Back to results
SELLS GA
Honour this person learn more

SELLS, Gordon

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Handley Page Halifax II
Serial Number LW293
Markings EY-L
Memorial information
Burial/Memorial Country Germany
Burial/Memorial Place Hanover War Cemetery
Grave Reference 16. B. 4..
Epitaph
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase 2
Panel Number 239
Enlistment information
Service Number 129106
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 4
Squadron 78
Trade Pilot
Country of origin if different United Kingdom
Last Operation information
Start Date 22-10-1943
End Date 23-10-1943
Takeoff Station Breighton
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 at Vörden, Germany