While waiting for the present Mrs EN830 to meet me from work the other evening I took time out to read some of the names placed in the field of poppies at our local cenotaph. One of these names was Flt Sgt Nelson John De La Haye, who was lost on 25 June 1944.
The following information was gleaned from Chorleys BCL – 1944,BC War Diaries and the CWGC website
90 Sqn Lancaster I LM179 WP-M Op Rimeaux
F/S Stanley Mellors – aged 21 from Bilsthorpe, Nottingham
Sgt Alan St John Tollit aged 38 from Tue Brook, Liverpool
F/S Nelson John De La Haye, aged 31, from Jersey
F/S Hugh Desmond Cawson, aged 24 from Gosport
W/O Edward Charles Roberts DFM, aged 24 from Newport Gwent
F/S Alfred George Keenor, aged 20 from Lamberhurst in Kent; and
Sgt Herbert Henry Wooding.
Took off 23.11 from Tuddenham Suffolk, was tasked to attack flying bomb targets in the Rimeaux area. Attacked by a night fighter, crashing at Coupelle-Vieille (Pas De Calais), 4 kn WNW of Fruges. Six crew members are buried in Fruges Communal Cemetery, W/O Roberts is remembered on the Runnymede memorial. Roberts DFM was Gazetted on 18 July 1941, from a previous tour with 50 Sqn.
On the night of 24/25 June 44, 535 Lancasters, 165 Halifaxes and 39 Mosquitoes from all groups attacked various flying bomb targets in the Pas de Calais. 22 Lancasters succumbed to the Night Fighter defences, and the crew of LM179 may have been the victim of Hptm Paul Zoner of StIII./NJG5 who claimed a Lancaster east of Boulogne-sur-mer on that night.
I would be interested if anyone can pass on any further information on this aircraft, crew ,confirm that they were the victim of Paul Zoner and his fate.
By: Mdelahaye - 22nd January 2017 at 21:18
I am the nephew of Flt Sgt Nelson de la Haye who is referred to in this post and am trying to discover as much as I can about the crew and the events of the night of 24-25 June 1944 when the Lancaster was shot down. I am not sure if there is any further information known!
By: SHORTSBRO - 27th November 2006 at 20:18
Hi Ian,
Will check, does non operational hours count of the AM Form 78. ?
Can you please contact me off board. 😮
Regards
By: EN830 - 27th November 2006 at 17:13
Thanks Steve.
That’s a very short amount of flying time, this maybe it’s only operational sortie then ?
By: SHORTSBRO - 27th November 2006 at 07:59
Hi Ian,
Avro Lancaster, LM179.
Type: Mark I. Built by Armstrong Whitworth. R.R. Merlin 24 Engines. Cont No.239.
Taken on charge by No.90 Squadron on 17.06.44 Authority 9 18/6
Listed Category E (Missing) on 25.06.44 Authority FB A043
Struck off charge on 02.07.44 Authority 1623/64
Total Flying Time : 2 hours 10 mins.
Regards
Steve
By: EN830 - 24th November 2006 at 17:45
Thanks, Steve, Moggy and Voytech.
Lutwaffe map grid reference :-
QD puts the claim in the Abbeville area
QE-PE In ths St. Po area
PB over the Channel
NB-3 quite close to the South Coast of England, to the east of Beachy Head
I’ll make some enquiries locally and see if I can turn up a bit more info on De La Haye, and maybe a photograph.
By: VoyTech - 24th November 2006 at 13:03
QD (Not sure what this means)
That’s a Lutwaffe map grid reference. Check there:
http://www.lesbutler.ip3.co.uk/jg26/gradnetz.htm
By: SHORTSBRO - 24th November 2006 at 12:45
Been, seen and paid homage.
Thanks for posting Moggy, reminds me of a number of very pleasant and humbling trips visiting the former No.3 Group aerodromes in East Anglia a few years back.
By: Moggy C - 24th November 2006 at 12:15
Just to show the war years are still commemorated locally
Moggy
By: SHORTSBRO - 23rd November 2006 at 22:13
Hi Ian,
My mistake had the wrong crew, however I have located the following information which you may find of some interest.
Flight Sergeant Mellors and crew were posted onto No.90 (Bomber) Squadron w.e.f 25th April 1944 via No.1653 Conversion Unit.
Crew undertook the following operations.
01.05.1944 : Mining : Frisians : Short Stirling EJ122 ‘E’
12.05.1944 : Mining : Cherbourg : Short Stirling LK570 ‘Y’
10.06.1944 : Dreux : Avro Lancaster NE146 ‘G’
12.06.1944 : Gelsenkirchen : Avro Lancaster LM157 ‘C’
14.06.1944 : Le Havre : Avro Lancaster NE145/G ‘D’
17.06.1944 : Montdidier : Avro Lancaster LM615 ‘B’
21.06.1944 : Domleger : Avro Lancaster LM615 ‘B’
24.06.1944 : Rimeux : Avro Lancster LM179 ‘M’
During early June 1944 No.90 Squadron started to convert from the Stirling Mk.III to the Lancaster Mk.I & III’s.
LM179 carried 18 x 500lb MC.
No.90 Squadron dispatched 16 aircraft
Saturday 24th / Sunday 25th June 1944 :
Flying Bomb Site at Rimeux.
Night
Night
Time over Target : 0030hrs
100 Avro Lancaster’s & 10 Short Stirling’s detailed.
115 Sqdn (15) 514 Sqdn (20) 75NZ Sqdn (25) 622 Sqdn (14) 15 Sqdn (14) 90 Sqdn (16) 218 Sqdn (10)
Cancelled : 0
Abortive : 0
Missing : 4
Apart from a few erratic sticks of bombs this raid developed quite well. T.I’s were well placed and bombs were well concentrated. Opposition from flak was moderate however enemy fighters were active over the target and route home. Our 4 losses were probably shot down by fighters, several other aircraft were hit and badly holed.
