Operation: St-Leu-d' Esserent, France (V1 Bomb stores)

Date: 7th/8th July 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 57 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM522

Code: DX:G

Base: RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire.

Location: Envermeu - South East Dieppe, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Stanley Findley 176090 RAFVR Age 29. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Thomas Spencer 2209623 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon 1671453 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. James Horton 1471891 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Wilfred Clark 1233900 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker 1895850 RAFVR Age 32. KiA (1)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Douglas Carter 1819918 RAFVR Age 26. KiA

Part of the Crew of Lancaster LM522 (Probably taken whilst with 14 OTU on Stirlings.) Rear left to right: James Horton, Douglas Carter, Viv(?), Wilfred Clark. Front left to right: Richard Kenneth Nixon, Stanley Findley

We welcome any further contact from relatives for this crew and encourage them to consider laying a wreath? Helps us to continue our voluntary research work.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF East Kirkby at 22:18 hrs to bomb the V1 flying bomb stores. Part of a 208 strong Lancaster force and a further 13 Mosquitos to attack the V1 stores at St-Leu-d' Esserent, 30 km North of Paris. 31 Lancasters were lost on this operation in fierce fighting with the German night-fighters.

The fuselage of LM522 can be seen 3rd from the left in the image of the Lancaster final assembly at Yeadon during 1944 on the Avro Heritage Museum.

LM522 or 9 Sqn Lancaster JB116 or 44 Sqn Lancaster ME859 was claimed by Hptm. Heinz-Horst Hissbach from 5./NJG2, his 19th Abschuss, east of Dieppe at 3.500m. at 01:45 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Above: Plt Off. Stanley Spencer and his young wife Connie outside her parents house in Skipton, Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon, Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker.

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Christmas dinner menu with autographs – 1943

Carl Thomas, cousin of Arthur Barker adds this:

“Arthur flew with Findley's crew to make up that night as he had already flown the night before and volunteered to make up the crew. Also I have been informed that it was the other crew members' first operation. Findley's wife was pregnant at the time and so was Arthur's. Both had girls but have never met. I also met the farmer who saw LM522 crash and he also found Findley in one of his fields still alive, But the strange thing is that he had no parachute attached and was found 1.5 miles from where the Lancaster crashed. I was also informed that the Lancaster was seen as if trying to find a place to put down when it stalled and fell in to the hill side 100 meters short of flat ground. Findley could not have been at the controls at this time as he was in the other direction of the aircraft”.

Burial details:

Envermue Cemetery July 1944 - 1956 - 2008 - 2013

Grave photographs taken at both Envermeu Communal Cemetery and St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery by our Kate Tame during her visit in 2012. Any relative who would like higher definition photographs please don't hesitate to contact us and we will supply them free of charge.

Plt Off. Stanley Findley. Envermeu Communal Cemetery, Grave 41. Son of John and Isobel, husband of Connie Findley of Grassington, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Thomas Spencer. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Grave Inscription: “SILENT THOUGHTS SWEET AND TENDER JUST TO SHOW WE STILL REMEMBER”. Son of Robert and Mary of Halsall, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Grave Inscription: “AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM”. Son of William and Charlotte Florence of Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England.

Sgt. James Horton. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Grave Inscription: “FATHER, IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW THY LOVED ONE SLEEPING”. Son of Percy Rowland and Edith Gertrude, of Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

Sgt. Wilfred Clark. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Edward and Hannah Mary. Husband of Joyce Evelyn Clark.

Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Grave Inscription: “RESTING IN A STRANGE LAND "OUR HERO"”. Son of Arthur and Ethel, husband of Irene E. A. Baker, of Strood, Kent, England.

Sgt. Douglas Carter. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery, French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Frederick and Alice May, husband of Jennie Olive Carter, of Alum Rock, Birmingham, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Tony Cantlow for the many photographs used, Alan Nixon for further information, Kate Tame for modern grave photographs and Carl Thomas for Sgt. Baker photograph (Jul 2016). Thanks to Wes Prevett for the link to the Avro website (Jul 2025).

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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