Crew
F/S Allan Johnson Mayfield RNZAF. Pilot
P/O Jack Francis David Jarmy. Navigator
Sgt. Robert Douglas Sommerville. Air Bomber
F/S William Lake. Wireless Operator
Sgt. A. Warburton. Flight Engineer
Sgt. Thomas Darbyshire. Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt. John Sebastian Hulena RNZAF. Rear Gunner
Aircraft
Striling Mk.I EH877 ‘C’ for Charlie
Flight
Up 21.30 27th August
Down 05.05 28th August
Total Flight Time 8 hours 25 minutes
75 (NZ) Sqn RAF Operations Record Book (ORB)
27/8/43
Operations.
Nineteen aircraft were detailed to attack the above targets with indiary bombs of 30lbs. and 4lbs. One aircraft failed to return, but the remainder successfully dropped their bombs in the target area. Good concentrated fires and heavy explosions were seen. A moderate barrage consisting of light and heavy A.A. fire co-operating with searchlights were encountered, and two aircraft received slight damage. Some enemy aircraft were seen, one short combat took place, but no damage was sustained by our aircraft. The weather was cloudy on the outward journey but clear over the target and visibility was good. Navigation was very good. The missing aircraft was Stirling Mk.III EE955 captained by F/Sgt. Higham.
Page 565, 1943. Form 540/ 541 AIR27/ 646 75(NZ) Squadron RAF, Mepal. National Archives.
Stirling Mk.III EE955 AA-D
F/Sgt Frank Douglas Higham RNZAF NZ416116. Pilot. 5th to 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 24, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt John Richard Culshaw RAFVR 1437100. Nav. 5th to 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 21, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
F/Sgt Martin Bailey RCAF R.119568. AB. 5th Jun to 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 27, during raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
F/Sgt Cyril Jack Bridger RNZAF NZ417192. WOAG. 5th to 28th Aug 1943. Died 28th August 1943, age 26, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Robert Renfrew RAFVR 984047. FE. 5th to 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 24, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery Germany.
Sgt Harold Jennings RAFVR 1818122. AG. 24th May 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 19, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Albert Clark RAFVR 940903. AG. 5th to 28th Aug 1943. Died Saturday 28th August 1943, age 24, during a raid on Nuremberg. Buried Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Bomber Command War Diary
27/28 August 1943
674 aircraft – 349 Lancasters, 221 Halifaxes, 104 Stirlings – to Nuremburg. 33 aircraft – 11 of each type on the raid – lost, 4.9 per cent of the force.
The marking for this raid was based mainly on H2S. 47 of the Pathfinder H2S aircraft were ordered to check their equipment by dropping a 1,000-lb bomb on Heilbronn while flying to Nuremberg. 28 Pathfinder aircraft were able to carry out this order. Nuremberg was found to be free of cloud but it was very dark. The initial Pathfinder markers were accurate but a creepback quickly developed which could not be stopped because so many Pathfinder aircraft had difficulties with their H2S sets. The Master Bomber could do little to persuade the Main Force to move their bombing forward; only a quarter of the crews could hear his broadcasts.
75(nz)squadron 