Brookes, Eric William
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Eric William |
Surname | Brookes |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-01-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Harold and Nellie Brookes, of Tipton, Staffordshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | HX335 |
Markings | NP-P |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 14. G. 7-11. |
Epitaph | GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS (John 15:13) |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 136 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1275686 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 158 |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | St. James of Compostola Church, Lissett, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Memorial to 158 Sqn, RAF Lissett 28th February 1943 - 17th August 1946 |
Location | St. James of Compostola Church, Lissett, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window & Inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | A stained glass window in memory of 158 Sqn RAF |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1049/2 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1049/1 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-01-1944 |
End Date | 22-01-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Lissett |
Day/Night Raid | Night (18% moon) |
Operation | Magdeburg- the first major raid on this target. 648 aircraft, 57 losses (8.8%). The Halifax loss rate was especially high at 15.6%. The German controller tracked the bomber stream across the North Sea and many night-fighters were already in the stream before it reached the German coast (using the newly developed Tame Boar methodology). The controller was slow in identifying Magdeburg as the target but this was of little consequence as the fighters were able to stay in the stream for the duration of the approach. Despite the high loss rate, this was not a successful attack. Stronger tail winds than anticipated placed some of the stream over the target before Zero Hour and dropped their bomb load anyway, making the target marking much less effective. German decoy markers exacerbated the situation. No local report is available but it is thought that most of the bombs fell outside of the city. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Olvenstedt, NW of the target |