Training Flight, 20th January 1944, Lancaster ED918/AJ-F:
Crashed at Snettisham Beach near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
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Repaired on site, retained by 617 Sqn., used occasionally for operations, trials and training duties.
The pilot, F/Sgt. K. W. Brown, R. C. A. F. stated that the aircraft was not flying true after its return from repairs and that he had advised the squadron the aircraft should not been flown until fixed. However, while he was away on leave, the aircraft crashed during a training flight, and the "out of true flying characteristic" may have partly the cause of the aircraft's loss. Sadly F/L T. V. O'Shaughnessy and F/O A. D. Holding were both killed; while F/O G. A. Kendrick and F/O A. Ward were both injured.
Text taken from "Type 464 (Provisioning) Mk.IIIs "Dambuster" Lancaster Histories". |
| Thomas Vincent O'Shaughnessy |
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Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)
130132
abt. 1914
20 January 1944
30
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Great Crosby (Ss. Peter and Paul) Roman Catholic Churchyard, Lancashire, UK
Son of Captain Maurice John O'Shaughnessy and
Elizabeth Marie O'Shaughnessy,
of Waterloo, Liverpool. |
| Arthur David Holding |
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Flying Officer (Pilot)
133575
abt. 1922
20 January 1944
22
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Birmingham (Brandwood End) Cemetery, Warwickshire, UK
Son of David and Gertie Holding,
of King's Heath, Birmingham. |
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In proud and treasured memory of
Flying Officer
Arthur David Holding
R. A. F. V. R.
who gave his life January 20th 1944
aged 22 years.
Also David,
father of the above
died Jan. 28th 1957, aged ?6 years. |
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Operation "Antheor Viaduct", 12th February 1944, Lancaster DV382/AJ-J:
Crashed on high ground at Waltham Down near Duncton, Chichester, Sussex.
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Flight Officer John Irvine Gordon died aged 31, along with John McBride Dempster, aged 20, having successfully completed a raid of Antheor Viaduct. They were flying in Lancaster DV382 (J for Juliet) from 617 Squadron when the aircraft was lost in a tragic accident. On the night of 12 February, ten aircraft left RAF Woodhall Spa for RAF Ford (in West Sussex) to be re-fuelled before continuing to the viaduct in Southern France. J for Juliet was armed with one 12,000 lb "Dambuster" bomb. Gordon was the crew's navigator whilst Dempster was the rear air gunner. Dempster had previously been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for claiming the destruction of two enemy fighters.
The target was sighted but it is believed for Juliet dropped her load slightly early. The results from the mission were mixed, but direct hits are believed to have scored. All but one aircraft successfully returned to RAF Ford.
The weather in the early hours of the 13th was poor, with low visibility, fog and low cloud cover. Sqn. Ldr. W. R. Suggitt who was the pilot of Gordon's and Dempster's aircraft made the decision to head back to base in these conditions. The aircraft flew into trees just after take off, desintegrated and burst into flames, 10 miles West of Chichester at 0830.
The pilot, Sqn. Ldr. Suggitt was pulled from the wreckage alive by local farmers, but he died a few days later. Both Gordon and Dempster died on impact. |
| William Reid Suggitt |
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Squadron Leader
J/15131
Distinguished Flying Cross
20 December 1920, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
15 February 1944
23
617 (R. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force
Chichester Cemetery, Sussex, UK
Son of Thomas and Grace Reid Suggitt,
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
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A local newspaper reported:
Sqdn. Ldr. W. R. Suggitt
Injuries fatal to DFC winner
Awarded the D. F. C. in July 1943 for his fine operational record.
Sqdn. Ldr. William Reid Suggitt, 23, who had 54 operations over enemy territory, died as a result of injuries received on active service Feb. 15. Word received by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Suggitt. Cedarvale Ave. stated that burial took place at Chichester Cemetery, Sussex, Eng., Feb. 19.
