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AITKEN GE
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AITKEN, Gordon

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Handley Page Halifax V
Serial Number LK959
Markings ZL-D
Memorial information
Burial/Memorial Country Netherlands
Burial/Memorial Place Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery
Grave Reference 10. C. 6..
Epitaph IN MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON WHO IS ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase 2
Panel Number 121
Enlistment information
Service Number R/127496
Service Royal Canadian Air Force
Group 6
Squadron 427 (Lion)
Trade Air Gunner
Country of origin if different Canada
Last Operation information
Start Date 22-10-1943
End Date 23-10-1943
Takeoff Station Leeming
Day/Night raid Night
Operation Kassel. 569 aircraft, 43 losses (7.6%), due to the German controller correctly assessing that the raid was on Kassel. Blind H2S marking overshot the target but 8 out of 9 visual markers were accurate. German decoy markers drew off some of the main force but otherwise the raid was exceptionally accurate and concentrated leading to a firestorm. Over 26000 homes were destroyed and a further 26000 damaged. Some 63% of housing in the city became unusable, resulting in 100-120,000 people being displaced. The number of industrial, public and military buildings destroyed are too numerous to list Of particular note, however, was that the railway system was badly damaged and the three Henschel factories which produced the V1 bomb were all seriously damaged. This certainly pegged back the V1 deployment capability significantly. The number of dead was around 5600
Reason for Loss Crashed behind a farm at Groenstraat 25 in Achtmaal which is locally known as Ostaaijen, SE of Roosendaal, Holland