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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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7 Squadron Crest
19/20.05.1944 7 Squadron Lancaster III ND845 MG:C Wg Cdr. Barron, DSO & Bar, DFC, DFM

Operation: Le Mans Marshalling Yards, France

Date: 19th/20th May 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron, 8 (Pathfinder) Group. (motto: Per diem, per noctem - 'By day and by night')

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND845

Code: MG:C

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: Target area

Pilot: Wg Cdr. James Fraser Barron DSO & Bar, DFC, DFM, 401749 RNZAF Age 23. KiA

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Derek William Wood 963941 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Sqn Ldr. John Baker DSO, DFC, 120393 RAFVR Age 28. KiA (1)

Nav: Sqn Ldr. Philip Robert Coldwell DSO, DFM, 137578 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. Albert Price 54651 RAF Age 32. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Jack William Walters DFC, 404106 RNZAF Age 23. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Fg Off. Robert Lorne Weatherall DFM, J18150 RCAF Age 23. KiA (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): WO. Joseph Lamonby 947546 RAFVR Age 29. MiA


It is hoped to place a memorial to this crew in May 2020 relatives are invited to contact us for further information.


REASON FOR LOSS:

Leaving RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire at 22:22 hrs and flying as Master Bomber for this operation. Some 112 Lancasters taking part with 4 Mosquitoes as support.

Understood to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashing some 3 km North West of Le Mans airfield.

Although some reports state that it may have been involved in a mid-air collision with either the other aircraft lost from the Squadron HB653 MG-R or 115 Squadron Lancaster HK547 KO:F - German reports seized later state that they had been brought down by flak. We are unable to confirm either reports.

Above: the usual crew (courtesy Geoffrey Weatherall) Left to right: Wg Cdr. James Barron, Fg Off. Jack Walters, Plt Off. Albert Price, Sqn Ldr. Philip Coldwell, Sgt. John Johnson, Fg Off. Robert Weatherall, WO. Joseph Lamonby. Spaniel’s name unknown.

Above: Wg Cdr. Barron, his crew and ground crew. Lancaster III JB676 MG:K in the background. This photograph was taken before JB676 was lost. (Courtesy of Paul Markham)

Standing left to right: Ground-crew, Ground-crew, Ground-crew, Plt Off. Albert Price, Sgt. John Johnson, WO. Joseph Lamonby, Sqn Ldr. Philip Coldwell, Ground-crew, Ground-crew, Ground-crew: Front kneeling left to right: Ground-crew, Fg Off. Robert Weatherall, Wg Cdr. James Barron, Fg Off. Jack Walters, Ground-crew, Ground-crew.

Note: JB676 MG:K was shot down on the night of the 27th/28th April 1944. Wg Cdr. Lockhart and his crew were KiA. Sgt. John Elliot Johnson was the regular Flight Engineer on Wg Cdr. Barron's crew and as fate would have it he was KiA on this mission.

The loss of both highly experienced and much-decorated crews from 7 Squadron was a huge blow to the Pathfinder Force.

(1) John Baker was born on 11th August 1915, at Wednesbury, Staffs and was one of the nine children of John Goodger Baker,1883-1924 (Bilston) and Mary Helena Baker (nee Hayward) a seamstress and shirt maker 1883-1949 (Suffolk). John’s father was an engineer fitter, being a foreman engineer when he died due to an accident at work in 1924. He was working at Joseph Platts, King’s Hill, Wednesbury.

Educated at the Royal Orphanage School in Wolverhampton. After leaving school, John enlisted on 27th August 1932 at age 17 as 822423 Gunner J. Baker, Royal Artillery. Promoted to Lance Bombardier on 9th February 1935 and to Bombardier on 1st November 1937. After 6 years, on 26th August 1938 he transferred to the Royal Artillery Reserve.

On the outbreak of war John was recalled to the army and joined the 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment RA, equipped with 2 pounder anti-tank guns. In January 1940 the regiment was part of the British Expeditionary Force on the Belgium - France border. On 10th May, John’s unit went into action and was credited with destroying more German tanks than any other anti-tank battery. On 30th May it was pinned down in ditches by heavy German artillery fire and the CO and adjutant were both killed.

Delayed orders to destroy all equipment and escape on foot to Dunkirk were received 24 hours late, which gave the enemy a significant advantage. However, 5 officers and 284 men of 53rd Regt were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk in Operation Dynamo, including John Baker. Many other men were left behind in France either dead or as prisoners. John elected to volunteer for the RAF.

John joined the RAF as 657402 Aircraftman 2nd Class / Aircrafthand / General Duties RAF(VR). He clearly rose quickly through the ranks and obtained a commission. Pilot Officer: 12.5.1942 Flying Officer: 12.10.1942 Act Flt/Lt: 12.11.1942 Act Sqd Ldr. 27.4.1944

Pathfinder Badge 1942-09-29

This was a very early award of the coveted Pathfinder Badge. The certificate accompanying the badge was hand signed by the Pathfinder Force boss, the renowned Group Captain (later Air Marshall) Don 'Bingo' Bennett.

