PLAQUE 8

Scroll through each aircrew listing on Plaque eight, it 141 to 146

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 141

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

ND735.  F2-P

7 /8 MARCH 1945 - OP: DESSAU - GERMANY

T/O: 1730 HRS                                                                                                          WEDNESDAY  7TH FEBRUARY  1945                                                                                          RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
1682304 Pilot Flight Sergeant Thomas Kelly RAF VR 21 KIA
1685149 Navigator Flight Sergeant Terrance Ashworth RAF VR 22 KIA
1322361 Bomber Aimer Flight Sergeant Jack Levey RAF VR 21 KIA
1344795 Wireless Operator/ A/G Sergeant Forbes Minty Harvey RAF VR 24 KIA
1587016 Air Gunner Flight Sergeant William John Goodbody RAF VR 21 KIA
1895579 Air Gunner Sergeant Alastair James Dallas Wares RAF VR 19 KIA
1861942 Flight Engineer Sergeant James Stanley Mohun RAF VR 20 KIA

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 142

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

PB911.  F2-A

30 MARCH 1945 TRAINING ACCIDENT SWAYFIELD - LINCS 

T/O: 1030 HRS                                                                                                                            FRIDAY  30TH MARCH  1945                                                                                          RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
177009 Pilot Flying Officer Donald Dixon RAF VR 25 KIA
1625985 Navigator Flight Sergeant Stanley Albert Pimm RAF VR 20 KIA
1315463 Bomber Aimer Flight Sergeant Ronald Goddard RAF VR 21 KIA
658071 Wireless Operator/ A/G Flight Sergeant Noel Davies RAF VR 27 KIA
1603593 Air Gunner Flight Sergeant James George William Harcourt RAF VR 22 KIA
1558504 Air Gunner Flight Sergeant Robert MacLennan Wilson RAF VR 20 KIA
1894397 Flight Engineer Sergeant Stanley Edward Robinson RAF VR 19 KIA

Donald Dixon &  his crew, standing alongside No.460 Squadron Halifax CB 'Y' before transferring to 8 Group Path Finder Force at NTU Warboys to convert to Lancaster before being assigned to Pathfinders  635  Squadron at RAF Downham Market.  Left to right: Flight Engineer Stan Robinson, Skipper Don Dixon, Rear Gunner Bobby Wilson, Wireless Op Noel Davis, Bomb Aimer Ronnie Goddard, Navigator Stanley Pimm's. Air Gunner Jim Harcourt took the photo. Photo via the Pimm's family collection.   

 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 143

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

PB958.  F2-P

31 MARCH 1945 - OP: HAMBURG - GERMANY

T/O: 0649 HRS                                                                                                                       SATURDAY 31ST MARCH 1945                                                                                          RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
422590 Pilot Flying Officer Arthur Lewis RAAF 22 KIA
435185 Navigator Flight Sergeant Kevin George Clark RAAF 20 KIA
437046 Bomber Aimer Flight Sergeant Eric Chenoweth RAAF 20 KIA
432545 Wireless Operator/ A/G Flight Sergeant Colin Delaney RAAF 20 KIA
433167 Air Gunner Flight Sergeant Neville Edward Peters RAAF 20 KIA
431320 Air Gunner Flying Officer John James Kennelly RAAF 22 PoW
2218761 Flight Engineer Sergeant Alex Philip Weir RAFVR 33 KIA

Photo left: portrait of Rear Gunner Flight Sergeant John Kennelly. RAAF age 22 who was captured and taken as a Prisoner Of War. Middle Photo:  Navigator Flight   Sergeant Stanley Albert Pimm, Right is Flight Engineer Sgt Stanley Edward Robinson. No other crew member's photos are available; Pimm's photo is from Trevor Williams.  What we know is that Dixon and crew were detailed on Fishpond and H2S training over Lincolnshire. They flew into low cloud, iced up and lost control due to the icing, and never recovered. Several of the crew were seen to bale out, but they were too low and their chutes never opened. The aircraft was seen to dive headfirst into a farmer's ploughed field,  according to local land workers who heard and saw the aircraft crash.

Circumstances of the loss of Lancaster PB958 by its rear gunner, John Kennelly: "Aircraft hit by flak and set on fire, finished off by ME.262. (31 March 1945) I reported an aircraft (ME.262) on the starboard quarter and to port, but received no reply from the pilot. A few seconds later, the skipper screamed out,' Get out -get out'. I was the only one to acknowledge. Injuries unknown, but they were unable to bale out as their parachutes were not pulled when I saw their bodies on the ground near the aircraft".

