Love, William John Hamilton
Personal Information
Rank | F/L |
Forename(s) | William John Hamilton |
Surname | Love |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 24-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Allan Hamilton Love and Agatha Winifred Love, of Mosman Park, Western Australia. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LW586 |
Markings | LK-P |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 1. G. 15. |
Epitaph | LOVED SON OF MR. & MRS. W.A.LOVE OF PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 201 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 415339 |
Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 578 |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Australia |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | For all who served in 578 Squadron Royal Air Force Burn 1944 - 1945 |
Location | Methodist Church, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text |
Location | Selby Abbey, Selby, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | RoH in Glass topped wooden cabinet |
Memorial Text | In memory of all 578 Sqn Aircrew who failed to return from Ops at RAF Burn |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2052/5 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2050/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 24-02-1944 |
End Date | 25-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Burn |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Schweinfurt- the first raid on this particular target (the centre of ball-bearing manufacture in Germany). 734 aircraft, 33 losses (4.5%). A new tactic was introduced where the bomber force was split into two waves separated by two hours. The first wave Lost 22 aircraft (5.6%) but the second Lost only 11 (3.2%) of which only 4 were shot down. Poor PFF target marking led to local reports quoting 'nominal damage'. Note that there had been a raid comprising 266 8th Air Force B-17s the night before so it is difficult to attribute damage levels. |
Reason for Loss | Attacked from astern by a night-fighter at 22000', causing a fire in all but one of the engines. Quickly engulfed in flames and F/O J W Rolfe was the only airman to bale out. Thought to have crashed at Unter-Alterheim, SW of Würzburg, Germany |