Born in Toronto, Sqdn. Ldr. Suggitt received his education at Danford Park Public School and East York Collegiate. Prior to his enlistment in the R. C. A. F. in October 1940, he was employed for a time in the audit department, Robert Simpson Co. Ltd. He received his training at St. Catharines and his wings at Brantford in April 1941, going overseas shortly after as a sergeant.
Commissioned overseas, he rose to the rank of wing commander. Refused permission to fly after 54 operational flights over enemy territory, he transferred to the R. A. F. and reverted to the rank of squadron leader last December.
The citation accompanying the award of the D. F. C. referred to Sqdn. Ldr. Suggitt as "an ideal operational captain, whose example has been an inspiration in all other pilots in the squadron".
He was an only child and was a member of Woodbine Heights Baptist Church. |
| John Pulford |
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Flight Sergeant (Flight Engineer)
652403
Distinguished Flying Medal
abt. 1920, Kingston upon Hull, UK
13 February 1944
24
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force
Hull Northern Cemetery, Yorkshire, UK
Son of George William and Ada Elizabeth Pulford, of Hull. |
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| John Irvine Gordon |
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Flying Officer
412218
Distinguished Flying Cross
26 February 1912,
Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
13 February 1944
31
Royal Australian Air Force
Coningsby Cemetery, Lincolnshire, UK
Son of David Irvine Gordon and
Mildred Mary Gordon, nee Cleary,
of Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia,
husband of Mary V. S. Gordon,
of London, England.
B. A., Dip. Ed. |
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| Norman James Davidson |
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Flying Officer (Navigator)
J/22514
11 June 1920, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
13 February 1944
23
617 (R. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force
Coningsby Cemetery, Lincolnshire, UK
Son of James and Henrietta Elizabeth Davidson,
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
A local newspaper reported:
FO. Norman Davidson
FO. Norman Davidson, a former Globe and Mail carrier, is reported to have been killed in a crash near Chichester, England, while returning from an air operation. This is the information received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Davidson, 98 Moberley Ave.
Enlisting in the R. C. A. F. in June, 1941, FO. Davidson trained at Malton , Rivers, Man, and Jarvis. He received his wings in May 1942 and went overseas in Sept. 1942. Born in Toronto, he attended Gledhill Public School and eastern High School of Commerce.
He was buried at Coningsby Cemetery, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Eng. He is survived by his parents. |
| Stanley George Hall |
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Flying Officer
411775
21 June 1920, Saxtead, Suffolk, England
13 February 1944
23
Royal Australian Air Force
Wickham Market Cemetery, Suffolk, UK
Son of Edith Hall, of Wickham Market. |
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Son of the late Arthur George Hall and Edith Emily Hall of 3 Sandy Lane, Wickham Market, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 9 September 1940 and was killed when his plane crashed on returning to the base N/E Chichester, U.K., aged 23 years. |
| John Paul Riches |
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Flight Sergeant (Air Gunner)
1390921
March 1922
13 February 1944
22
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Lingfield (Ss. Peter and Paul) Churchyard, Surrey, UK
Son of John Harvey Riches and
Alice May Riches, nee Paul,
of Lingfield,
husband of Lily Riches. |
| John McBride Dempster |
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Flying Officer (Air Gunner)
J/17206
Distinguished Flying Medal
abt. 1924
13 February 1944
20
617 (R. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force
Coningsby Cemetery, Lincolnshire, UK
Son of John Gass Dempster and Margaret Dempster,
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. |
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The "Edmonton Journal" reported:
FO John McBride Dempster, D. F. M., 21, who was killed in action overseas, Feb. 13, according to word received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Dempster. The flier's funeral was held in England. Born in Edmonton, FO. Dempster attended Calder school and then moved to the coast with his mother and twom sisters. His father, with the C: N. R., lives at 315 Condell block. An airgunner, FO. Dempster received the Distinguished Flying Medal a year ago. He enlisted the day after his 18th birthday and was overseas two years. |
| Thomas Williams Lloyd |
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Squadron Leader
84133
Distinguished Service Order
abt. 1892
13 February 1944
52
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Cheltenham Creamatorium, Gloucestershire, UK
Son of Walter Edmund and Annie Lloyd Lloyd,
husband of Alice Joan Lloyd. |
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He was Station Intelligence Officer at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire and was travelling back to base with the crew from Ford, having de-briefed them after the Antheor raid.
