Halifax doomed and about to start its final dive, of the seven men, only John Lobban got out alive.
50 x 76 cm (20” x 30“)
If survivability of aircraft crews interests you then you will find my 2 website pages entitled ‘The Loss of Halifax DK 170’ facinating. The painting was produced at the request and with the full cooperation of the only survivor, Flight Sergeant John Lobban.
John asked me to produce a painting he intended to become a family heirloom.
John Lobban when commissioning this remarkable painting said their rear gunner saw and fired at the Me 110 G 4 and drove it off at the same moment the night fighter fired and hit a wing of the Halifax setting it afire.
John Lobban passed to me his research which included the full records of the incident which were detailed down to the number of rounds the Me 110 G 4 fired.
DK 170 was shot down on 12 June 1943 somewhere near Bladel 12 Miles South of Eindhoven.
The DK 170 Halifax wreck was identified near Bladel on the Belgium, Netherland border in 2017.
I have been in communication decendants of resistannce personel who helped Flight Sgt Lobban.
The Halifax was one of the most successful British bomber aircraft. Losses were around 1 in 20 missions. this Halifax DK 170 was unlucky.
This painting was produced many years astern so if commissioned I’d be willing to create another similar with the advantage of all I’ve learned about painting in the intervening years.
Many distinguished people and renowned companies have chosen Frickers paintings as you can discover by reading my illustrated résumée.
Working with me you could own or give as a gift something equally impressive as this memorable painting.
Halifax DK 170 and a remarkable story.
Halifax heavy bomber DK 170 is a painting commissioned by the late Mr. John Lobban, to be an heirloom for his family.
John Lobban was Flight Sergeant and navigator of this aircraft.
I was privileged at his request, to interview Mr. Lobban and have access to his researched materials which included books about the Handley Page Halifax and the German combat reports.
He and my parents were neighbour’s during their retirement and became friends.
It probably helped that my Father was a veteran of 7 adventurous, dangerous years including in the 21 Group British Army Normandy invasion and the British Army push through Belgium & The Netherlands, over the river Rhine and then into Germany.
John and I together composed this painting to John Lobban’s entire satisfaction.
Historical inaccuracy in paintings as in movies, abounds.
About my paintings one of my followers wrote, “you get an intimate front row seat to history” and is in most instances, as near truth and as near ‘documentary’, as meticulous, diligent research and real artistry can get.
He told me that he and his seven man crew became firm friends while they trained in Canada for 2 years before this tragic flight.
John said this was their first active mission and his task was navigator.
In general, the fabulous D H Mosquito being one of the few exceptions, RAF bombers had only a 50/50 chance of surviving their first mission; and yet their crews knowing this, still flew.
John said he heard over the intercom, their rear gunner saw and fired at the Me 110 but the night fighter also fired hitting a wing and set the Halifax on fire.
The out bound Halifax was heavy with fuel so once afire was going to lose it’s wing controls and probably half the wing.
Only rarely did heavy bombers survive being set on fire.
The gunner was unable to bail out before he was killed by the crash, however knew he’d driven off the attacker.
His alert and brave action had according to the Derman account, hit and damaged the ME110 G4 causing it to sheer off.
Many years later John Lobban discovered this when he obtained and copied the German combat reports, copies of which I still have in my dossier.
At that period the Me110 G4 had a heavier armament with longer range guns than those weapons in the Halifax so could hit the bombers while out of the effective range of the bombers guns.
With the added to ground radar directions and its own radar the Me110 which was a failure during the Battle of Britain found a role that gave it a distinct advantage.
John Lobban blamed the Royal Air Force orders for this Halifax loss. Orders which required RAF bomber aircraft to take no evasive action if attacked, to stay in the bomber stream.
These orders were intended to avoid bombers colliding with each other which in the streams was know to happen.
Later in the war the orders were changed to permit evasive action and eventually the RAF bombers were fitted with more powerful rear guns and a radar that warned of enemy aircraft appraoching from astern or below.
An Aviation Painting’s Authenticity.
I first met John in part because he used to be one of my parents neighbours during their retirement to Edinburgh Close, Saint Austell, Cornwall.
John seemed to me to be a quiet, modest man, likeable, still very sensitive about that dreadful night and although a retired bank manager still had that special RAF ‘air’ about his personality.
John was proud to be able to say as many veterans I met used to say, “done my bit” during that war against one of the most evil regimes in history.
At his request (he approached me via my parents) and starting with information he already had, we researched extensively together.