 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 144

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

4 / 5 APRIL 1945 - OP: HARBURG - GERMANY

T/O: 2005 HRS                                                                                                                         WEDNESDAY 4TH  APRIL 1945                                                                                        RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
417049 Pilot Flight Lieutenant Philip Edward Cawthorne DFC RAF VR 23 KIA
191391 Navigator 1 Pilot Officer George Wilson DFC RAF VR N/A Evaded Capture
191405 Navigator 2 Pilot Officer Bryan George Roberts DFC RAF VR 22 Evaded Capture
164595 Bomber Aimer Flying Officer Frank Myles Williams RAF VR 21 PoW
429266 Wireless Operator/ A/G Warrant Officer Thomas Read RAF VR 21 KIA
1587862 Air Gunner Flight Sergeant Ronald Victor Moore RAF VR 20 KIA
R250856 Air Gunner Warrant Officer II Irvine James Kinney RCAF 18 KIA
1320892 Flight Engineer Flight Sergeant Bernard Richard McMaster RAF VR 21 PoW

Flight Lieutenant Philip Edward Cawthorne and crew.  Warrant Officer 2nd class. I.J. Kinney was only 18 years old when he was assigned to 635 Squadron, making him the youngest Canadian airmen to be stationed with the squadron.

It also made him the youngest Canadian to die serving with the Pathfinders; those who knew him were full of praise for the youngster. According to Senior rear gunner Pilot Officer Jack Catford, who was crewed up with Swiss Pilot & Flight  Commander Flight Lieutenant Emmy Mange. “The kid was an exceptional air gunner, and he was rated highly by me and our gunnery leader, Squadron Leader Frank Kelsh. ‘He was deadly’, with a Browning  machine, and a   marksman with a .303 rifle on the base shooting range."

Warrant Officer II Irvine James Kinney was often put right by his skipper if he stepped out of line.   Photo left: Phil Cawthorne and crew. Flight Engineer Flight Sergeant B.R. McMaster's flying logbook explained what happened to the crew.

"Shot  down by enemy fighter, 10kms west of  Meppen, 70kms from   Emden, baled out at 18,000ft, captured by the Germans,  released by the Russians on 5 May 1945, 4 Members of the crew did not return."   Photos via Bernard McMaster

 

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 145

608 (NORTH RIDING) Squadron L.N.S.F. - MOSQUITO Mk. BXVI

RV359.  6T-X

21 / 22 APRIL 1945 - OP: KIEL - GERMANY

T/O: 2145 HRS                                                                                                                       SATURDAY  21ST   APRIL 1945                                                                                        RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
83246 Pilot Squadron Leader Eric Stanley Few DFC & AFC RAF VR 25 KIA
190300 Navigator Pilot Officer Samual Stevenson Campbell RAF VR 23 KIA

RAF DOWNHAM MARKET AIRFIELD CAIRN MEMORIAL (PLAQUE 8.  AIRCREW No. 146

608 (NORTH RIDING) Squadron L.N.S.F. - MOSQUITO Mk. BXVI

PF502  6T-J

7 / 8 JUNE 1945 - NIGHT TRAINING Airfield Accident

T/O: 2214 HRS                                                                                                                                       THURSDAY  7 JUNE 1945                                                                                        RAF Downham Market

Service No Duty Rank Name Origin Age Outcome
1385470 Pilot Warrant Officer John Charles Portway RAF VR 23 KIA
1588197 Navigator Sergeant Edward Scott Stephen RAF VR 25 KIA

BOMBER BOYS

The 8th Plaque at the Downham Market airfield memorial completes the Pathfinder Losses for  635 squadron & 608 (North Riding) Squadron. Underneath this is a special poem, a salute to the Bomber Boys, written by Chris Coverdale. It reflects so much, but as a very good friend who has watched Chris Coverdale from the start to the completion of this amazing memorial, I would add that the Downham Market Airfield memorial poem reflects even more.

The Bomber Boys' poem acknowledges the profound respect for the loyalty, admiration, selflessness, courage, and skills of those bomber boys, who carried out their operations on the darkest of nights, knowing the odds of returning were stacked against them.

Chris encountered numerous headwinds and turbulence en route to achieving his objective, namely to create a substantial and meaningful tribute to airmen listed in the losses he had never met, but with whom he felt a deep connection.

The Poem captured the scene, the times, the emotion and the proud defiance of them all to fight for freedom.  The memorial and wonderful poem is Inspirational!

The RAF Downham Market Bomber Boys are Chris Coverdale's heroes, but he, in turn, would be theirs, as he is mine.

Mr Jeff Bell, Glinton, Peterborough.