CITY OF LEICESTER ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION BRANCH

Commemorating the Sacrifice of Aircrews of the ‘AUGSBURG RAID’ on 17th April 1942

An Act of Remembrance

At Memorial, Victoria Park, Leicester

17th April 2018

11am

Remembering the ‘Augsburg Raid’ made by twelve Lancaster Bombers six from 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron and six from 97 (Straits Settlement) Squadron of the Royal Air Force on 17th April 1942. Four Lancaster’s were shot down on route, three were lost over the target and only five returned safely to base. No fewer than 37 aircrew were lost, 12 became P.O.W’s and 36 got back. S/Ldr J D Nettleton DFC, who led one of the sections, was awarded the Victoria Cross

The successes of Bomber Command were purchased at terrible cost. Of every 100 airmen who joined Bomber Command, 45 were killed, 6 were seriously wounded, 8 became Prisoners of War, and only 41 escaped unscathed (at least physically). Of the 120,000 who served, 55,573 were killed including over 10,000 Canadians. Of those who were flying at the beginning of the war, only ten percent survived. It is a loss rate comparable only to the worst slaughter of the First World War trenches. Only the Nazi U-Boat force suffered a higher casualty rate.

 

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them

 

ALL – We will remember them.

The Last Post

The Silence

Reveille

Laying of wreaths and individual memorials

The National Anthem

When you go home tell them of us and say, “For your tomorrow we gave our today”


For more on the raid see here