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Dam busters Raid

My uncle John Harland took part in the dam busters raid, he was a pilot, he and his crew of 6 were shot down and killed while returning home, over Holland and that is where he is buried. I can not find any record of his name listed on websites, could any one shed any light on why.

Re: Dam busters Raid


Regretfully, the names of all participants in the Dambusters raid are very well documented, and there is no person named Harland among them. This includes a search of the names of every crewmember who took part that night. The eight pilots who died on the raid were named Byers, Ottley, Hopgood, Astell, Barlow, Burpee, Maudsley and Young. The latter two were the ones lost on the return journey. A total of 56 men did not return that night

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Replying to:

My uncle John Harland took part in the dam busters raid, he was a pilot, he and his crew of 6 were shot down and killed while returning home, over Holland and that is where he is buried. I can not find any record of his name listed on websites, could any one shed any light on why.

Re: Re: Dam busters Raid


Hi, I wonder whether there was a diversionary raid by another squadron at the same time, that we have never researched, or even heard about due to the overwhelming publicity of the magnificent Dams Raid. Maybe the records at Hendon or the Imperial War Museum could shed some light on this, and there ought to be a record of a pilot named John Harland somewhere, giving the squadron he was attatched to at the time of the raid in 1943.

Just some ideas, maybe somone with access to these areas could let us all know. It would be interesting.

From Graham Palmer.

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Replying to:


Regretfully, the names of all participants in the Dambusters raid are very well documented, and there is no person named Harland among them. This includes a search of the names of every crewmember who took part that night. The eight pilots who died on the raid were named Byers, Ottley, Hopgood, Astell, Barlow, Burpee, Maudsley and Young. The latter two were the ones lost on the return journey. A total of 56 men did not return that night

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Replying to:

My uncle John Harland took part in the dam busters raid, he was a pilot, he and his crew of 6 were shot down and killed while returning home, over Holland and that is where he is buried. I can not find any record of his name listed on websites, could any one shed any light on why.

Re: Dam busters Raid


Hi Alicia,

According to the CWGC and BC Losses, F/O J.H.G. Harland was pilot of Lancaster LM286, of 514sqdn which was lost on operations to Homberg on 20.11.44, the aircraft was thought to have been struck by bombs falling from another aircraft, all on board were killed and are all buried in the Reichswald War Cemetery.

F/O J.H.G. Harland.

Sgt R.McK Paterson.

F/Sgt R.I. Gray.

F/O T.G.H. Adams, RNZAF.

W/O M.G. George.

Sgt S.D. Lucas.

Sgt L. Slocombe.

Regards.....Alan.

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Replying to:

My uncle John Harland took part in the dam busters raid, he was a pilot, he and his crew of 6 were shot down and killed while returning home, over Holland and that is where he is buried. I can not find any record of his name listed on websites, could any one shed any light on why.

Re: Re: Dam busters Raid


Hi Alan,thank you for solving the mistery, I have found out from my brother he was in 514 Squadron.

Many thanks

Alicia

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Replying to:


Hi Alicia,

According to the CWGC and BC Losses, F/O J.H.G. Harland was pilot of Lancaster LM286, of 514sqdn which was lost on operations to Homberg on 20.11.44, the aircraft was thought to have been struck by bombs falling from another aircraft, all on board were killed and are all buried in the Reichswald War Cemetery.

F/O J.H.G. Harland.

Sgt R.McK Paterson.

F/Sgt R.I. Gray.

F/O T.G.H. Adams, RNZAF.

W/O M.G. George.

Sgt S.D. Lucas.

Sgt L. Slocombe.

Regards.....Alan.

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Replying to:

My uncle John Harland took part in the dam busters raid, he was a pilot, he and his crew of 6 were shot down and killed while returning home, over Holland and that is where he is buried. I can not find any record of his name listed on websites, could any one shed any light on why.

Re: Re: Re: Dam busters Raid

I have a database of RAF 514 squadron operations and have some information regarding your Uncle Harland

Please contact me at deno11@shaw.ca