Scroll through each aircrew listing on Plaque Five, it 81 to 100

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 81

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EE937.  HA-A

27 / 28 SEPTEMBER 1943 - OP: HANNOVER - GERMANY

T/O: 1945 HRS                                                                                                        MONDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Sergeant William Francis Cyril Knight and crew arrived from No.1657 Conversion Unit on 28 June 1943. He undertook his first operation on 3 July beside 'A' Flight Commander Squadron Leader Howard Saunders RCAF to Cologne. Two mining sorties were followed by an attack on Aachen on 13 July^. The crew flew on three of the Hamburg operations in July, as well as raids on Essen and Remscheid. On return from the Remscheid operation of 30 July, Sergeant Knight wrote off Stirling BF440 HA-T with a collapsed undercarriage, the result of a heavy landing at RAF Downham Market. August would record the crew's involvement in raids directly against Hamburg, Nuremberg, Turin (twice) and Berlin. It was during the Berlin raid of 23 August that William was awarded a DFC. Flight Sergeant William Knight was at the controls of Stirling EE937 HA-S when engaged by a twin-engine fighter thirty miles southeast of Berlin. Sitting out of range of the rear turret, the fighter opened fire with cannons. A salvo of 20mm shells punctured the fuselage, rendering the mid-upper turret useless, miraculously missing Sergeant William Bray. A further burst of fire penetrated the starboard wing tank, which was fortunately empty. The crew's survival now rested on the Canadian rear gunner, Sergeant Bruce Winders RCAF. The German pilot, believing that the Stirling was helpless, moved in closer to deliver the coup de grâce. Without warning, an unidentified Stirling pulled alongside the Knights' aircraft, firing a continuous burst of machine gun fire from both rear and mid-upper turrets directly at the enemy fighter. Sergeant Bruce Winders did likewise, and the combined firepower of both aircraft was enough to put off the fighter, which dived away. A grateful Knight finally landed at Downham Market at 04:15 hours. The timely intervention of the mysterious Stirling had, on this occasion, at least saved the crew. Following the Berlin raid, the crew finished off August with a raid on Remscheid. The Dunlop Works at Montlucon were attacked on 15 September, followed by Modane on the 16^th. During this operation, the crew was joined by Squadron Leader Garfield Prior, DFC, for operational experience. They were over Mannheim the following night, where they bombed on a 'Mass of Green TIs'.

 Stirling EE937 HA-A 'Able' was shot down by Luftwaffe Pilot Uffz Ernest Reitmeyer of 3—/NJG5 flying in a Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4, 18 miles south of Hannover at 23.25 hours. Stirling EE937 was coned by searchlights and also claimed by flak. The Stirling crashed at Bothfeld, a suburb of Hannover. The crew was initially buried in the Friedhof Eldagsen Cemetery in Springe, south of Hannover, but was later laid to rest at the Hannover War Cemetery.   

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 82

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EH984.  HA-C

3 / 4  OCTOBER 1943 - OP: KASSEL - GERMANY

T/O: 1855 HRS                                                                                                                  SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Sergeant John Albert Riley and his all-RAF crew completed their Short Stirling conversion with No.1651 Con Unit and were posted to the squadron on 24 August 1943. John's first operation was beside Flight Sergeant Samuel Johnson to Nuremberg on 27 August.  On 4 September, he and his crew took Stirling BF425 HA-C to the Frisian Islands, where they successfully sowed six mines. Mannheim was bombed on the 8th, followed in quick succession by Montlucon on the 15th and Modane the following night. Due to severe icing, the crew was obliged to abort a mining trip to the Gironde River on the 18th. It was back to winning ways on 2 October when the crew went to the Kattegat minelaying aboard Stirling EH984 HA-C, where they dropped three sea mines without trouble. The following night, the crew was detailed for a raid on Kassel but did not return. The night would see the immediate award of a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) to John Riley. The citation reads;

 RILEY, John Albert. 1113459 Flight Sergeant, No.218 Squadron

 (Immediate) LG. 19/5/1944. Sorties 12 (?), Flying hours 62 30.

