imprisoned for the remainder of the War. Stalag Luft III, Sagan Jun-43 to Feb-45, Stalag XIII-D, Nürnberg Feb-45 to Apr-45, Stalag VII-A, Moosburg Apr-45 to May-45, Repatriated May-45
The Crew’s Kit & Personal Belongings were removed from their Lockers and Catalogued; Kit was returned to Stores & Personal belongings sent to the RAF Central Depository at Cottesbrook House Crown Mead, RAF Colnbrook. Note: Presumption of Death enabled a Death Certificate to be issued; Personal belongings could then be sent to next of Kin, along with any monies due
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Air Gunner Bob Gill DFM 