31.12.44 ATTACK AGAINST VOHWINKEL – Railway Yards

Crew
F/S Vernon John Zinzan. Pilot
P/O James Sydney George Coote. Navigator
F/O John Kennedy Clements. Air Bomber
Sgt. Miles Parr. Wireless Operator
Sgt. A. Ackroyd. Flight Engineer
Sgt. H. Hutchinson. Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt. Herbert Steele. Rear Gunner

Aircraft
Lancaster Mk.I LM733
“R” for Roger

Remarks
Bomb Load 1 x 4,000 H.C, 14 x 500 ANM.
Primary target Vohwinkel
Early in Attack, bombing not good.

Flight
Up 11.32 31st December
Down 16.44 31st December
Total Flight Time 5 hours 12 minutes

75 (NZ) Sqn RAF Operations Record Book (ORB)
31/12/44
Operations. 
Seventeen aircraft were detailed to attack Vohwinkel in daylight. Moderate accurate heavy flak was met over the target, but all aircraft returned safely. A scattered raid was reported.

Page 377, 1945. Form 540/ 541 AIR27/ 647  75(NZ) Squadron RAF, Mepal. National Archives.

Bomber Command War Diary
31 December 1944
155 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the railway yards at Vohwinkel, near Solingen. A strong wind carried much of the bombing south of the target.2 Lancasters lost.

12 Mosquitos of No 627 Squadron, No 5 Group, set out to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo. 8 aircraft actually bombed, in 2 waves, and hits were believed to have been scored. No aircraft lost.

Page 640, The Bomber Command War Diaries. 2011. Everitt Middlebrook. Midland publishing.