On the night of 3rd/4th October, 1943, Flight Sergeant Riley was detailed as pilot and captain of an aircraft to attack Kassel. The aircraft failed to return from this operation, and all the members of the crew are now prisoners of war. Information has now been received from another member of the crew that the aircraft was heavily engaged by anti-aircraft guns over enemy territory. Half the port wing and one engine had been shot away before the captain was compelled to order the crew to abandon the aircraft by parachute. Flight Sergeant Riley, with very great skill and courage, succeeded in maintaining sufficient control of the aircraft to enable the rest of the crew to bail out, and they owe their lives to his coolness in dealing with the situation at a time of exceptional stress. He finally bailed out himself, but he sustained a broken pelvis and was captured. Throughout his operational tour, he has consistently demonstrated a high degree of devotion to duty and determination, and I recommend the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

 Stirling EH984 HA-C 'Charlie'  was coned and claimed by flak units at 22.57 hours. The blazing Stirling crashed into a residential building complex at Bleichgeroder Weg 6 in the Cologne-Hohennhaus area, killing a family which included three children and another adult. The crew landed south of Cologne in the Hermulhein area.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 83

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

EF158.  IC-S

3 / 4  OCTOBER 1943 - OP: KASSEL - GERMANY

T/O: 1847 HRS                                                                                                                  SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

A minelaying sortie on 2 October would see the crew sowing over the Silverthorne mining area. The next day, they were detailed and briefed for a raid on Kassel. They would take a young Canadian Sergeant Clarence Carr. Born in 1912 in South Porcupine, Ontario, Carr's early training took the usual route.  He was involved in an accident while training at No.30 O.T.U RAF Hixon on 31 July 1943, when a Vickers Wellington Mk. X HE917 suffered hydraulic failure.  Without the assistance of the flaps, the screen pilot instructor, Flight Sergeant P Clifton, took control of the Wellington as it came into land at 0335 hours. In an attempt to avoid a hedge, Clifton swung the Wellington to port, but due to the speed, the Wellington crashed onto a nearby railway line. All of the crew managed to escape, but with cuts, bruises and shock. The Wellington burnt out.  Posted to No.1665 Con Unit, the instructor's early reports about Carr and his crew were initially somewhat sceptical. The Officer Commanding " C" Flight, Squadron Leader R Alexander AFC, reported "A quite steady type". At the same time, Squadron Leader R Glass DFC (ex 214 Squadron) OC of "D" Flight recorded "A average pilot, crew rowdy in the air ".  However, as the course progressed, it would appear that the Carr crew started to bond, and the initial rowdiness was replaced with a professional determination. No.1665 CGI Squadron Leader G Fowler DFC (ex 75 Squadron) reported, "I like this captain but agree he must be firmer".   The final comment was by No.1665 commanding officer, Wing Commander P Crompton DFC (ex 9 Squadron), "A sound crew with no weak links". Sadly, Carr never got the chance to put the Wing Commander's faith into practice. Pilot Officer Keith Shaw RNZAF died along with all but two of his crew, who were taken into captivity. Twenty-three-year-old Keith Shaw was one of the squadron's most experienced and tenacious pilots, having completed twenty-two operations, including all four trips to Hamburg during Operation Gomorrah. His experience was sorely needed on No.623 Squadron, especially for the NCO airmen; he would be hard to replace.

Stirling EF158 IC-S 'Sugar' was shot down by Luftwaffe Pilot Lt Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld of 5. /JG300,  at 22.27 hours, crashed near Dennhausen, Germany, killing all but two of his crew.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 84

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

EH994.  IC-P

3 / 4  OCTOBER 1943 - OP: KASSEL - GERMANY

T/O: 1904 HRS                                                                                                                  SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Pilot Officer Thomas James Muir RCAF and his mixed RCAF and RAF crew arrived on No.623 Squadron via No.1651 Conversion Unit on 20 September 1943. Thomas flew his first operation beside the vastly experienced 'B' Flight Commander Squadron Leader David Smith DFM to Hannover on the 22 September 1943, where they encountered a Junkers JU88 that the crew claimed was 'Destroyed'.  On the 24th, the crew completed their first operation, a minelaying sortie to the Nectarines. They were given Kassel as their first trip to Germany. Sadly, it would be their first and last. They never returned.

Stirling EH994 IC-P 'Peter was first coned by searchlights and claimed by various flak batteries; however, when the aircraft was seen to recover and continue, Luftwaffe Pilot,  Major Helmut Lent of Stab Nachtjagdgeschwader 3, on patrol in a Messerschmitt Bf110 G-4 D5+AA, attacked the damaged aircraft and was credited with the kill, (He was the first Luftwaffe night Fighter Pilot to be credited with 100 confirmed victory's).  Stirling EH994 crashed at 2227 hours at Harleshausen, near Kassel. The bodies were recovered and initially buried in Kassel Main Cemetery, and later the crew were removed and laid to rest at the Hanover War Cemetery. Only the Canadian Bomb Aimer Warrant Officer Lloyd  Webster Moore survived the ordeal and was captured as a prisoner of War. Mr Moore carried the memory of the crew with him right up to the day he died, never forgetting his friends that he missed. Moore passed away in 1986. His Son, David Moore, holds dear the memories of his father and photos of the crew; his father was proud to call them brothers in arms. And now at the Downham Market airfield memorial Cairn, they are remembered together forever on Plaque No.5.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 85

