Trafford

Attended Springfield Rd School.    Employed as an Engineer by Russell
Newbury & Co. A motorcycle enthusiast and a Dispatch Rider with the Sale
Home Guard before enlisting.    Joined the RAF at the end of 1943.    A
Flight Engineer on Halifax bombers.

Flying with 51 Sqn, they took off at 0249hrs from RAF Snaith, Yorkshire, in
a Halifax Mk.III, No. NR248 MH-A on bombing operation over Duisburg.
No other details other than the fact that out of the 7 man crew, only 1
survived to be taken prisoner.

523 aircraft took part in this raid - 418 Halifaxes, 81 Lancasters and 24
Mosquitos - 8 Halifaxes were lost.     346 houses were destroyed and 524
badly damaged.    Industrial premises were hit, but no detail available. 
92 people, including 18 foreigners, were killed.

His regular crew were:-  Pilot - Warrant Officer Wilfrid Armstrong Bates
(aged: 23);    Navigator - Sgt H.W. Wagner (the only survivor and was taken
prisoner);   Air Bomber - Sgt. Leslie George Roberts (aged: 21);   
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner - John Albert  Jones (aged: 23);    Flight
Engineer - Eric Berry (aged: 20);    Mid-Upper Gunner - Thomas William
Worthington (aged: 21);    Rear Gunner - Robert Thomas (aged: 20).
 
16/11/1944 - Took off at 12.49 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. MZ535 06-A
to bomb Julich (north-east of Aachen).  Their bomb load comprised - 1 x
2,000 lb;  6 x 1,000 lb;  5 x 500 lb H.E's.  They bombed from 13,000 feet
at 15.33 hours, the bombing was well concentrated and some heavy Flak was
encountered.  They landed at 18.12 hours.

23 a/c took part in this raid - all returned.  Most crews bombed on the red
target indicators - few ground features were visible through the haze. 
Town covered with smoke, except for part of the SW, but the built up area
of the town could be picked out.  Weather cloudy with frequent rain or
showers and thick fog towards midnight.  Wind 5 - 10 mph NNW - NNE
variable.

18/11/1944 - Took off at 12.34 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. MZ767 06-B
to bomb Munster.  Their bomb load comprised - 16 x 500 lb H.E's.  They
bombed from 18,500 feet at 15.08 hours, on a cluster of green flares and
some heavy Flak was encountered.  They landed at 17.58 hours.

21 a/c took part in this raid - one a/c crashed on return whilst preparing
to land collided with a 578 Sqn Halifax - both a/c fell at 17.43 hours at
Camblesforth, 4 miles SSE of Selby, Yorkshire.

29/11/1944 - Took off at 02.31 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. NP932 MH-J
to bomb Essen.  Their bomb load comprised - 1 x 2,000 lb;  4 x 1,000 lb;  7
x 500 lb H.E's.  They bombed from 20,000 feet at 05.39 hours.  The glow of
the fires was visible through gaps in the clouds - the markers were fairly
close together and moderate Flak was encountered.  The landed at 08.39
hours.

26 a/c took part in this raid - all returned.  Crews reported that the red
sky markers were well grouped in compact clusters, but the green flares
were going down to port and starboard of those and tended to scatter.  The
glow of the fires could be seen and at 05.37 hrs a large explosion was
reported.  Fighter activity was encountered between Duisburg and the
target.  Weather was fine, becoming fair with scattered cloud.

02/12/1944 - Took off at 18.15 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. NP932 MH-J
to bomb Hagen.  Their bomb load comprised - 1 x 2,000 lb;  10 x No.14
Clusters; 9 x 4 lb Incendiaries.  They bombed from 20,000 feet at 21.10
hours.  Heavy Flak encountered in the target area.  They landed at 23.53
hours.

05/12/1944 - Took off at 18.12 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. NP932 MH-J
to bomb Soest.  Their bomb load comprised - 1 x 2,000 lb;  3 x 1,000 lb; 8
x 500 lb H.E's.  They bombed from 19,000 feet at 21.27 hours.  A
considerable number of small fires were seen burning and moderate to heavy
Flak was encountered.  They landed at 00.31 hours.

06/12/1944 - Took off at 16.04 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. NP932 MH-J
to bomb Osnabrück.  Their bomb load comprised 16 x 500 lb H.E's.  They
bombed from 19,500 feet at 19.40 hours.  Fires could be seen as they left
the target area.  They landed at 22.14 hours.

12/12/1944 - Took off at 16.30 hours in a Halifax Mk III - No. NR248 WH-A
to bomb Essen.  Their bomb load comprised - 1 x 2,000 lb;  3 x 1,000 lb;  8
x 500 lb H.E's.  They bombed from 19,500 feet at 19.30 hours.  A single
flare glow was seen and some heavy Flak was encountered.

18/12/1944 - Took off at 02.49hrs in a Halifax Mk III - No. NR248 MH-A to
bomb Duisburg.  Their bomb load comprised - 2 x 1,000 lb; 10 x No.14
Clusters;  90 x 4 lb Incendiaries.  Nothing further was heard from this a/c
since take-off.

A report was later received from 419 RSU, via the Air Ministry, that this
a/c was seen to dive at full throttle and blow up in mid-air at position
E8923.

All, except Sgt H.W. Wagner were buried at the 185 British Infantry Brigade
Cemetery at Venray, in the District of Limburg, South-east Netherlands. 
The town of Venray was liberated by Allied troops in the middle of October
1944, and the burials in the cemetery date from October 1944 to March 1945.
Venray War Cemetery contains 692 Commonwealth burials of the Second World
War, 30 of them unidentified, and one Polish burial.

For grave photo see:-
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSln=Berry&GSiman=1&GScid=2207054&GRid=18397252&CRid=2207054