Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

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08/09.06.1942 No. 150 Squadron Wellington III X3725 JN-N F/O. Winston D. Love

Operation: Essen

Date: 08/09th June 1942 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 150 Squadron

Type: Wellington III

Serial: X3725

Code: JN-N

Base: RAF Snaith

Location: North Sea, North West Callantsoog, Netherlands

Pilot: F/O. Winston David Love AUS/402243 RAAF Age 28. Missing

Obs: Fl/Sgt. Emile Francois Bruno Mandin R/75471 RCAF Age 26 Missing (1)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Leslie Charles Gray 1174107 RAFVR Age 21. Missing

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Robert Dudley Procter 1306729 RAFVR Age 22. Missing

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Lancelot Dent 1379092 RAFVR Age 34. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 23:05 hrs from RAF Snaith joining a bomber stream of some 170 aircraft to bomb the City of Essen.

Sgt. Lancelot Dent (courtesy Anne Procter née Dent)

Left: letter sent home shortly before Sgt. Lance Dent was lost (retyped below):

"Dear Sweetheart,


Still going strong, hope you and bairns and mother are alright. Lovely weather here. Did not like to tell you, but reason we were called back was to take part in last night’s big raid of over 1000 airplanes on Cologne it was fearful, that many of us, it paralyzed even their Ack Ack & search light defences they expected it being good weather last Tuesday night for it but had to wait until last night to get going.

Had the satisfaction of proving myself as an A.G. last night, outfought and out shot a ME 110 night fighter, and then shot it down.

He very nearly got us in the last few minutes we were doing evasive action and the plane stalled at the top of a climb which of course made him overshoot he busted our port wing to pieces. But as he passed over he exposed all of his belly and I raked him from nose to tail and he went down in a screaming dive.

Plenty of congratulations from crew. All my love to you and the bairns and my mother.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mollyannes xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Give Maureen my love, will write to her later. "

Some 19 of these aircraft were lost - most due to night fighters over the Netherlands. The resulting operation on the city was reported as poor, with scattered bombing.

Wellington X3725 was claimed as shot down over the North Sea, North West of Callantsoog, Netherlands by Oblt. Leopold Fellerer (2) based at Leeuwarden flying the Ju88g of 5./NJG2 at 02:19 hrs his 9th abscüsse - neither the bodies of the crew or the aircraft were recovered.

(1) Mandin Lake - Northeast of Lloyd Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada renamed after Fl/Sgt. Emile Francois Bruno Mandin.

Above left and centre: Oblt. Leopold Fellerer. Right: Oblt. Johann Klinger

(2) Oblt. Leopold Fellerer 07th June 1919 - 16th July 1968) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He survived the war with some 49 abschüsse. During the 1950s, he served with the Austrian Air Force, becoming Commander of the Langenlebarn Airbase in Tulln on the River Donau, retiring as a Oberstleutnant. Leopold Fellerer died on 15th July 1968 in an air crash, his Cessna L-19 3A-CK coming down near Krems. His fellow crew member, Oblt. Johann Klinger was also killed.

Note: Wellington X3725 delivered by Vickers (Squires Gate) between May 1941 and July 1942.

Runnymede Memorial as visited by Aircrew Remembered 2014

Burial details:

F/O. Winston David Love. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 110. Further information: Son of George Rowland Love and Eva Love, of Pymble, New South Wales, Australia. A graduate of Sydney University - B.Ec. Born 04th May 1914 in Pymble, New South Wales, Australia. Enlisted in Sydney.

Fl/Sgt. Emile Francois Bruno Mandin. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 105. Further information: Son of Gustave and Marie Louise Mandin (née Ripauld), husband of Helene Antonia (née Chicoine) Mandin of Ontario, Canada. Graduate of the College of Law. Received his B.A at the University of Saskatchewan. Whilst at University active in both drama, debates and athletics. Enlisted in 1941, married Helene on July 9th 1941. His younger brother also served, but in the Canadian army. Also had 5 sisters.

Sgt. Leslie Charles Gray. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 84. Son of Thomas Charles and Celia Victoria Gray, of Hounslow, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Robert Dudley Procter. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 91. Further information: Son of Luther and Ella Marie Anne Procter, of Southfield, Yorkshire, England. Born in Hull in 1920. His father, Luther Procter had been seriously wounded in France in WW1. Always known as Bob, enlisted in the RAF on the 25th July 1940, undertook his initial training at RAF Blackpool. On 29th August he was confined to camp for 3 days for an unknown offence. He must have been “a bit of a lad” because he received the same punishment in August 1941 and was reprimanded on 10th November 1941 for having been absent for 1 day. Prior to this, he spent a month in the David Lewis Northern Hospital at Childwall, Liverpool from 4 May to 7 June 1941. He trained as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. Awarded the rank of Sergeant on the 31st December 1941 - became fully qualified on 6 March 1942. Three weeks later posted to RAF Snaith and served with night bomber Squadron 150 from 30th March 1942.

Memorial Service for the Crew (contact us if YouTube no longer plays)

Sgt. Lancelot Dent. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 81. Son of Lancelot and Anna Dent, of Durham, husband of Annie Dent, of Durham, England. Prior to service was the college groundsman in Durham city. Lance had two brothers, Charles and John - also two daughters, Maureen who was born in 1931 and Anne in 1936.

Researched and page placed for Dudley Procter, nephew of the Wireless Operator / Air Gunner Sgt. Robert Procter. Also to Anne Powton (née Dent) and her son Joe Powton. Thanks also to Patricia (John) Snclair - relative of Fl/Sgt. Emile Francois Bruno Mandin who contacted us in November 2016. For further details our thanks to the sources shown below.

A word from the Editor: your contribution is important. We welcome your comments and information. Thanks in advance.

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