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

BK687.  HA-R

8 / 9 OCTOBER 1943 - OP: BREMEN - GERMANY

T/O: 2315 HRS                                                                                                                     FRIDAY 8TH OCTOBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Flight Sergeant Eric Rogers RCAF and his mixed RCAF and RAF crew arrived at RAF Downham Market on 18 August 1943, another crew from the busy and productive No.1651 Conversion Unit. The young Canadians' first operation was to Berlin, which could not have been more daunting. He would join the crew of fellow Canadian Pilot Officer Robert Cochrane RCAF. Eric and the crew completed two mining operations on the 24th and 25th without trouble. Their next operation was on the 27th to Nuremberg. This was, however, aborted due to a problem with the pilots and the master compass aboard EF449 HA-J. München Gladbach was attacked on the 30th, followed by a raid on Berlin the following night, where they dropped their all-incendiary load on some scattered TI markers, thus bringing their first month on the squadron to a conclusion.  

 On 5 September, the crew failed to reach Mannheim due to the starboard inner engine's temperature reaching the red zone aboard the EF449 HA-J. Successful raids on Boulogne, Hannover, twice and Mannheim were completed during the remainder of the month.  3 October found the crew over Kassel, where they reported 'A good prang’. Their next raid was on the 4th; the target was Frankfurt, which was attacked aboard Stirling BK687 HA-R. Minelaying duty on the 7th found Eric and crew on a seven-hour operation to the Kattegat, where they dropped three 1500lb sea mines.  The following night, they were detailed and briefed on northern Germany and the docks at Bremen. The crew's usual flight engineer, Sergeant R Thomson, would be replaced by Sergeant Percy Barton.  

Stirling BK687 was shot down by  Luftwaffe  Night Fighter Pilot, Lt Hans-Heinz Augenstein of 9. /NJG1 and Uffz Heinz Amsberg, also of 9. /NJG1 at 01.42 hours. The kill would be awarded to Uffz. Heinz Amsberg. The Stirling crashed onto the farm of Klaus Jungench at Ebersdorf. Five bodies were recovered from the burnt-out wreckage, while two bodies were found close to the crash site with unopened parachutes. The crew was initially buried in the Bremervorde Civilian Cemetery.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 86

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

EF156.  IC-E

7 / 8 NOVEMBER 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (DEODAR)

T/O: 2255 HRS                                                                                                                     FRIDAY 8TH OCTOBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

New Zealander Flight Sergeant Reginald Vivian Love RNZAF and his mixed RNZAF and RAF crew were another trained crew fresh from No.1651 Conversion Unit, arriving on No.623 Squadron on 18 September 1943. It had taken almost three years to reach this point, having joined the RNZAF in December 1939. The crew completed their first operation, a Gardening sortie to the Nectarines, on the 25th. The operation was a failure, and on return to RAF Downham Market, a very heavy and 'clumsy' landing resulted in the undercarriage of Stirling EF499 IC-K collapsing. Reginald's next operation was flown with No.623 Squadron's flamboyant commanding officer, Wing Commander Geoffrey Trevor Wynne-Powell. The crew successfully bombed Kassel. On the 17th, Reginald and crew planted six sea mines in the Nectarine I garden area without mishap. It would not be until 7 November that the crew was briefed again for yet another minelaying sortie off Bordeaux (Deodar Region). They did not return.

 Unknown, there are no German claims for this aircraft.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 87

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EE884.  HA-B

18 / 19 NOVEMBER 1943 - OP: MANNHEIM - GERMANY

T/O: 1715 HRS                                                                                                     THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo above of the Flight Sergeant Alan Hine and crew at RAF Downham Market dispersals at  Oakwood in November 1943. Photo with kind permission from Stephen C. Smith, 218 (Gold Coast ) Squadron Association. 

Another crew posted from No.1651 Conversion Unit was Flight Sergeant Alan Hine. This all-RAF crew reported to 'A' Flight No.218 Squadron on 2 September 1943. Just three days after his arrival, Alan was on his way to Mannheim, sitting beside Flight Sergeant Bertram Adams. The operation was abandoned when the port outer engine failed, and the crew returned early.

On the 8th, the crew took part in an operation to Boulogne aboard Stirling EE937 HA-A. This was followed by two more French targets, Montlucon on the 15th and Modane the following night. A minelaying trip on the 18th would find the crew planting three sea mines off the Gironde Estuary without incident. Three further raids over Germany were completed in September, Hannover on the 22nd and 27th and Mannheim on the 23rd. Each was completed without incident. October's operations began on the 7th with a gardening sortie to the Kattegat aboard Stirling EE884 HA-B. The crew attacked the port of Bremen from just 12,500 feet on the 8th, which was the last operation they flew that month. On 18 November, the now-promoted Pilot Officer Hine and his crew departed RAF Downham Market at 17:15 hours, with Mannheim as their objective. Unfortunately, they never returned.   The crew's only survivor, bomb aimer Flying Officer Alwyne Powell, was captured 70 miles from the crash site. Records the following in a letter, dated June 1945, to the mother of the rear gunner, the events of that night.

