The story
On Tuesday, 17 August 1943, (a part of) the aircraft of the 57 squadron (RAF), took off for a mission to Peenemunde in Germany from a station (airfield) in or near Scampton.
One of the crew members was Flight Sergeant C Butterworth. He departed for his mission at 21:44.
He flew with a Avro Lancaster (type III, with serial ED989 and code DX-F). His mission and of the other crew members was planned for Wednesday, 18 August 1943.
Info by Rob Davis:
SERIAL : ED989 * Please quote this in all correspondence * DATE : 17-Aug-1943 / 18-Aug-1943 UNIT : 57 Sqdn SQUADRON or UNIT CODES : DX:F AIRCRAFT : Avro Lancaster III RAF BASE : Scampton : GPS location 53.305902 / -0.551491 TAKE-OFF AT : 21:44 TARGET : Peenemunde CAUSE OF LOSS : Lost without trace Pilot : Wing Commander Walter Ralph Haskell DFC RAF 44563 (NCO:500645) [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 118. Son of John and Mary Haskell of Verwood Dorsetshire. Husband of Kathleen Doris Haskell of Verwood. (Distinguished Flying Cross) CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1799617 : Gazetted Commission Date : 04 October 1940 2nd Pilot : Flight Sergeant Cyril Butterworth RAFVR 1425005 [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 135. Son of George and Rose Butterworth of Heaton Mersey Lancashire. CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1530996 Flight Engineer : Sergeant Ronald Amos Charles Marti Stringer RAFVR 1467653 [Killed] 18 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 166 CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1808172 Navigator : Flying Officer James Jones RAFVR 133565 (NCO:1385179) [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 125 CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802312 : Gazetted Commission Date : 12 January 1943 Bomb Aimer : Sergeant John Furniss Harkness RAF 1550367 [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom . Son of Dr. Joseph Welsh Park Harkness, C.M.G., O.B.E., (Colonial Medical Service), and Florence Margaret Harkness. Student of Medicine (Glasgow University). CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1799411 Wireless Operator : Sergeant Donald Edwin Nye RAFVR 1384582 [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 160 CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1077849 Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant John Elwyn John RAFVR 1153102 [Killed] 17 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 155 CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802104 Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant James Lawrence Lamb RCAF R/164563 [Killed] 18 August 1943. Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom Panel 183 CWGC Casualty link : https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1802987 -------------------------------- If 2 service numbers are shown, the first is that held at the time of the incident; the second is for a previously or subsequently held rank. For example, an NCO granted a Commission or an Officer previously an NCO. "Gazetted Commission Date" is when the London Gazette published the Commission, which frequently postdates the date of seniority. -------------------------------- These are the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery details for this loss record:- Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom's GPS Location is 51.437693 / -0.564745, which has 20,300 casualties. You can use mapping software such as Google Earth (and its Street View) to look at these locations. -------------------------------- DETAILS : Named "Frederick III". The Commonwealth War Graves Commission online database does not give crew positions. Lost without trace; all members of the crew are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Harkness was a student of Medicine at Glasgow University; his father, Dr Joseph Welsh Park Harkness CMG OBE, served in the Colonial Medical Services. W/C Haskell was one of three squadron commanders reported missing from this operation. -------------------------------- The database has 3 publication references recorded for this aircraft loss:- Bomber Group At War. (ISBN 0711010870). Author : Bowyer, Chaz. Page no 121. Aircraft and crew (W/C Campbell Hopcraft DFC) inspected by HM King George VI, 27 May 43. -------------------------------- Lancaster At War 1. (ISBN 0711002258). Author : Garbett, Mike; & Goulding, Brian. Page no 120. Photo nose section. -------------------------------- Lancaster At War 4. (ISBN 0711018820). Author : Thorne, Alex. Page no 124. Photo of aircraft and crew (W/C Campbell Hopcraft DFC, 57 Sqdn). -------------------------------- There are 3 related aircraft losses on the database:- Other aircraft : LM342. 17/08/43 467 (RAAF) Sqdn Lancaster III, Peenemunde (Crashed into the sea) Pilot : S/L Alfred Sydney Raphael DFC RAFVR 68155 (NCO:929734) [Killed] Commission Date : 04 July 1941 F/E : Sgt Vivian Smith RAFVR 980905 [Killed] Nav : F/O Ronald George Carter DFC RCAF J/15862 [Killed] B/A : Sgt Frank Grey RAFVR 1317456 [Killed] 2/BA : F/L Martyn Hope Parry RAFVR 126019 (NCO:1334595) [Killed] Commission Date : 08 September 1942 W/Op : P/O Derrick Fielden RAFVR 149478 (NCO:751496) [Killed] Commission Date : 14 September 1943 M/U : Sgt Adam Cubie Brand RAFVR 1353125 [Killed] R/G : F/S Francis Beesley Garrett RAFVR 1154625 [Killed] These aircraft losses are related because: Another (acting) Squadron Commander who failed to return From This Operation -------------------------------- Other aircraft : EE117. 17/08/43 619 Sqdn Lancaster III, Peenemunde (Unknown) Pilot : W/C Irwin John McGhie RAF 32201 [Killed] 2/Pilot : P/O Victor George Stabell RAAF Aus/413037 [Killed] F/E : F/S Peter John Horsham RAF 574342 [Killed] Nav : F/O Elmont Gasper Prest RCAF J/15788 [Killed] B/A : P/O Peter Mylrea Goldsmith RAAF Aus/5015 [Killed] W/Op/AG : W/O1 Ford Arnold Thompson RCAF R/82736 [Killed] M/U : Sgt William Arthur Mitchell RAFVR 1426572 [Killed] R/G : Sgt Alfred Charles Richard Chapman RAFVR 1579639 [Killed] These aircraft losses are related because: Another Squadron Commander who failed to return from this operation -------------------------------- Other aircraft : DS681. 17/08/43 426 (RCAF Thunderbird) Sqdn Lancaster II, Peenemunde (Crashed / general) Pilot : W/C Leslie Crooks DSO DFC RAF 44054 (NCO:561078) [Killed] Commission Date : 23 July 1940 F/E : Sgt John Carmichael Hislop RAFVR 1567321 [Killed] Nav : F/S Alfred John Howes RAFVR 1254491 [Killed] B/A : Sgt K W Reading RAF 1217087 [PoW] W/Op/AG : F/L Francis Peter Marsh DFC RCAF J/15643 [Killed] M/U : P/O Theophilus Dos Santos RCAF J/26605 [Killed] R/G : P/O Henry Maxwell Smith RCAF J/18388 [Killed] These aircraft losses are related because: Another Wing Commander who failed to return from this operation -------------------------------- Summary of aircraft service:- 57 Sqdn May 43, Lost 18 Aug 43. 119 hours
Information about aircraft who did not return from this mission can be found here. Information about the other crew members on this flight can be found at this website (Aircrew Remembered). This website also provides the flight information for this record.
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