Halifax loss, help required

I have been asked by a good friend, to find details of a Halifax of 578 Sqd. thought to have been lost over Belgium 12th August 1944, flown by F.O Owen Scott MacPhillamy aged 21.
A family member has been asked to research the loss, for a future memorial service.

I know some of you guys will have the answers….

Hi Thank you for your interest in this loss My uncle was the rear gunner Len and seeing this has rekindled an interest. We have as a family been to the grave site and paid our respects to the crew who died. I did manage to get from the MOD a evasion report that debriefed one of the evaders on his return to the UK I am led to believe that the parents of the pilot did visit Newark, England to see my grandparents after the war but this has been passed down from relatives so memories have faded. Len is named in the local church on the appropriate day and all the crew who died are remembered in the book of remembrance which sits in front of the astronomical clock in York minister. There is a memorial to those who flew in sqd 578 from Burn (Nr Selby, Yorkshire) which sits near the gate Just off the A19 it would be nice to compare notes

kind regards
M Stafford

HALIFAX LW383

several published sources are / have been available in the UK :-

1. THE HALIFAX FILE – RN Roberts – which gives allocation histories , dates delivered etc (eg LW383 was initially allocated to 420 RCAF Squadron and would have flown from Dalton and/or Tholthorpe)

2. ‘578 SQ OPERATIONS 1944-45’ – Chuck Adams DFM (air gunner who flew ops with 578 Sq)

3. ‘BASED AT BURN’ (Burn being where 578 sq was located) – Hugh Caudron

i don’t know what sort of details your friend might want to use –

578 Sq contribution – 24 aircraft

target – the OPEL works at RUSSELSHEIM – V1 and V2 parts being manufactured

main force – 191 Lancasters (13 failed to return) , 96 Halifaxes (7 FTR including TWO from 578 Sq ) and 10 Mosquitos

so there is plenty of material – i have the mentioned published sources so i will gladly give further information

HALIFAX LW383

several published sources are / have been available in the UK :-

1. THE HALIFAX FILE – RN Roberts – which gives allocation histories , dates delivered etc (eg LW383 was initially allocated to 420 RCAF Squadron and would have flown from Dalton and/or Tholthorpe)

2. ‘578 SQ OPERATIONS 1944-45’ – Chuck Adams DFM (air gunner who flew ops with 578 Sq)

3. ‘BASED AT BURN’ (Burn being where 578 sq was located) – Hugh Caudron

i don’t know what sort of details your friend might want to use –

578 Sq contribution – 24 aircraft

target – the OPEL works at RUSSELSHEIM – V1 and V2 parts being manufactured

main force – 191 Lancasters (13 failed to return) , 96 Halifaxes (7 FTR including TWO from 578 Sq ) and 10 Mosquitos

so there is plenty of material – i have the mentioned published sources so i will gladly give further information

Halifax Loss

Hi there,
F/S.Bodey’s personnel file has been digitised and is available to view online at The National Archives of Australia site-search using his service number 434213.It contains several documents relating to the loss of LW383.
Regards,Mark.

Halifax Loss

Hi there,
F/S.Bodey’s personnel file has been digitised and is available to view online at The National Archives of Australia site-search using his service number 434213.It contains several documents relating to the loss of LW383.
Regards,Mark.

Thanks Peter….very helpful….very quick.

Thanks Peter….very helpful….very quick.

The aircraft in which F/O. O S. MacPhillamy RAAF was lost on 12-13 August 1944 was Halifax III LW383 of No.578 Squadron on an OP to Russelsheim.
The aircraft had taken off from Burn at 2149 hrs and was shot down by a night-fighter, crashing at Chapelle-a-Ois (Hainnaut) 8 km west south west of Ath.

Crew

F/O. O S. MacPhillamy. RAAF +
Sgt. F B. Newman. pow
P/O. J W. Humble +
Sgt. N R. Beamish. evaded
F/S. L R. Bodey. RAAF. evaded
Sgt. GE. Ward. +
Sgt. L. Stafford. +

Details from ‘RAF Bomber Command Losses’ Vol.5 – W R. Chorley.

The target for this raid was the Opel motor factory.

The aircraft in which F/O. O S. MacPhillamy RAAF was lost on 12-13 August 1944 was Halifax III LW383 of No.578 Squadron on an OP to Russelsheim.
The aircraft had taken off from Burn at 2149 hrs and was shot down by a night-fighter, crashing at Chapelle-a-Ois (Hainnaut) 8 km west south west of Ath.

Crew

F/O. O S. MacPhillamy. RAAF +
Sgt. F B. Newman. pow
P/O. J W. Humble +
Sgt. N R. Beamish. evaded
F/S. L R. Bodey. RAAF. evaded
Sgt. GE. Ward. +
Sgt. L. Stafford. +

Details from ‘RAF Bomber Command Losses’ Vol.5 – W R. Chorley.

The target for this raid was the Opel motor factory.