 "We took off from Downham Market at 5 PM, and it was not until 8 PM, when nearing Frankfurt, that we had difficulty. We turned south to fly to our target, Mannheim-Ludwigshafen. The turning point markers were dropped inside the searchlight defences of Frankfurt, and the skipper, Alan, realising that we had to stay in the bomber stream, not only for our sake but also to help protect the other bombers, decided to go through the Frankfurt defences. Almost immediately upon entering, we were illuminated by many searchlights, and we immediately took evasive action, but we could not shake them off. We turned over the markers and were still coned. Wilf and Fred, the gunners, reported five fighters astern. We started to fly south but were suddenly shot up by a fighter who came in from the front and below. No guns could be brought to bear on him, and no one saw him close in on us. Alan ordered us to bail out quickly, I heard Wilf say, "OK, Skipper". I opened the hatch and left the aircraft; it was about 8.15 PM. Seven or eight days later, after I was captured, and while being interrogated by a German officer, I was informed that all the crew had been killed".

Post-war research suggests that the young pilot attempted to crash-land the Stirling. A German eyewitness reported that "The aircraft circled the village of Bobstadt looking for a crash site, the plane was losing height and was close to landing when the undercarriage caught electrical cables from a nearby pylon. The wheels were pulled off, and the aircraft crashed on a roadway next to the field it was trying to land in. The bodies of six of the crew were found in the wreckage of EE884 HA-B and were buried in the Bodstadt Cemetery on the 20^th.

Stirling EE884 was coned by searchlights and shot down by flak, crashing at Hofheim and Bodstadt at 20.16 hours.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 88

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

EF155.  IC-O

18 / 19 NOVEMBER 1943 - OP: MANNHEIM - GERMANY

T/O: 1715 HRS                                                                                                     THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Australian Flight Sergeant John Wallace RAAF and his crew completed their training at No. 1651 Conversion Unit and were posted to No. 218 Squadron on 29 July 1943. However, the crew was selected to help form No. 623 Squadron on 8 August. They had not previously participated in any operations with No. 218 Squadron. On the same day, Wallace accompanied Sergeant Michael Nesbitt's crew to Nuremberg for operational experience. The crew undertook their first mission on 26 August, conducting a minelaying operation in the Deodars Garden area. On 30 August, they attacked Monchengladbach, where the vigilance of both gunners prevented disaster when they were attacked twice by a Junkers Ju 88. The following night, they bombed the 'Big City' Berlin without encountering any trouble.

The first raid of September took place on the 5th, with Mannheim as the target. Three days later, they were over Boulogne, where the gunner was once again in action with a Ju88. The gunners claimed 'hits' on the night fighter. Raids on Montlucon and Modane followed. On the 22^nd, they were over Hannover, where again the gunners prevented possible trouble when an FW190 attempted to engage the Stirling. The last raid of the month was against Mannheim, which thankfully was flown without incident. Only two operations were flown in October. On the 7^th, a minelaying operation to the Silverthorne Garden area was completed, followed the next night by a raid on Bremen. On this occasion, they were joined by Australian Sergeant Arthur Hookway RAAF for operational experience. In November, the promising Australian would serve as deputy ' B' flight commander. On the 4^th, the crew completed an operation to the Kattegat in their usual Stirling EF155 IC-O 'Orange.' It would be three weeks before the crew operated again. On the afternoon of 18 November^, the crew completed a 35-minute fighter affiliation flight aboard O-Orange. That night, they were briefed for Mannheim; they would be joined by a recently posted Canadian, Douglas Petch, RCAF, who had arrived on the squadron via No. 1665 Conversion Unit on 26 September 1943. Petch was a former fighter pilot before he transferred to Bomber Command.  He had completed two minelaying operations with his crew; this would be his third and final operation. On the night in question, the aircraft was hit by barrage flak as it was leaving Mannheim. Three of the crew managed to parachute to safety before the plane crashed into a 1,200ft high forested hill called "Hunderbrunnen" 3 miles NW of Edenkoben, Germany, at 21.45 hours. The crew's navigator, Flying Officer Norman Lampard, recalls the events of that night;

