One of the great statistical mysteries of life in Bomber Command finds the two most dangerous times for aircrew were in the first five or last five of the required 30 operations to finish a tour.
Rookie crews (Sprogs) seem to make sense. They hadn’t had time to learn the job properly, were prone to mistakes more experienced teams would not make, and needed to build confidence.
Veterans should have had everything going for them. Wise in the ways of combat, they knew the job and how to do it. Post-war interviews and research suggest seeing the finish line ahead might have made some of the crews less attentive, but there is no real way to know.
Thus, our story.
Edward Northern was born in Sheffield, England, to John William, and Theresa. The family moved to the Toronto suburb of East York when the youngster was two, settling at 1014 Woodbine Avenue.
Ed and his brothers (one elder, one younger) attended East York Collegiate and when the middle son graduated, he found a good job with the fledgling Trans Canada Airlines, in the meteorology department. War called, and it would obviously be air force.
Learning to fly in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (Elementary at No. 22, on Fleet Finches, and Service at No. 10 on Cessna Cranes), he graduated as a pilot in the fall of 1942 and headed for England.
Eventually Ed and his crew landed at No, 420 (Snowy Owl) Squadron, Tholthorpe, Yorkshire, in early 1944, and went right to work. Northern’s leadership was noted as the crew built up successful operations and, eventually, Ed was made Deputy Flight Commander and a Flight Lieutenant.
April 30, 1944, was to be a special operation as it would be the crew’s 30th and final outing on the tour. Radio Operator Alfred Hall, who was finishing his second full 30, was a trip ahead of everyone else but went anyway to see his boys home.
The target was the rail yards at Somain, France, as part of the run up to the Invasion of Europe.
Halifax III (LW476), nicknamed Jumpin’ Jupiter, took off at 2115 and was never heard from again. It came down just off the coast.
Two bodies would wash ashore – research by Colin Bamford indicates it was likely gunners Charles Lines, and William Young, though no firm identification was made.
Ed Northern (who would earn a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross), Alf Hall, navigator Fred Morrison, bombaimer Nick Venber, and flight engineer Lloyd Franklin are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, near London.
Per Ardua ad Astra to a brave crew.
