Flying Officer 416498, Bernard Lionel Jackson RNZAF, 15 Squadron...

...aged 23 was born the 23rd of December 1919 at Timaru, New Zealand, the son of Arthur and Joan Bessie Jackson. Educated in Timaru High School, he then went to work as a clerk in the Timaru Post and telegraph office.

In October 1939 he applied to join the RNZAF as a clerk but was turned down as there were no vacancies in that trade. Undaunted, he re-applied in May 1941, this time for aircrew duties and was accepted. Flying Officer Jackson enlisted on the 31st of November and on the 9th of January 1942 was posted to 1 Elementary Flying School. However, his flying training was discontinued and in March he remustered as an Air Observer and commenced the necessary training.

On the 27th of April 1942, Bernard embarked for Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He was promoted to Pilot Officer on the 11th of September and awarded his Navigator’s badge.

In September he arrived in the UK and continued training, going to 11 OTU at Westcott, Buckinghamshire where he crewed up and completed training on the Wellington before going to 1651 HCU to convert to the Stirling.

The crew were posted to 15 Squadron at Oakington, Cambridgeshire. As a Navigator with the squadron, Flying Officer Jackson took part in eleven operational flights to Dusseldorf, Essen, Hamburg (x3), Remscheid and Wuppertal, in Germany and Le Cruesot in France and minelaying sorties off Ameland Island (Holland), The Bay of Biscay and Heligoland.

In March 1943 he was promoted to Flying Officer. Continuing with “The Battle of the Ruhr”, the target for Bomber Command on the night of the 30th/31st July 1943, was the city of Remscheid, which had not previously been bombed. Two hundred and seventy three aircraft were despatched, of which fifteen were lost. Target marking and subsequent bombing was very accurate. Eight hundred and seventy one tons of bombs were dropped and much of the city and its industry were destroyed; over 1,100 people died.

15 Squadron despatched twelve Stirlings, one of which turned back with technical problems. Most of the squadron dropped their bombs from 14,000 to 14,500ft. A pall of smoke up to 7/8000 feet was seen over the city and two aircraft were lost. (Of the other crew - four were killed and three taken prisoner).

One of the aircraft lost by the squadron was Stirling III EF427 LS-N which had taken off from Mildenhall at 22.46. At 01.29, the Stirling had crashed at Kleinenbroich, Korschenbroich, Nordhein-Westfalen, Germany. Probably by Feldwebel Willi Rullkotter of JG2 in a FW190 or Me109. The crew were all killed -

F/Lt 416468 John Collins Dillicar (P) RNZAF, aged 26, the son of Mr and Mrs W.W Dillicar of Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand. Buried Rheinberg War Cemetery.

Sgt 651548 Arthur Victor Edward Cobby, (F/E) aged 21, the son of Mr and Mrs E.R Cobby of Ore, Hastings, Sussex. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial

F/O 416498 Bernard Lionel Jackson RNZAF, (Nav), aged 23 was born the 23rd of December 1919 at Timaru, New Zealand, the son of Arthur and Joan Bessie Jackson. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Sgt 1380633 George Henry Beck (A/B) was the son of Southey G and Nellie C Beck of Dorchester, Dorsetshire. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

F/Sgt 406017 Ian Grant Ramsay RNZAF (WOp/AG) aged 31 was the son of William and Johanna Ramsay of Nightcaps, Southland, New Zealand. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Sergeant 1601445 Sgt Kenneth Percy Middleton, RAFVR (A/G) aged 19, son of William and Rachel Emily Middleton nee Wilson of Kings Lynn, he has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial

F/Sgt R/124889 Anthony James Gibbons RCAF (A/G) aged 22, the son of William and Emily Gibbons of Sydney River, Nova Scotia. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Lt 47222 Arthur Ray Ingle DFC SAAF is reported to have joined the crew as a passenger on the aircraft, has no known grave and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. Aged 25, he was the son of Arthur and Aileen Ingle and the husband of Irene Ingle of Sea Point, Cape Province, South Africa. He is thought to be the first SAAF loss with Bomber Command.