First World War veteran Lloyd had not been supposed to board the doomed Lancaster flight, but accepted an offer of a lift and, at 52, became one of the oldest servicemen to die in the Second World War.
Paul Brickhill's book "The Dam Busters" recalls: "The immaculate Lloyd accepted the lift but insisted on having a shave before take-off. A little later, spruce and monocled, he climbed into J-Jug with (the 23-year-old Canadian pilot) Bill Suggitt and five minutes later the aircraft flew into a hill and everyone was killed instantly except Suggitt, who lingered a couple of days before he died."
He was 52 and the son of Walter Edmund and Annie Lloyd Lloyd. He left a widow, Alice Joan Lloyd. |
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Operation "Antheor Viaduct", 12th February 1944, Lancaster ED909/AJ-P:
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10 Lancasters again tried to attack the Viaduct but due to the target being better defended and the difficult terrain this raid also failed to severe the railway connection. No aircraft were lost on this raid but S/L Micky Martin's Bomb aimer F/L R. C. Hay was killed by gun fire from the bridge and F/E Ivan Whittaker was injured. The aircraft went on to land in Sardinia "now in American hands". Bob Hay was laid to rest here and Ivan Whittaker went into hospital. |
| Robert Claude Hay |
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Flight Lieutenant
407074
Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar
abt. 1914
13 February 1944
30
Royal Australian Air Force
Cagliari (St. Michele) Communal Cemetery, Italy
Son of John Robert Clare Hay and Margaret Kate Hay,
husband of Honoria Edna Millicent Hay,
of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. |
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Mission to Nuremberg, 30th/31st March 1944, Lancaster ND390/OF-S of 97 Sqdn.:
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In March 1944, after another period in a training unit, Flt. Lt. Trevor-Roper was posted to 97 Squadron based at Bourn, and joined a very experienced crew captained by Flt. Lt. Rowlands. His luck ran out on Bomber Command's worst night of the whole war, on 30/31 March 1944, when ninety-five bombers were lost from a total of 795 which set out to attack Nuremberg. His aircraft was shot down near Ahorn, by the German nightfighter pilot Major Martin Drewes who has flown a Me110 and claimed five "kills" that night, and all on board died.
Trevor-Roper had served with 50 Sqdn and 617 Sqdn. Prior to being commissioned, he was awarded the DFM (gazetted 23 December 1941; as a Sergeant with 50 Sqdn). He was the Rear Gunner in the aircraft flown by Wing Commander Guy Gibson on the Dambusters raid in May 1943. He received the DFC in May 1943 (gazetted 25 May 1943 as Acting Flight Lieutenant, 617 Sqn.).
Richard Trevor-Roper's father, Charles Cadwaladr Trevor-Roper, died while serving with the 14th Bn Hampshire Regiment on 3rd August 1917, aged 33. His uncle, Geoffrey Trevor-Roper, was also killed in WW I.
The Times reported on 29 December 1944:
Flight Lieutenant Richard Dacre Trevor-Roper, D. F. C., D. F. M., previously reported missing, now known to have lost his life in air operations over Germany in March, 1944, was the only son of the late Captain C. C. Trevor-Roper of Plas Teg, Flintshire, and of Mrs. R. H. Poyniz, of Eirianfa, Ruthin.
He was born at Shanklin in 1915. After being educated at Oriel House School, North Wales, and at Wellington College, he was commissioned in the Royal Artillery from Woolwich in 1935 until 1937. He joined the R. A. F. in 1939, and in 1941 was awarded the D. F. M., after being wireless operator/air gunner for over a year with No. 50 Squadron, with which he rendered outstanding service. He was commissioned in 1941, and in May, 1943, was among the officers of No. 617 Squadron awarded the D. F. C. for the attack by Lancaster bombers on the Mohne, Eder, and Sorpe dams, in Germany, which resulted in the breaching of the Mohne and Eder dams.