DFC Citation: 'During the many night operations this officer has been engaged upon, his work as navigator has been conspicuous for its skill and determination. He had guided his captain through the enemy defences to release his bombs with unvarying accuracy, achieving excellent results. An outstanding observer, Flight Lieutenant Baker has set a splendid example to his fellow navigators.'

DSO Citation: 'This officer has participated in a very large number of sorties, involving attacks on a wide range of well defended enemy targets. He is a fearless and devoted member of aircraft crew, whose determination to bomb his targets accurately has won him great success. In the air and on the ground his conduct has been exemplary and he had set the finest example of devotion to duty, never sparing himself in his efforts to strike at the enemy at every opportunity.'

On the night of 13th July 1942 John Baker and his crew left RAF Linton in Halifax W.7761 (TL-N) at 00:12 on a sortie of 5hrs and 10 minutes during which they bombed the German target of Duisberg. However, the bomb release mechanism partially failed over the target and a full release was not effected with the result that a 4,000lb ‘cookie’ bomb was still ‘hung up’ in the bomb bay. Despite the application of several different techniques it refused to leave the aircraft. The machine was thus flown home to the U.K. with the bomb still on board. However, as the risk of explosion was considered far too great it was decided that an attempted landing was out of the question.

As a result, the aircraft was abandoned at about 05:00am between Harrogate and Knaresborough where it was seen to roll over onto its back before catching fire and crashing onto farmland at Burn Bridge, Brackenthwaite. The 4,000lb bomb became detached from the aircraft a few seconds before impact and exploded about 1 mile from the crash site.

All seven crew members made successful descents by parachute. John Baker and his fellows thus became members of the Caterpillar Club by saving their lives by parachute.

Peenemunde 1943-08-17

John Baker took part in this famous raid in Halifax JB786 (G) of 35 Squadron. The sortie was of 7hrs 15mins duration and was to be his last sortie with this unit before his transfer to 405 Sqd RCAF at Gransden Lodge. The famous raid was one of the most important air attack’s of WW2. At this previously anonymous and unknown wilderness site, the Germans were working on the design and production of their V1 & V2 ‘revenge weapons’.

John Baker, son Teddy and Wife Prue

The raid was critically aimed at the skilled scientists and engineers working on the weapons as well as the weapons themselves. It was for this purpose that the raid commenced in the early hours of the morning while most were asleep in their rooms.

John’s final sortie was a critically important attack on the Le Mans railway marshalling yards where SOE intelligence had reported the positioning of many V1 flying bombs on railway rolling stock which were en route to the many launch sites around France. This distribution had to be stopped.

Their aircraft, Lancaster ND845 (MG:C) left RAF Oakington at 22:22 hrs on 19th May 1944.

After an initially uneventful flight and at the start of his role of Master Bomber at the target, John was heard giving directions to the oncoming bomber stream, when suddenly all communication ceased.

At the same instant, there was a similar and abrupt communication cessation from the other Lancaster JB653 (MG:R) of the deputy Master Bomber. Both aircraft were over Le Mans and although for obvious propaganda reasons enemy reports initially claimed they were shot down by flak, it is now believed the two Lancasters collided over the target. As John was new to 7 Squadron and only on his third Master Bomber sortie, he was flying as 2nd Pilot to Wg Cdr. Barron, and was the 8th crew member in ND845 that night. The other aircraft JB653 carried the normal 7 crewmen. All 15 men were lost from both aircraft.


John Baker's Medals (courtesy Medals of England)

(2) Born on 28 August 1920, Robert came from a large family of four brothers and four sisters. He graduated from Ottawa Technical High School in 1939 and secured a position as a shipper with The Capital Carbon & Ribbon Company. He was an avid sportsman and participated in a great many team and individual sports from rugby and baseball to boxing and pole vaulting as well as several others.

Robert Weatherall photograph courtesy Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada

He was obviously very eager to join the RCAF as he applied initially in November 1939 only to have his application form returned. However, after reapplying in April 1940 he was accepted and enlisted at Ottawa on 31st May 1940. After completion of basic training at RCAF Station Ottawa Robert was posted to 5 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, North Sydney on the 15th August 1940 until 9th July 1941 when he was posted to Y Depot Halifax to await embarkation. Whilst at Y Depot he married his fiance Mary Arsenault at Dartmouth on 31 July 1941 and nine days later sailed for the UK. After a month at No. 3 PRC Bournemouth, he was posted to 19 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Kinloss for training as a member of a night bombing crew.

