Three: Sergeant (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner) H. F. Roza, 77 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was killed in action when his Halifax was lost without trace whilst on the Peenemünde Raid, Operation Hydra, on 17-18 August 1943

1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Air Council enclosure and medal tickets, in card box of issue, with torn address label addressed to ‘F. N. Roza, ...Wordsworth..., ...on Park...’, extremely fine (3) £360-£440

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Royal Air Force Casualties.

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Henry Francis Roza served during the Second World War as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner with 77 Squadron from 28 July 1943, having joined with his crew direct from 1658 Conversion Unit. His first operational sortie was a bombing raid on Mannheim on 9-10 August 1943, and he followed this up with a raid on the Alfa Romea motor works at Milan on 12-13 August.

Roza was killed in action when Halifax JD324, piloted by Sergeant F. E. Shefford, was was hit by flak as it approached the target and exploded in the air with its bomb load still on board whilst on Operation Hydra, the Peenemünde Raid, on 17-18 August. All the crew were killed.

The Peenemünde Raid, by Martin Middlebrook states:
‘During the first wave of the attack ... a second aircraft was hit by flak and exploded in the air with its bomb load still on board. This is believed to be the 77 Squadron Halifax of Sergeant F. E. Shefford. No trace was ever found of him or his crew.’

Operation Hydra

596 aircraft had been despatched on this raid code named Operation Hydra. This was a special raid which the R.A.F. had been directly ordered to carry out. The target was the V2 rocket research and launch establishment at Peenemünde on the Baltic coast.

The raid was carried out in full moonlight to increase the chances of success. There were several unusual features of the raid. It was the only occasion in the second half of the War that the whole of Bomber Command attempted a precision raid on such a small target. it was the fist time that the Path Finder Force used a Master Bomber (Master of Ceremonies)- Group Captain J. H. Searby of 83 Squadron

There were three aiming points - the scientists and workers quarters, the rocket factory and the experimental station. The bomber force found the target easily in the moonlight and the Master Bomber successfully controlled the raid throughout. Despite a dreadful error at the start of the raid when the first bombs fell on a Polish labour camp the raid managed to set back V2 production by 2 months. 180 German rocket personnel were killed. the bomber force lost 40 aircraft, most during the third and last wave when German night fighters had arrived in force. This was the first occasion that the Germans Me.110 fighters used the twin upward firing cannon known as ‘Schrage Musik’. This was to become a deadly weapon in the air war.

Roza is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. His medals were sent to his father, Francis Vincent Roza, of Liverpool.

Sold with copied research, including a copy of The Peenemünde Raid, by Martin Middlebrook.