On the evening of June 21, 1943, Halifax II, Serial No. HR735, Squadron code “NP-N” of 158 Squadron was detailed to attack the German city of Krefeld located in the North Rhine (Wesphalia) region of Germany. The aircraft was piloted by P/O C.H. Robinson, DFC, RNZAF, and departed Lissett at 23:18 hours with a crew of eight including a Second Pilot. The aircraft was shot down in the early hours of June 22nd, by a German night fighter piloted by Hptm. Hans-Dieter Frank (I/NJG1) and crashed at Kaathoven near Berlicum at 01:58hrs. All on board were killed.
1. Pilot: P/O Colin Harbern Robinson, DFC, RNZAF, was from Christchurch New Zealand and enlisted on October 19, 1941. He was the son of Walter and Emily Robinson. His initial training was in New Zealand and he arrived in the UK in June 1942. He underwent operational training in the UK and was posted to No. 10 Squadron on March 9, 1943, where he flew two operations as a second pilot. He was later posted to 1663 HCU unit at Rufforth for conversion training to fly the Halifax and was later posted to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943. In early June 1943, P/O Robinson was awarded the DFC for his skill in bringing his aircraft home from an operation to Bochum although injured by cannon fire from an attacking aircraft. He was on his 12th operation with the Squadron when HR735 was shot down on June 22nd, 1943. He was 25 years old at the time of his death. He was initially buried at Princehagen, Breda. His remains were later moved to Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery in the Netherlands.
(copyright Chuck Tolley)
2. Navigator: Sgt. George Alexander Hill, RAFVR was from St. Pancras, London, and was the son of Robert and Mary Hill. He enlisted in August 1941 and was trained in Canada under the BCATP. On his return he was posted to No. 15 OTU and later to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth. He was then posted to 158 Squadron on April 9, 1943, as part of P/O Robinson’s crew. He was on his 10th operation and was 20 years old at the time of his death. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
3. Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Walter Thomas Dunning, RAFVR was from Loughborough, Leicestershire and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Dunning. He enlisted at Cardington and was posted to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth. He was then posted to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943. He was on his 12th operation with P/O Robinson when they were shot down. He was 33 years old at the time of his death and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
4. Wireless Operator: Sgt. Harry Frederick Barham, RAFVR was from West Hill Hastings, Sussex, and the son of Harry and Florence Barham. He was posted to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth and then to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943, as part of P/O Robinson’s crew. He was on his 12th operation with P/O Robinson when they were shot down. He was 22 years old at the time of his death and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
5. Mid Upper Gunner: Sgt. David Duncan Cuthbert, RAFVR was the son of David and Isabella Cuthbert and was born in Edinburgh. He was posted to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth on March 15, 1943, and then to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943. He was on his 11th operation with P/O Robinson when they were shot down. He was 28 years old at the time of his death and was initially buried at Princehagen, Breda, the Netherlands. His remains were later moved to Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery in the Netherlands.
(copyright Chuck Tolley)
6. Rear Gunner: Sgt. George Beardmore Mycock, RAFVR was from Buxton, Derbyshire, and the son of Frederick and Olive Mycock. He enlisted at Padgate and was later posted to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth and then to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943, as part of P/O Robinson’s crew. He was on his 12th operation with P/O Robinson when they were shot down. He was initially buried at the Uden War Cemetery, but his remains were later moved to Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery in the Netherlands. He was 20 years old at the time of his death.
(copyright Andy Mycock)
7. Flight Engineer: Sgt. Stanley George Benjamin Hayes, RAFVR was from Finsbury, London, and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Hayes. His initial training was at No. 4 School of Technical Training, St. Athan, and he was posted to No. 1663 HCU at Rufforth. Following his conversion training he was posted to 158 Squadron at Lissett on April 9, 1943, as part of P/O Robinson’s crew. He was on his 12th operation with P/O Robinson when they were shot down. He is buried at the Uden War Cemetery, Uden, the Netherlands. He was 24 years old at the time of his death.
(copyright Chuck Tolley)
8. Second Pilot: Sgt. Ernest Herbert Fisher, RAFVR was from Newington, Butts, London, and was the son of Herbert and Rosa Fisher. He was posted to 1658 HCU at Riccall for conversion training to the Halifax and then to 158 Squadron on June 14, 1943. He was assigned to fly with P/O Robinson as Second Pilot to gain experience with a seasoned crew and this was his first operation with 158 Squadron. He was initially buried at Princehagen, Breda. His remains were later moved to Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery in the Netherlands. He was 21 years old at the time of his death.
(copyright Chuck Tolley)
Through the untiring efforts of Dutch researcher and historian, Adrian van Zantvoort, a memorial was unveiled at Kaathoven (Vinkel) the Netherlands, on June 22nd, 2013, to commemorate two bombers that crashed at almost the same location on June 22, and June 23, 1943. The bomber that crashed on June 22nd was Halifax HR735 “NP-N” from 158 Squadron with a loss of 8 young airmen and the bomber that crashed on June 23rd was Halifax DK141 from RCAF 427 Squadron with a loss of 6 young airmen. The central element of the memorial is a metal silhouette sculpture of a bomber crew based on the design of the Lissett memorial by Peter Naylor. In the rear are wooden posts cut at an angle with pictures of each of the airmen killed in the two crashes.
(copyright Adrian van Zantvoort)
(copyright Adrian van Zantvoort).