Ruisseauville
149 Squadron dispatched 14 Short Stirling’s. 2 aircraft failed to return. One fighter encounter, no claim.
Gardening
4 Short Stirling’s detailed.
218 Sqdn (4)
Gardens : HYACINTH, SULTANAS II and ‘HOSTILE ZONE’
No losses or failures reported, 23 mines lifted and successfully dropped.
I’m afraid the AM Form 78’s are will a friend will post next week.
Regards
Steve
By: EN830 - 23rd November 2006 at 21:24
I’ve checked Luftwaffe Night Combat Claims for the night of 24/25 June 1944. These raids to the Pas de Calais lost 22 Lancasters, these are all of the claims made over France that evening:-
1. 1/NJG2 Oblt Adolf Kaiser B17 Blangy sur Bresle
2. II./NJG2 Maj Paul Semrau Lancaster St Valery
3. 2./NJG2 Oblt Heinz Rökker Lancaster Sth Dieppe
4. II./NJG2 Maj Paul Semrau Lancaster Dieppe
5. 2/NJG3 Hptm Huck Four-Eng Dieppe – Abbeville
6. 3./NJG3 Uffz. Hans Schadowski Four-Eng Nr St.Pol
7. Stab./NJG5 Maj Walter Borchers Four-Eng QD (Not sure what this means)
8. Stab./NJG5 Obstlt Helmut Lent Four-Eng QE-PE (Same ????)
9. 3/NJG3 Uffz. Hans Schadowski Four-Eng Nr St.Pol
10. 2/NJG4 Hptm Josef Krahforst Four-Eng QD
11. 6/NJG2 Lt Erich Jung Stirling Nr. Amiens
12. 3./NJG3 Uffz G Schneider Four-Eng SW Dieppe
13. 3./NJG4 Oblt Kadleik Four-Eng Montreuil
14. 2./NJG3 Uffz Alois Vogler Four-Eng Nr. St. Pol
15. St.III/NJG5 Hptm Paul Zorner Lancaster E. Boulogne-sur-mer
16. 3./NJG3 Uffz Hans Schadowski Four-Eng St. Pol
17. 6./NJG2 Lt ErichJung Lancaster Nr. Amiens
18. 3./NJG4 Oblt Rolf Klages Four-Eng Abbeville
19. 3./NJG3 Uffz G Schneider Four-Eng Dieppe
20. 6./NJG2 Lt. Martin Tschiersch Lancaster PB (?????)
21. 7./NJG4 Oblt Richard Delakowitz Four-Eng Abbeville – Doullens
22. 5./NJG2 Hptm H-H Hissbach Lancaster Nr Abbeville
23. 6./NJG2 Hptm Kamsties Lancaster Nr. Dieppe
24. 2./NJG3 Hptm Huck Four-Eng Dieppe – Abbeville
25. 6./NJG2 Lt Lothar Jarsch Lancaster Amiens-Berck-Fécamp
26. Stab./NJG5 Obstlt Helmut Lent Four-Eng QE-PE (????)
27. 3.NJG3 Lt Götze Four-Eng Sth St. Pol
28. 9./NJG4 Hptm Kurt Fladrich Lancaster Abbeville – Doullens
29. 8./NJG5 Uffz Rudolf Irmisch Lancaster Between Amiens & Dieppe
30. 6.NJG2 Lt Lothar Jarsch Lancaster Amiens-Berck- Fécamp
31. 3./NJG3 Ofw Gierscke Four-Eng Abbeville
32. 9./NJG5 Lt Gerhard Wagner Lancaster NW Treport
33. Stab/NJG5 Maj Walter Borchers Four-Eng NB-3
34. 2/NJG3 FhjFw Herbert Stähler Four-Eng Into the Sea Calais
35. St.III/NJG5 Hptm Paul Zorner Lancaster N.W Etaples
36. 3./NJG3 Gfr Kruschyna Lancaster Somme Estuary
37. 1/NJG5 Oblt E.G Drünkler Stirling 10km W Berck Sur Mer
By: EN830 - 23rd November 2006 at 12:18
Hi Steve
That would be great, there is obviously still family members locally who maybe interested in any information we can supply.
Thanks
Ian
By: SHORTSBRO - 23rd November 2006 at 08:21
I maybe able to help you when I get home this evening.
I have the No.90 (Bomber) Squadron ORB (and all other No.3 Group Squadrons) and I think a file on this particular crew. I also have the AM Form 78 Movement Cards.
If you still want the info please let me know.
Regards
Steve
By: mhuxt - 22nd November 2006 at 22:46
Hard to say if the aircraft fell victim to Zorner or not, without understanding where the other aircraft lost came down. Most claims for the night appear to have been made further south, down towards Abbeville or Dieppe, however one especially is very close, at the same time.
Zorner made his claim at 00.32, the same moment Oblt. Kadlcik of 3./NJG 4 made a claim for a four-engined aircraft around Montreuil, which is all of 25km WSW of Coupelle-Vieille, which itself is 40km SE of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Does Chorley give any hint of where any of the other Lancs lost that night came down?
You can find information on Zorner here:
By: Moggy C - 22nd November 2006 at 22:45
Interesting stuff.
I can offer a minor correction, the area of Liverpool is called Tuebrook. One word, not two.
Hardly crucial I know, but I think we owe it to these guys to get it as correct as possible.
Funny, I drove past Tuddenham this morning. Nothing much left, and now the site of a quarry, but I did give the crews a thought.
Moggy
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November 22, 2006 at 10:20 pm