As the sole survivor from this Halifax he felt his story should be recorded with a painting for his family and for posterity.
Consequently this painting was created with the full co-operation of John Lobban who among other things presented the me the artist, with the German radar and pilots reports which are so detailed they even included how many rounds the Me 110 G4 fired, copies of which I still have on file.
I researched further, I still have a dossier with my notes and sketches and I built two scale models of both aircraft as aides to perspective.
Alas and regrettably the models had to be abandoned when I had no choice but to sell the family home and my studio following an unfortunate divorce demanded by a wife who was ill, unstable and at times violent.
John Lobban commissioned this painting of his aircraft but did not wish this picture to be exhibited during his life time.
I, Gordon Frickers always respect requests for confidentiality.
Adrian van Zantvoort is currently (19.09.2023) writting a book about Allied aircraft lost over Holland and Belgium. He wrote to me with “The Halifax wreck was pointed out by a good friend of us, as father in law witnessed the crash and helped to put the dead bodies in a coffin, by the force of the German guards“.
Typical behaviour of the arrogant Germans of that period, they would make a disaster then demanded others be responsible and sort it out.
I do not have the names of all the crew.
A descendant kindly wrote to me to say, Cyril K Burton was the Flight Engineer on DK 170 so a type of second pilot and would have worked very close with the navigator J. Lobban who you knew and they were probably seated in close proximity in the plane when it was hit.
Cyril K Burton was the brother of my correspondents granddad on his mother’s side, so his granduncle.
Cyril Kitchener Burton was born on 2 January 1915 in Melksham, Wiltshire, his father, George, was 47 and his mother, Sarah, was 39.
He married Ethel Irene Victoria Taber in April 1938 in Frome, Somerset.
He died on 12 June 1943 at the age of 28, and was buried in the Netherlands.
My painting besides being an heirloom for the Lobban family is also and enduring salute to the very many brave young men who a great personally risk, took the air war to the source of the evil.
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As for this painting, it was created many years astern so if commissioned I’d be willing to create another similar with the advantage of all I’ve learned about painting in the intervening years.
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Royal Air Force Bomber Command
The RAF were rightly concerned about mid air collisions which as the numbers of bombers being sent on missions steadily increased to over 1000 for some raids, were known to happen between weaving bombers in the bomber stream.
The result of not weaving made bombers into sitting ducks for radar directed night fighters and flack.
The RAF command was “if attacked while in the main bomber stream do not take evasive action”. The RAF feared mid air night collisions between bombers.
Later in the campaign this order was rescinded.
The order was rescinded to late for John Lobban, his crew who he considered friends, and many other fine young men.
RAF Bomber Command’s aircraft.
At the beginning of World War 2, RAF bombers were with the exception of the Vickers Wellington, hopelessly inadequate, unsuited and out dated for their tasks.
The cause was a dithering and general lack of political will from people who mistakenly thought the Germans could be appeased. A situation many professional servicemen warn us is being repeated in our 21st century Britain.
The Blenheim was was the most numerous and hopelessly out of date, others were worse like the Hampden, a death trap for the crew.
Only the twin engine Vickers sturdily built Wellington and could be described as modern.
The Wellington with upgrades was used until the end of the war for a wide range of functions, thus the Wellington was one of the few aircraft to see service from the commencement in 1939 to the end of hostilities in 1945.
A very expensive error.
History repeatedly warns us, at best appeasement is a short term solution and the large majority of western politicians never seem to learn this lesson.
During the 1930’s this political inadequacy was due mostly to politicians and media who simply would not believe there were people bent on world dominance, a people who thought they could achieve that by force and subterfuge.
The parallels with Islam in the West today are uncanny.
This situation resonates in the press again today as we face a growing threat from the East from the Iranian regime in particular who are Muslim extremists bent on the insane dream of world domination.
Fortunately during the 1930’s many British engineers had foreseen the problem although most of the politicians had not.
Once the funds were released, British bombers rapidly improved.
HALIFAX built by HANDLEY PAGE
The Halifax was the RAF’s second 4 engine heavy bomber.
The Halifax was one of the most successful British bomber aircraft.
The Halifax heavy bomber proved itself to be Britain’s No 2 heavy bomber, eclipsed only by the now legendary Avro Lancaster.
Beside the more famous Lancaster the Halifax was rather an unsung hero.
This is not unlike the hard worked and successful Hurricane somewhat over awed by the illustrious, legendary Spitfire.
The Royal Air Force heavy Bomber Halifax usually flew with a crew of six to eight, with a maximum speed of 280mph (with MK.VI top speed of 312mph) service ceiling of 22,800 feet maximum range of 3,000 miles.
