Operation: Sombor, Yugoslavia, (Serbia)
Date: 3/4th July 1944
Unit: 148 Squadron RAF (Special Duties-SOE), Balkan Air Force
Type: Halifax B.II
Serial No: JP292
Code: FS-W
Base: Brindisi, Italy
Location: Backi Gracac. Serbia
Pilot: W/O. Charles Thomas Fairweather 656958 RAF Age 24. Killed
Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Richard Jacques 1672823 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Nav: P/O. Allen Haigh 182988 RAFVR Age ? Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. John Stanley Brown J/22188 RCAF Age ? Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Frederick Houghton 1146101 RAFVR Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr/Disp: Fl/Sgt. Leonard James Smith 1335857 RAFVR Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. John Easton 1568744 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
We are pleased to be able to offer the story of Fl/Sgt. Leonard James Smith as researched by Terry Maker. This remarkable 90 page article "Missing - believed killed" can be downloaded free of charge - please contact us.
Reason for Loss:
Halifax JP292 FS-W, took off from Brindisi, Italy at 20:45, local time, Monday 3rd of July 1944, on Operation 401C, and failed to return.
The ‘recovery’ of their story, after its loss for 65 years, owes itself to one ‘dog-eared’ photograph that raised interest, and had to be investigated.
W/O. Charles Thomas Fairweather. Belgrade War Cemetery, Yugoslavia, Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of Charles and Catherine Fairweather, of North Shields, Northumberland, England.
Fl/Sgt. Richard Jacques. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of George Jacques and Margaret Turnbull of Ashington, Northumberland, England.
P/O. Allen Haigh. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of Mr Ernest, and Isabella Haigh, of Birkenhead, the Wirral, Cheshire, England.
F/O. John Stanley Brown. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. From Wetaskawin, Albert, Canada. No further details, are you able to assist?
Fl/Sgt. Ronald Frederick Houghton. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of Frederick and Clara Houghton, husband of Betty Houghton, of Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
Fl/Sgt. Leonard James Smith. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of James and Margaret Smith, husband Of Ethel Annie Smith, of Coventry, England.
Fl/Sgt. John Easton. Belgrade War Cemetery. Collective grave 1.E.1-7. Son of John and Mary Cook Easton, of Dundee, Scotland.
Article prepared by Terry Maker, cousin of Fl/Sgt. Leonard James Smith. Terry runs the Operation Dark of the Moon Yahoo group about these specialised squadrons and more can be read on his website.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 21 April 2015, 23:00