 "I was sitting at the navigator's table when we were hit. A flak burst exploded directly under the nose section, and hundreds of holes appeared in the fuselage around the bomb aimer's position. A gale of icy wind swept along the fuselage, and it was obvious immediately that the aircraft was badly damaged. John, the skipper, gave the order to bail out, and then Ron, in the bomb aimer position, reported over the intercom that the front hatch was jammed.  I went forward to try and help, but the force of the explosion from the flak buckled the hatch shut. Unable to open the hatch, I returned to the cockpit, where I informed John that the hatch was jammed. I stood slightly behind John and the Canadian "second Dickie”, waiting for the inevitable crash.  I regain consciousness, lying in a wooded area littered with the burning remains of my aircraft.  I was in considerable pain. However, my thoughts were clear, and I realised that I should try to move to cover as I was worried about explosions.  After what seemed like hours, I managed to drag myself to an isolated farmhouse. With my condition worsening, I decided to knock on the door for assistance. The residents took me in and treated my wounds. I was not fully aware of the extent of my injuries, but it was obvious I needed urgent medical treatment. Within a short time, a German lorry arrived, and German troops unceremoniously lifted me onto the back of the truck. I was immediately taken to a local German hospital, where I received attention. I have a vague recollection of seeing my flight engineer, John Windle, in the back of the lorry."   

 Five bodies were discovered at the crash site. Two crew members were captured near St. Martin, approximately a mile from the crash site. Another crew member, Wireless Operator Sergeant Thomas Lewis RAFVR, was found injured and trapped in the wreckage the following day.  He was initially taken to Edenkoben Hospital before being moved to Neustadt's main hospital for further extensive medical care. The deceased were buried in the Edenkoben cemetery. In 1947, the bodies of the two pilots and crew were exhumed and buried in the British Cemetery at Rheinburg, Germany.

Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Hans-Georg Birkenstock of Stab I./NJG6, flying in a Messerschmitt 110 G-4, located the flak-damaged Stirling and then attacked, sending the aircraft crashing down at 21:04 near Edenkoben, Rheinland-Pfalz.

F/O. Douglas Petch RCAF & his fiancée, Evelyn Smith, at their engagement dinner in Ontario, Canada, 1941.      Above the War letter sent to Mr Wallace Senior.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 89

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

LJ454.  IC-E

18 / 19 NOVEMBER 1943 - OP: MANNHEIM - GERMANY

T/O: 1715 HRS                                                                                                     THURSDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photo Above: Aircrew No.89 Left to right: P/O. Gourlie,   Sgt. Milnthorpe, Sgt. Ashplant, F/O. Bennett, Sgt. Matthews, Sgt. Hutchings and P/O. Johnnie Smythe.

Wireless operator  Sergeant Leslie Milnthorpe RAFVR recalls the events that followed: "Some distance from the target, I witnessed another Stirling going down in flames; searchlights were concentrated, and the flak was very accurate. We were hit by flak, and the starboard outer engine burst into flames; the fuselage was also damaged. The pilot gave the order to prepare to bail out, and then, after what seemed an eternity, the order to bail out came. I landed in a ploughed field, and I started walking towards Switzerland. As it got light, I made my way to a farm to sleep in the barn. I walked up to a gate and opened it, when a rifle butt was pushed into my back and a voice said, "HANDS UP". I had walked into a farmyard containing a searchlight battery. That was the end of my war; now the fight for survival came into play."

623 Author Historian Stephen C. Smith: "The crew successfully bombed the target and were on their homeward flight when they were hit by flak several miles southeast of Mönchengladbach. Losing altitude and with two port engines on fire, the pilot gave the order to abandon the aircraft. All the crew managed to successfully vacate LJ454 IC-E to become PoWs for the remainder of the war. Once vacated, something extraordinary happened. The Stirling continued to fly! It passed over the town of Rheydt, losing altitude all the time, and on approaching the small village of Kothausen, three miles from Mönchengladbach, it made an almost perfect wheels-up landing, ripping up in the process over a hundred feet of hedgerow, and wrenching off half of the port wing. The aircraft swung nearly 180 degrees to face back in the direction from which it had just come. Fire immediately broke out in the two port engines, one of which had been completely broken off. It was 20.50 hours. A mere fifty feet from where LJ454 came to rest lived Fräulein Hansen, a fifteen-year-old schoolgirl".

Fräulein Hansen: " I was sitting with my parents in the kitchen parlour when, suddenly, we became aware of a deafening and unusual noise. After just a few seconds, a frightening crash shook the entire house. My father was immediately on his feet and outside to see what all the commotion was. He was the first person to reach the aircraft, which had a wing on fire, and he quickly checked as best he could to locate the crew. He ran back inside, picked up a shovel, and dashed back out to the aircraft, starting to try to douse the flames with soil in an attempt to stop the plane from burning completely. In a few minutes, personnel from the nearby fighter base had surrounded the aircraft, and troops were dispatched to the surrounding area to search for the crew members. The plane remained under guard for the night and the following two weeks. During this time, almost everything was removed, including guns, instruments, ammunition, fuel, and all other items. Many hundreds of people came to visit and look at this aircraft over the weeks, until it was cut up into small parts and transported to the fighter base."