Above: Air Gunners Course No. 27 at RAF Kinloss. Image taken between 29th September 1941 and 1st November 1941. The then Sgt. Weatherall is on the back row 2nd from the left. (Courtesy of Paul Markham

November of 1941 saw Robert posted to 207 Squadron stationed at RAF Bottesford near Grantham in Lincolnshire. Here he commenced his first tour on the 2nd January 1942 with a trip to St. Nazaire flying in troublesome Manchester bombers until April of that year when the squadron was re-equipped with Lancasters. Completing his tour, he was next posted to 11 OTU on the 3rd February 1943 spending the year there as a flight gunnery leader and instructor. Appointed to a commissioned that May he was posted to 7 Squadron on the 27th December 1943 crewing up with Wg Cdr. Barron. Their first sortie together, a raid on Stettin on 5th/6th January, had to be abandoned due to a complete failure of the oxygen system.

Sorties flown with Wg Cdr. Barron and crew:

5/6 January 1944 Settin - abandoned oxygen failure
14/15 January Brunswick
20/21 January Berlin
21/22 January Magdeburg
30/31 January Berlin
15/16 February Berlin
19/20 February Leipzig
20/21 February Stuttgart
24/25 February Schweinfurt
25/26 February Augsburg
15/16 March Stuttgart
18/19 March Frankfurt
30/31 March Nuremberg
18/19 April Tergnier
20/21 April Cologne
24/25 April Karlsruhle
7/8 May Nantes
19/20 May Le Mans - last heard on R/T over target directing attack

Weatherall Lake in Thunder Bay, Ontario was named after Fg Off. Weatherall in 1950




The older brother of Robert Weatherall, 29 year old Sapper, Walter Howard Weatherall C38373 serving with No. 9 Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers listed as MiA on the 10th August 1944, also in France. He is remembered on the Bayeux Memorial. Panel 21 Column 1.

Burial details:

Wg Cdr. James Fraser Barron DSO & Bar, DFC, DFM. Le Mans West Cemetery. Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Joint grave 20. Son of James Barron, and of Winifred Ellen Barron (nee Fraser), of Palmerston, Otago, New Zealand.

A total of 1264 flying hours experience and having completed 79 operational sorties. This was his third tour of operations.

He is also remembered on the grave of his friend 20 year old, Sgt. Donald Hodge who was killed on the 1st September 1941 on an operation to Köln as second pilot on Wellington Ic R1411 LN-N when it shot down during the return trip by the Lufwaffe ace Fw. Alfons Köster of NJG2 (see Kracker Luftwaffe Archive on this site) during landing - 5 crew were killed with the rear gunner surviving.

Sgt. Donald Hodge. Leigh Cemetery. Section 31. Grave C. 13. Son of the late Wilfred Hodge who passed away on the 24th January 1934. Leigh, Lancashire, England.

Flt Sgt. Derek William Wood. Le Mans West Cemetery. Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Joint grave 20. No further details - are you able to assist?

Sqn Ldr. John Baker DSO, DFC. Le Mans West Cemetery. Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 13. Grave inscription: "JOHN, DEAR HUSBAND OF PRUE, DADDY OF TEDDY. HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO HELP KEEP ENGLAND FREE. R.I.P". Son of John and Mary Baker, of Wednesbury, Staffordshire and husband of Edith Prudence Baker, of Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England

Sqn Ldr. Philip Robert Coldwell DSO DFM. Le Mans West Cemetery. Plot 38. 1939-45 Row C. Grave 12. Grave inscription: "...THAT IS FOREVER ENGLAND". Son of John G. Coldwell and Minnie Coldwell and husband of Betty Coldwell, of Wingate, County Durham, England.

Plt Off. Albert Price. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 212. Son of George and Rachael Price, of Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

Fg Off. Jack William Walters DFC. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 263. Son of J. V. and Cecelia C. M. Walters, of Gisborne, Auckland, New Zealand and husband of Julia Rosina Walters, of Hockwold, Norfolk, England.

Completed 51 operational sorties, this was his second tour of operations.

Fg Off. Robert Lorne Weatherall DFM. Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery. XXVII. G. 3. Grave inscription: "SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS" HE DIED THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE. GOD BLESS OUR SON". Born on the 28th August 1920 in Eastview, Ontario. Son of John James and Barbara (née Caulder) Weatherall of Eastview, Ontario. Husband of Mary Edna (née Arsenault) Weatherall of Eastview, Ontario, Canada.

WO. Joseph Lamonby. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 214. Born on the 15th April 1915. Son of Joseph William and Esther Lamonby, of Liverpool, England.

Researched By Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Also to Geoffrey Weatherall for crew photo. Stephen Oakes for grave photo of Sgt. Donald Hodge (Jan 2019). John Baker info added (Sep 2019). Robert Weatherall Bio notes and Commemorative link added (Jan 2023). Thanks to Paul Markham for the additional crew/Ground crew photograph and the OTU (Jan 2024). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2024)

Other sources listed below:

RS 20.01.2024 - Reviewed and updated with new crew photograph

Pages of Outstanding Interest
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CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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