Whale, Lloyd Leslie
Personal Information
Rank | WO1 |
Forename(s) | Lloyd Leslie |
Surname | Whale |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Harold R. Whale and Florence M. Whale, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LW396 |
Markings | PT- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Sec. F. Row A. Grave 6. |
Epitaph | GOD BLESS YOU SON FOR THE PRECIOUS MEMORIES YOU HAVE LEFT US |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 262 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/93150 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 15-02-1944 |
End Date | 16-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Night (63% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 891 aircraft- the largest raid on Berlin and in fact the largest 'non-1000' raid of the war. The bomb tonnage dropped was also a record at 2642 tons. 43 aircraft losses (4.8%). The bomber stream was tracked by the German controllers as soon as it left the English coast but a swing to the north over Denmark for the approach was effective as it was out of the range of many fighters. The controller ordered that Berlin be kept free of fighters to allow the flak batteries the full range of altitudes but many ignored the order and attacked bombers over the target. Berlin was cloud covered but the bombing was reasonably concentrated, although some bombs fell on outlying towns and villages. Damage was extensive with over 1000 houses and 526 temporary accommodation barracks destroyed. Some of the most important war industries were hit and 320 people were killed. The relatively low death toll is a reflection of the fact that large-scale evacuations had taken place by now. |
Reason for Loss | Poor visibility on return to base led to three abortive attempts to land. On the fourth circuit, the aircraft crashed. Two of the crew were killed and the others injured |