The two photos above show the final resting place of Stirling LJ454 IC-C (after it landed itself, is that possible?) Photos via Stephen C. Smith 218/623 Association.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 90

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EF180.  HA-D

22 / 23 NOVEMBER 1943 - OP: BERLIN- GERMANY

T/O: 1715 HRS                                                                                                     MONDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

On 20 September 1943, Squadron Leader Garfield Wallace Prior, DFC, and his crew arrived at RAF Downham Market to join No. 218 Squadron as 'A' Flight Commander. A Canadian, Prior had enlisted in the RAF in 1936 and first saw action with No. 4 Group. While flying a Whitley bomber with No. 10 Squadron in October 1940, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), with part of his citation stating that his "high standard of work, conscientiousness, keenness, and ability have set a fine example to his squadron." After completing his first tour, he returned to Canada and served as an instructor. Known as 'Pin-Point Prior' to his friends, he would carry out his first operation with No.218 Squadron on 22 September, sitting alongside Pilot Officer William Knight to Hannover. On the 25th, he took his crew on a Gardening operation to the Frisian Islands, planting six sea mines. The crew attacked Hannover on the 27th, the squadron losing two crews. However, on this occasion, Garfield's luck held. In October, the crew attacked Kassel on the 3rd and Frankfurt on the 5th, both without problems. Garfield did not operate for the remainder of the month. Mannheim was attacked on 18 November, and the crew took along the recently posted Sergeant Peter Hamby. On the 22nd, Berlin was chalked up on the notice board. Nine crews would be briefed, including Squadron Leader Prior DFC. They would not return.  Hit by heavy Flak and exploded in mid-air at 20.10 hours. The Stirling crashed in the southwest suburbs of Berlin, killing all the crew.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 91

623  Squadron (No Badge Authorised) Stirling Mk. III

LK387.  IC-P

4 /5 DECEMBER 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (NECTARINES II)

T/O: 2341 HRS                                                                                                        SATURDAY  4TH DECEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Photos via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron & 623 Squadron association. 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 92

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EF888.  HA-K

16 / 17 DECEMBER 1943 - OP: MINELAYING (CINNAMON I)

T/O: 1655 HRS                                                                                                          MONDAY 16TH DECEMBER 1943                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Dennis Williams and his crew joined No. 623 Squadron on 24 October 1943, after passing through No. 1651 Conversion Unit. They participated in two minelaying operations with the squadron. The first operation took place on 3 November, targeting the Nectarines area, and the second was on 25 November, aimed at the Elderberry Garden area. However, the second operation was aborted due to severe icing, which caused control issues. Following the disbandment of No. 623 Squadron, Williams and his crew were transferred to No. 218 Gold Coast Squadron. Their first mission with No. 218 occurred on 17 December, when they were assigned to the Cinnamon 1 Garden area off La Pallice. France. Unfortunately, they failed to return from this sortie. Flight Sergeant Ronald Henderson Osborne RAAF, the crew's regular bomb aimer, was not flying on this operation. He was later killed while attacking the Chambly Railway complex on May 1-2, 1944. Flying with this inexperienced crew was Pilot Officer John Taylor RCAF, who had previously flown with Wing Commander William Oldbury, with whom he had completed seven operations. Nothing was heard of the crew of Stirling EE888 after take-off; there is no report on what happened or where the aircraft crashed. The entire aircrew and aircraft were lost without a trace.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 93

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EJ125.  HA-J

21 / 22 FEBRUARY 1944 - OP: MINELAYING (NECTARINES II)

T/O: 1810 HRS                                                                                                            MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY  1944                                                                                               RAF Downham Market

Photos via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron & 623 Squadron association. 

