Crew
F/S Vernon John Zinzan. Pilot
P/O James Sydney George Coote. Navigator
F/O Robert Douglas Sommerville. Air Bomber
Sgt. Miles Parr. Wireless Operator
Sgt. A. Ackroyd. Flight Engineer
Sgt. H. Hutchinson. Mid Upper Gunner
F/Sgt. Herbert Winn. Rear Gunner
Aircraft
Lancaster Mk.I ME450
“W” for William
Remarks
Bomb Load 1 x 4,000 H.C., 7 x 500 ANM., 2 x 500 M.C. 4 x 250 G.P.
Primary target Wesel
Wonderful attack.
Flight
Up 12.47 16th February
Down 17.44 16th February
Total Flight Time 4 hours 58 minutes
75 (NZ) Sqn RAF Operations Record Book (ORB)
16/2/45
Operations.
Twenty one aircraft attacked Wesel as detailed. Slight accurate H/F was encountered over the target but no fighters were seen. A concentrated raid was reported.
Page 73, 1945. Form 540/ 541 AIR27/ 647 75(NZ) Squadron RAF, Mepal. National Archives.
Bomber Command War Diary
16 February 1945
Operation Thunderclap
100 Lancasters of No 3 Group and 1 Mosquito of No 8 Group attacked the town of Wesel on the Rhine, near the fighting area. No aircraft lost. The raid took place in clear conditions and ‘the town and the railway were seen to be smothered in bomb bursts’.
75(nz)squadron 