Wheal, Herbert Clifford
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Herbert Clifford |
Surname | Wheal |
Gender | M |
Age | 28 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 04-07-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Arthur Ernest and Florence Georgina Wheal. Husband of Evelyn Georgina Wheal, of Welwyn, Hertfordshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington X |
Serial Number | HZ478 |
Markings | ZO- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Gosseliès Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Row 1. Grave 43. |
Epitaph | WHO HAS ENTERED ETERNAL LIFE. LOVING AND GRATEFUL MEMORIES ALWAYS |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 262 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 117361 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 196 |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Normandy Barracks, Leconfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Metal Sculpture Brick Pillars and Inscribed Sqn Badges |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those who flew from RAF Leconfield, including 640 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Apart from P/O Stewart, all of this crew were well into their second tour and were highly experienced |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1166/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1166/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 03-07-1943 |
End Date | 04-07-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Leconfield |
Day/Night Raid | Night (2% moon) |
Operation | Cologne- region on the east bank of the Rhine where most of the industry was located. 653 aircraft, 30 losses (4.6%). Accurate ground marking by Oboe equipped Mosquitoes leading to another very significant blow to this Ruhr city. 20 industrial and 2200 homes completely destroyed and 588 people killed. A further 72000 people were bombed out. This was the first time the 'Wild Boar' technique had been used, in which the flak height was limited to allow night-fighters to fly over the main force and pick out aircraft in silhouette against the fires below. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed south of Binche, Belgium. |