James Ian Wiseman, or 'Red' as his closest friends called him, and his mixed-nationality crew arrived on No.623 Squadron via No.1657 Conversion Unit on 20 August 1943. The crew would be one of the most active in the squadron. Their tour got underway on 24 August, a minelaying effort to the Nectarines Garden area. This was followed two days later by another trip to the Deodors area, and both sorties were successful. On the 30th, they were scheduled to bomb Münster-Gladbach. Flying Officer James Wiseman was at the controls of Stirling EE966 IC-E when it swung on take-off. At full throttle and halfway down the runway, the Stirling unexpectedly swung violently. Taken unawares and unable to correct the lumbering aircraft, Wiseman ordered the crew to 'hang on' as he tried to regain some semblance of control. With brute strength and a dollop of lady luck, the gutsy Scotsman brought the Stirling to a halt without severe damage. September would be a reasonably busy month for the crew, with three raids on Germany and one on Boulogne. In October, the crew would operate only three times, each time over Germany. On each occasion, the crew pressed home their attack. November was a quiet month for the squadron, as reflected in the operations flown. James and the crew flew only twice in November. On the 18th, they took Sergeant James Rodgers to Mannheim when incendiaries were dropped from above. At the same time, on the 22nd, they went to Berlin, accompanied by Flight Sergeant Angus Hector MacGillivray of the RCAF. It would be their last operation with No. 623 Squadron before the squadron's disbandment on 6 December. Transferred to No. 218 Squadron, they resumed operations on 4 January 1944, conducting a bombing raid on the V-1 launch sites in the Pas-de-Calais. It was back to France on the 14th, and the V1 construction works at Bristillerie, south of Cherbourg. On the 27th, there was a switch to gardening and a visit to the Horns Reef in the Baltic. It would not be until 15 February that the crew was again on the Battle Order. A trip to Bayonne near the Spanish border found the crew having to open the bomb doors manually before the sea mines could be planted.

The crew's final operation took place on 21 February 1944 in the Nectarines Garden area. Stirling EJ125 flying at low level was hit by  Marine Flak from Rottumeroog. Unable to maintain flight due to flak damage, the Stirling crashed into the sea.  Only the bodies of two of the crew were recovered. Rear gunner Flight Sergeant George Brasington RAAF was washed ashore on Borkum on 16 March 1944. Brasington was buried five days later. The body of Skipper  James Wiseman was found on the beach at Pieterburen, north of Groningen, Netherlands, on 8 May 1944.  All the crew were killed in action; there were no survivors. (Writeup by Stephen C. Smith, 218 Gold Coast Squadron Association Author.)

Photos via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron & 623 Squadron association. 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 94

218 (Gold Coast) Squadron - Stirling Mk. III

EE944.  HA-H

4 / 5  MARCH 1944 - OP: S.O.E. (MONGREL 9) - FRANCE

T/O:  2133 HRS                                                                                                                SATURDAY 4TH MARCH  1944                                                                                                 RAF Downham Market

Pilot Officer Elwyn Hinto Edwards, RAFVR & five of his crew,  excluding Navigator Flying Officer Bernard Denness, who took the photo, left to right, Standing.  Skipper Elwyn Edwards, Wireless Operator Sgt. Doug Davies, RAFVR, Air Gunner Sgt. Don Meredith, RAFVR. Front row left to right: Bomb Aimer F/Sgt. Pete Kilsby, RAFVR, Air Gunner Sgt. Henry Porter, RAFVR, and Flight Engineer Sgt. Ernie Vamplough, RAFVR.  Photo via. Stephen C. Smith, 218 Squadron Association.

Photos via Stephen C. Smith 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron & 623 Squadron association. 

The crew of Pilot Officer Elwyn Edwards holds a unique place in the history of RAF Downham Market, as they are the only crew to have failed to return from an SOE operation, not from their home base, but on detachment during the early March moon period from RAF Tempsford.  The crew arrived at the squadron in September / October 1943 from No.1657. The crew undertook their first operation on 17 October, a mining sortie to the Frisian Islands, which was completed without mishap. Another minelaying sortie followed this on 7 November. On the 18th, Elwyn joined the crew of Flight Lieutenant William Hamilton RCAF on a raid against Mannheim. It was almost five weeks before the crew was able to operate again. On 16 December, they bombed the V1 site at Tilley-le-Haut near Abbeville. Elwyn did not operate during January 1944, and it would not be until 3 February that he took off for a minelaying sortie to Le Havre. Two minelaying sorties were flown quickly. On the 11th, they visited Cherbourg, and on the 12th, the Frisian Islands. The 11th operation was aborted due to compass failure, and the mines were jettisoned over Rushford Range. Two operations to Kiel Bay followed, flown on the 15th and 24th. On 28 February, twelve crews, nine from 'A' Flight and three from 'B' Flight under the command of Squadron Leader John Overton, 'A' Flight Commander, completed the short flight to Tempsford for SOE detachment. One of the crew chosen was Elwyn Edwards. The squadron's first operation took place on 4 March, with Elwyn assigned to the drop zone 'Mongrel 9'. It has been reported that the Stirling was damaged by flak as they crossed France's coast on the operation's outbound leg. The damage was not initially considered severe, as they continued. Near Paris, however, concerns about the fuel situation meant the crew had to turn for home. They made it back to Tempsford, having feathered the port outer engine, presumably the result of the flak damage. Tempsford Control Tower radioed the crew that they were coming in too high and to go round again. Given the fuel situation, Flight Engineer Ernie Vamplough urged the pilot to land the aircraft immediately. Presumably, he thought they had insufficient fuel for another circuit. The pilot followed the control tower's instructions and attempted to pull up to go around again. The aircraft side-slipped and its wing caught on the ground, causing the plane to crash. There were only two survivors, Meredith and Porter. Both continued to serve in the RAF and survived the war. Porter was commissioned in September 1944 and left the RAF in 1946. Meredith remained a Sergeant Air Gunner and left the RAF in December 1946.

