A Lancaster Bomb-Aimer’s Air Crew Europe casualty group awarded to Flight Sergeant K.R. Ball, Royal Air Force who was killed in action on the night of 30th/31st January 1944 whilst returning from a raid on Berlin, his aircraft being shot down by night-fighter ace, Knights Cross and German Cross in Gold recipient Oberleutnant Hans-Heinz Augenstein, this being 1 of 46 kills for this pilot. He is now buried in Vollenhave (Stad-Vollenhove) General Cemetery.
Group of 4: 1939-1945 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; Defence Medal; War Medal, all unnamed as issued with typed casualty slip named to ‘FLIGHT SERGEANT K.R. BALL’ and in card box of issue to E.R. Ball Esq, 55 Darnley Road, Gravesend, Kent.
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Along with ticker tape for medals named to 658450 F/SGT BALL.
5 Photographs which include one with his wife, one on his own in side-cap and Royal Air Force overcoat, a studio portrait in civilian clothes. Two military group photographs in which Ball is identified via a handwritten note on the reverse.
Kenneth Richard Ball flew 13 operations of which 8 were to Berlin during the aerial Battle of Berlin the autumn and winter of 1943-44.
He would be killed in action on 30th January 1944 whilst serving as a Flight Sergeant with 156 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Along with 4 other crew members, Pilot Officer J.E. Rule, Sergeant E.A. Shorter, Sergeant G.A. Race and Sergeant J.J. Sloan, two crew members, the Navigator, Sergeant W.W. Cottam, and the Wireless Operator Sgt. P. Cyone, would successfully evade until being arrested in Antwerp on 7th August 1944.
The aircraft were shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Hans-Heinz Augenstein of the 7./NJG 1 who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Twente airfield, Augenstein would shoot down a total of 46 aircraft including 45 four engine bombers, and would receive both the German Cross in Gold and Knights Cross before he himself was killed on 7th December 1944 by a Royal Air Force Night Fighter
Ball’s aircraft crashed in an area of the Ijsselmeer which is no reclaimed land, known as the Noorddoostpoolder (province of Flevoland) on plot H-46 near the village of Tollebeek. Thos who died were buried on 10 February in Stad Vollenhove General Cemetery. Debris from the crash site was late found during March 1973.
534 aircraft were detailed to bomb Berlin on the night of 30th/31st January 1944 including 16 Lancasters from 156 Squadron. Initial German attempts to intercept with night-fighters failed and the bomber stream was well on the way to Berlin before they met with any resistance. Ball’s aircraft JA 702 took off at 17.08hrs with 5 x 2000lb High Explosive bombs. There was complete cloud cover over Berlin but concentrated damage in the centre nonetheless with additional widely scattered bombs. At least 1000 deaths were reported on the ground, 2 industrial premises completely destroyed and a further 15 seriously damaged. The Propaganda Ministry was hit, as was the railway infrastructure.
The son of Ernest R. and Annie Ball of Gravesend, Kent he is now buried in Vollenhove (Stad-Vollenhove) General Cemetery.