He married Patricia Audrey, only daughter of Mr. R. B. Edwards, of Nottingham, and of Mrs. D. F. Menzies, of Skegness, and leaves a son. |
| Richard Dacre Trevor-Roper |
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Flight Lieutenant (Air Gunner)
47354
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Medal
19 May 1915
31 March 1944
28
97 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Son of Charles Cadwaladr Trevor-Roper and
Gertrude Alice Trevor-Roper,
husband of Patricia Audry Trevor-Roper,
of West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. |
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The complete crew was:
Flt/Lt. D. H. Rowlands, DFC (Pilot)
Sgt. R. M. Lane (F/Eng.)
Flt/Lt. A. R. Cadman, DFM (Nav.)
Flt/Lt. A. S. McFadden (A/B)
F/O E. J. Currie (W/Op.)
F/O F. Colville (A/G)
Flt/Lt. R. D. Trevor-Roper (A/G) |
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Mission to Munich, 24th April 1944, Lancaster DV394/KC-M:
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George James Harden was the eldest son of James Alfred and Lily Maud Harden of 3 "Greensides", St. Oswald's Road in Bridlington and formerly of Keyingham. George was educated at Hymers College Hull and then Cambridge where he read History and gained his B. A., Hons. (Cantab). He then spent two years in Germany as a teacher of English. Later he worked for the Anglo Iranian Oil Company in Iran. George then joined the RAF in 1940, volunteered for air crew training and was assigned to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He went to No. 7 OTU in South Africa for training as a navigator and air bomber.
George Harden saw war service with 106 Squadron (Lancaster Heavy Bombers) and was awarded the DFC. His citation quoted from the Hull Daily Mail of the 10th September 1943 reads: "Flying Officer Harden is an outstanding navigator and air bomber who has consistently achieved good results often supported by photogtaphs of the target area. His many sorties have had as objectives such places as Berlin, Hamburg and Spezia while he has attacked the Ruhr Centers on 15 occasions. His intelligent and accurate map reading has given his captain invaluable assistance. This officer has always displayed courage, zeal and determination."
George then joined 617 Squadron, the famous "Dam Busters". On the 24th April 1944 George Harden was one of the eight man crew of Lancaster DV394 coded KC-M. The aircraft took off from Woodhall Spa at 20.51 hours on a mission to bomb Munich. After hitting the target the Lancaster was shot down at 02.43 hours on the 25th April 1944 by a German Night Fighter. George was killed and the other members of the crew became POW's. This was George's 42nd operational flight.
George James Harden was buried in Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Text was taken from the book "More than just a name", written by Frank Bull, Chris Bonnett and Steve Adamson (ISBN 978-1-326-45420-3) |
| George James Harden |
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Flying Officer (Air Bomber)
61077
Distinguished Flying Cross
25 April 1944
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
Son of James Alfred and Lily Maud Harden,
of Bridlington, Yorkshire.
B. A., Hons. (Cantab). |
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The complete crew was:
F/L. J. L. Cooper (Captain)
F/O. T. W. Clarkson (F/Eng.)
F/L. F. E. Drew (Nav.)
F/O. G. J. Harden (A/B)
F/O. J. H. C. A. Lepine (W/Op.)
F/O. A. E. Pelly (MU/Gunner)
F/O. F. J. Tucker (R/Gunner) |
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Training Flight, 30th April 1944, Lancaster ED929/AJ-L:
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Brian Jagger was born on 9 November 1921, in Chelsea, the only child of David Jagger and his wife Catherine, and joined the RAF in 1941. He qualified as an air gunner in the summer of 1942, and was posted to 50 Squadron. Most of his operations were flown in a crew piloted by Sgt. Norman Schofield, a Canadian, in a crew which also included two other Canadians who would fly on the Dams Raid in John Hopgood's crew, John Fraser and Ken Earnshaw.
