CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
REES |
First Name/s: |
William Noel |
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Service No/s: |
1418676 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Wireless Operator |
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Awards: |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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01 Mar 1941 |
Enlisted at Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales at some point from March 41 onwards. |
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01 Sep 1944 |
Joined 576 Squadron, ‘B’ Flight, Elsham & Fiskerton |
Lancaster |
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23 Sep 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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24 Sep 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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26 Sep 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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03 Oct 1944 |
Set Rank from Flight Record |
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02 Nov 1944 |
02 Nov 44 – Dusseldorf - Abandoned LM122 UL-X2 |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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23 Sep 1944 |
PB467 |
UL-K2 |
NEUSS |
1900 |
0040 |
5h40 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Marshalling Yards Load: 12x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs Combat - inconclusive |
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24 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
CALAIS |
1605 |
2005 |
4h00 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Enemy fortifications & heavy gun positions Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
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26 Sep 1944 |
NF975 |
UL-J2 |
CAP GRIS-NEZ |
1105 |
1410 |
3h05 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
6” coastal gun battery Load: 13x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
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03 Oct 1944 |
ME671 |
UL-V2 |
WESTKAPELLE |
1315 |
1605 |
2h50 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Walcheren Island sea wall. Flown in support of Operation INFATUATE Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 8x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs. |
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05 Oct 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
1840 |
0110 |
6h30 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Built-up area Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 14x 4lb incendiary clusters The attack on the built-up area was successful. Aircraft diverted on the return due to fog at base Diverted to Wratting Common TBC |
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06 Oct 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
Wratting Common - Base |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Return from diversion |
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07 Oct 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
EMMERICH |
1220 |
1635 |
4h15 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Enemy strong point within the built-up area Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ & 2520x 4lb incendiaries Aircraft diverted on the return due to low cloud at base – only 5 aircraft landed at Elsham, the others landed at Sandtoft or Lindholme. |
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12 Oct 1944 |
LM651 |
UL-Z2 |
FORT FREDERIK HENDRIK, BRESKENS |
0635 |
0945 |
3h10 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Coastal Battery (1st aiming point from 11 Oct) Load: 13x 1000lb and 4x 500lb bombs. |
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14 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
DUISBURG |
0640 |
1155 |
5h15 |
P1 W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Operation HURRICANE – 3 aircraft detailed to attack August Thyssen Steelworks (C2, G2, M2), rest detailed to attack 4 aiming points (mines and coke ovens) in the Hamborn district (19 aircraft) |
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14 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
DUISBURG |
2205 |
0405 |
6h00 |
P1 W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Operation HURRICANE. Built-up area to the north of the docks Load: B2, K2, M2: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 2,732x 4lb incendiaries. All other aircraftc: 12x 1000lb & 4x 500lb bombs. |
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25 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
ESSEN |
1300 |
1740 |
4h40 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
2 aiming pointsin the Krupps works Load: B2, J2, N2, Z2: 1x 4,000lb, 2,220x 4lb incendiaries. All other aircraft: 11x 1,000lb, 4x 500lb bombs |
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28 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
COLOGNE |
1320 |
1915 |
5h55 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Two aiming points: Mulheim district of Cologne, and the SW part of the city. Load: A2, B2, C2, F2, G2, N2: 1x 4,000lb ‘Cookie’, 2,332x 4lb incendiaries. All other aircraft: 1x 4,000lb ‘Cookie’, 5x 1,000lb, 6x 500lb bombs 6 aircraft were scheduled to attack the Mulheim aiming point first, followed by the rest on the second AP Hepburn crew bombed Last Resort target; a very large factory 5 miles SW of Cologne |
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30 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
COLOGNE |
1740 |
2350 |
6h10 |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
NW Area of City Load: F2, G2, I2, J2, M2, R2: 1x 4,000lb ‘Cookie’, 2070x 4lb incendiaries. All other aircraft: 1x 4,000lb ‘Cookie’, 6x 1,000lb, 6x 500lb bombs |
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31 Oct 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
ELSHAM WOLDS – FISKERTON |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Transit ELSHAM WOLDS – FISKERTON (Times N/K) Groundcrew carried for transfer and to prepare aircraft for night operation: 305 Dugdale FMA 824 Grover FME |
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02 Nov 1944 |
LM122 |
UL-X2 |
DUSSELDORF |
1610 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Fg Off W.H. Hepburn |
NOTES: |
Northern built-up area of the city Load: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 6x 1000lb, 6x 500lb bombs Failed to return from this operation. Flying at 17,500 ft, LM122 was hit by flak immediately after dropping its bombs, at 1922 hrs, which tore a large hole under the navigator's compartment and damaging the No.1 fuel tank. The pilot W H Hepburn ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft at about 5000 ft. Ofw. Josef Ströhlein in his Bf110 of 6./NJG1 fired two long bursts at the stricken aircraft at 1925 hrs. At this point the Lancaster caught fire and was seen to crash in the Baraque Michel area three minutes later. Fg Off W H Hepburn Killed Sgt T Hughes Evaded Sgt J Reavey Evaded Sgt F McWatt Killed Sgt W N Rees PoW Sgt T M A Murray Killed (Replaced Ashworth in the crew who had completed 12 operations with 166 Squadron before joining 576 Squadron.) Sgt S Fielding Killed |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public |