A NEW CHANGE AT RAF DOWNHAM MARKET

From July 1942 to March 1944, 94 Stirling aircrews were lost from RAF Downham Market. Compiling a list of these aircrews in order of their operations was an emotional undertaking for me.

In early 1944, administrative changes within No. 3 Group, Bomber Command, led to RAF Downham Market being transferred to No. 8 Group, Pathfinder Force. This transition marked the beginning of a new era at the airfield, as the giant Stirling bombers were replaced by the Avro Lancaster and Mosquito bombers of No. 8 Group Pathfinder Force.

No. 635 Squadron was formed at Downham Market, equipped with Avro Lancaster's. The Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of No. 8 Group,  Air Vice Marshal Donald Bennett DSO, implemented his "strength in depth" policy by forming new Pathfinder Force squadrons with experienced aircrews from other PFF squadrons. Specifically, 635 Squadron was established using aircrews from No. 35 and No. 97 Squadrons, which also brought along Ground Crews and backroom staff from various PFF squadrons.

At the beginning of 1944, Bennett's Light Night Striking Force squadrons, consisting of Mosquito bombers, expanded to 12 squadrons by the end of World War II in 1945. He continued to utilise his strength in depth policy to support this expansion, carefully monitoring the recruitment of the two-person crews needed for each Mosquito crew, with a focus on securing the best navigators and pilots with operational experience. This careful oversight extended to the management of each Pathfinder Squadron within No. 8 Group PFF. Bennett personally selected each Squadron Commander. For No. 635 Squadron, Wing Commander Alan George Seymour Cousens, a Navigation Staff Officer at PFF HQ, was appointed to lead the squadron.

In April 1944, Bennett established 571 Mosquito Squadron at RAF Downham Market. However, within a few weeks, this squadron was relocated to another PFF station (Graveley) and subsequently to RAF Oakington. Throughout July 1944, Bennett was actively working on reforming No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron, which he successfully did at RAF Downham Market on 1 August 1944. He appointed Wing Commander Walter Winston Gilronan Scott, DFC, RAAF, to command No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron. Both Squadrons 635 and 608 remained at RAF Downham Market until late summer 1945. The losses of both squadrons are commemorated on Plaques 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Photo via Christopher Coverdale/Howard Lees Collection

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 95

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

ND704.  F2-L

24 / 25  MARCH 1944 - OP: BERLIN - GERMANY

T/O:  1847 HRS                                                                                                                      FRIDAY 24TH MARCH  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market

Photo via Jenny Grey Collection

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 96

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

JB356.  F2-X

30 / 31  MARCH 1944 - OP: NUREMBERG - GERMANY

T/O:  2200 HRS                                                                                                             THURSDAY 30TH MARCH  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 97

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

ND711.  F2-C

30 / 31  MARCH 1944 - OP: NUREMBERG - GERMANY

T/O:  2206HRS                                                                                                             THURSDAY 30TH MARCH  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market

Photo Via the Howard William Lees Collection 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 98

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

JB706.  F2-T

30 / 31  MARCH 1944 - OP: NUREMBERG - GERMANY

T/O:  2206HRS                                                                                                             THURSDAY 30TH MARCH  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market

Photo via the Nicholls family collection

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 99

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

ND820.  F2-W

10 APRIL 1944 - TRAINING ACCIDENT (BICKER - LINCS)

T/O:1058HRS                                                                                                                         MONDAY 10TH APRIL  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market

BICKER LANCASTER MEMORIAL on Caythorpe Road, a back road between Bicker and Donnington , off the Bl 181 and running almost parallel with A52. Avro Lancaster Bomber Mk. III, ND820, F2-W, At 10.58 hours on Monday 10th. April 1944, Lancaster ND820 F2-W, took off from RAF Downham Market on a routine training flight. The aircraft was only twenty-two minutes into its flight, when it was at about 8,000 it was seen to do a diving turn to port, then finally turning into a vertical dive from which it did not recover, crashing within the vicinity of the Cain. ND820 was a new aircraft with only six hours flying time recorded.

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 5.  AIRCREW No. 100

635 Squadron P.F.F. - Lancaster Mk. III

JB470.  F2-M

111 / 12 APRIL 1944 - OP: AACHEN - GERMANY

T/O: 2043 HRS                                                                                                                       TUESDAY 11TH APRIL  1944                                                                                                RAF Downham Market