After the Dams Raid, Jagger flew on several other operations with the Shannon crew, and was commissioned in October 1943. He was also awarded the DFM for his time in 50 Squadron, in a citation which also mentioned his role in the Dams Raid:
"This NCO has carried out 24 operational sorties with great enthusiasm and efficiency. His sorties have been against targets as Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Cologne and Hamburg and he has made three trips to targets in Italy. On 16th/17th May, 1943, he flew as front gunner in an aircraft detailed to attack the Möhne Dam and his use of his guns was a great assistance to the success of the operation."
Jagger was transferred to a training unit in the spring of 1944, and was killed in a flying accident at RAF Binbrook on 30 April 1944, in a 49 Squadron Lancaster. The aircraft was taking part in a Fighter Affiliation Exercise, testing a new Automatic Gun Laying Turret. During the flight, which involved strenuous evasion manoeuvres, the dinghy was accidentally inflated and wrapped itself around the tailplane causing the aircraft to crash.
The accidental release of a Lancaster dinghy while in flight was a known fault. A crew had been killed in a similar incident at RAF Syerston in October 1942, and the family of one of the deceased was told that the problem would be rectified to prevent it occuring again.
The text was taken from the book "The complete Dambusters" written by Charles Foster (ISBN 978-0-7509-8848-3). |
| Brian Jagger |
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Flying Officer (Air Gunner)
171172
Distinguished Flying Medal
09 November 1921, Chelsea, Greater London, England
30 April 1944
22
460 (R. A. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, UK
Son of David and Catherine Jagger,
of Chelsea, London. |
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Mission to Wizernes (V2 rocket base), 24th June 1944, Lancaster DV403/AJ-G:
Crashed at Leulinghem, France.
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Construction of this V rocket site at Wizernes in an old chalk quarry was authorized by Adolf Hitler in 1943 after several other sites were put out of action by allied bombing, it was situated south of the rail line between St. Omer and Boulogne. It had a protective dome some 72 metres in diameter and several meters thick. The site had many kilometres of railway tunnels and underground galleries in which to keep the rockets safe from bombing.
This third bombing raid on Wizernes by sixteen 617 Sqn Lancasters took it's toll and many of the Lancasters and Mosquito's were hit and damaged by flak. They still managed to release their bombs and hit both the launching tunnel and the rail line. One aircraft, DV403 letter KC- G Type Lancaster 1 was lost.
DV403 took off from Woodhall Spa at 4.30pm armed with a Tallboy, it was hit by flak and crashed at Leulinghem.
The remainder of the crew Flight Sergeant Gerrard Hobbs "Wireless operator", Flight Sergeant Jackie Brook "Bomb aimer" and Navigator/Flying Officer Lorne Pritchard, D. F. C., survived the crash, and remained as prisoners of war. |
| John Andrew Edward |
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Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)
51120
Distinguished Flying Cross
abt. 1915
24 June 1944
29
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force
Leulinghem Churchyard, France
Son of Harold Westbrook Edward,
and Harriet Emily Edward,
of Willand, Devon. |
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| Leslie William John King |
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Flying Officer (Flight Engineer)
149660
Distinguished Flying Cross
abt. 1914
24 June 1944
30
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France
Son of William and Emily Maria King,
of Enstone, Oxfordshire. |
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| James Ian Johnston |
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Flying Officer (Air Gunner)
J/19259
Distinguished Flying Cross
abt. 1913
24 June 1944
31
617 (R. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force
Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, France
Son of Craig and Jean Johnston,
husband of Marian Johnston,
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
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| Samuel Isherwood |
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Flight Sergeant (Air Gunner)
634050
abt. 1922
24 June 1944
22
617 Sqdn. Royal Air Force
Leulinghem Churchyard, France
Son of Lucy Williams,
husband of Mary Alice Isherwood,
of New Springs, Lancashire. |
| Thomas Willard Percy Price |
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Pilot Officer (Air Gunner)
J/87215
24 June 1944
617 (R. A. F.) Sqdn. Royal Canadian Air Force
Leulinghem Churchyard, France
Son of Willard Isaac and Edith Livsey Price. |
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