The first versions of the Halifax carried four .303 browning machine guns in the tail turret, two .303 browning machines in the nose turret.
In the MK III there were four .303 browning machine guns in the dorsal turret and other upgrades followed including radar capable of identifying enemy night fighters.
The Handley Page Halifax, first joined the Royal Air Force in March 1941 with 35 squadron.
The Halifax saw service in Europe and the Middle east with a variety of variants for use with Coastal Command, in anti Submarine warfare, special duties, glider-tugs, and troop transportation roles.
A total of 6177 Halifax’s were built and stayed in service with the Royal Air Force until 1952
Relentless bombing by Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command mostly at night and by day by the USAF, provided German fighters with a wealth of targets however the bombing did much to cripple the NAZI German war effort.
Messerschmidt Me 110
was designed as a long range fighter, a bomber escort and initially considered a success.
The Me 110 met it’s nemesis during the battle of Britain where it was found incapable of effectively combating the British Hurricane and Spitfire fighters so was withdrawn after heavy losses.
In a new role as a radar directed night fighter the Me 110 excelled.
There is a fine example of an Me 110 at the excellent Royal Air Force Museum situated on the historic site of Hendon’s London Aerodrome in Colindale, North London.
Entrance is free and that helps make for a memorable day out.
Messerschmidt Me 110 G4
Obtt. P. Barte-uffz flying his Me 110 G4 was ground radar directed to his victim.
Mr Lobban presented me with impressive research in which he included the names of all the people involved in that brief, savage and fatal fight.
Detailed even down to how many rounds the Me 110 night fighter expended.
When the doomed Halifax started its final dive, only John Lobban got out alive.
He told me that upon landing he buried his parachute then fell asleep in a ditch.
This he said was quite a common reaction to the shock of being shot down.
Later he was helped by local patriots but unfortunately the Germans were looking for him and the courageous Dutch had little option but to give him up.
The DK 170 Halifax wreck was identified in Holland in 2017.
Historical inaccuracy abounds; paintings here are as one of my followers put it, “you get an intimate front row seat to history” and is in most instances, as near truth and as near ‘documentary’, as meticulous, diligent research and real artistry can get.
RAF men
Of the crew of Halifax DK 170 I have only two names.
John Lobban, Flight Sargent and navigator and Cyril Burton, rank unknown, Flight engineer.
RAF crews paid a very high price for thier contribution to reducing the NAZI regime.
Bomber crews suffering 60 % casualties which is more than any other branch of the RAF.
Only 10 % of RAF Bomber Command crews, that is one man in ten who flew at the start of the war, lived to see the war’s end.
Knowing the odds against them those brave fellows day after day boarded their aircraft and took their chances knowing well the terrible price.
The young bomber crews of the RAF and USAF who survived and those who perished undoubtedly helped save many lives and shorten World War Two by diverting substantial NAZI resources away from front lines for defence and the RAF and USAF seriously damaged and disrupted German infrastructure thus the NAZI war effort.
Those remarkably brave young men were willing to pay the price.
Here now, you can commission from a recognised, dedicated, experienced artist, from a reputable, established artist direct from his studio.
Research sources
The eye witness account from Mr. John Lobban.
Aircraft Movements card DK170
Combat Report; Obtt. P.Barte-uffz, night fighter squadron 1
“Halifax, An Illustrated history of a Classic World”.
“To See The dawn Breaking”, W.R. Chorley (76 Squadron Operations).
Ariel photographs of Belgium (artists own collection)
Royal Air Force Museum (thank you Mr. Bush)
Janes’ “All The World Aircraft 1943/4
“Flight” July 1943
War II Bomber”, K.A. Merrick
Met Offices Dept, 07 H.Q. Bracknell
Scale models I built of the Halifax B and Messerschmidt Me 110 G4.
Mr. A. Frickers (Captain, retired), a British Army trained firearms and an explosives expert and my Father.
Adrian van Zantvoort.
As for this painting, given I still have my dossier and that this painting was produced many years astern, if commissioned I’d be willing to create another similar painting with the added advantage of all I’ve learned about painting in the intervening years.
Gordon Frickers by invitation created a one man show of 35 paintings (May 2011) at the European Parliament, Brussels, an impressive addition to his list of exhibitions in other prestigious venues in Britain and Europe.
Contact Frickers marine paintings and prints
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Gordon Frickers © 13 06.2020 updated 19.03.2025.
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