Sgt. Colin Campbell Cassy

RAF Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: 1322250

Sgt. Cassy's gravestone in Berlin

Handley Page Halifax V

Sgt. Colin Campbell Cassy of 434 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve was killed on 21st January 1944, aged 19.

He is buried in the Berlin 1938-1945 War Cemetery in Germany.

He was the son of Colin Cassy and Joan Cox. He was born in Hampstead, North London in December 1924.

At 16.16 on the 20th January 1944 Halifax V LL141 took off from RAF Croft in North Yorkshire, just south of Darlington with Sgt Cassy as Wireless Operator. The aircraft was part of the largest operation of the war so far with nearly 800 taking part, the target being Berlin. The weather was poor on the flight out to Germany and although the bomber fleet was picked up by German tracking stations they were not attacked by night fighters. However the sky cleared over Berlin and searchlights were able to pick out the bombers for the night fighters. According to Luftwaffe records 100 twin-engine and 70 single engine night fighters were used to repel the raiders and 35 of our aircrcraft were lost on the raid including Halifax LL141 with Sgt. Cassy and 6 other crew.

The aircraft crashed in a field 1KM south-west of Hohenahlsdorf, which is about 50 miles south of Berlin. Reports say the aircraft caught fire on impact and burnt for several hours. Seven bodies were recovered by the Luftwaffe from a nearby airbase and they were buried in the local graveyard until the end of the war.