Cemetery
or memorial details: Durnbach
War Cemetery, Bavaria, Germany
Source: AWM148 Roll of Honour cards,
1939-1945 War, Air Force
On the night
of 30/31 March 1944 Nuremberg, the main target was attacked by 572 Lancasters,
214 Halifaxes and nine Mosquitos (795 aircraft in total). Due to unusually
clear weather and the formation of contrails at a lower than usual height, with
the bomber stream being flown in in one straight track with an absence of any
of the usual evasive routing, the Germans correctly identified that Nuremberg
was the target. The first fighters appeared just before the bombers reached the
Belgian border and over the next hour 82 bombers were lost on the approaches to
Nuremberg. Another 13 bombers were shot down by the Germans on the return
flight. In all, the RAF lost 11.9% of the force dispatched. It was the
costliest RAF Bomber Command mission of the war and ended the Battle of Berlin.
It was during this final raid that Pilot Officer Cyril Barton, a Halifax pilot
of 578 Squadron, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.