Operation: Gardening

Date: 29/30th September 1942 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit: No. 9 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4237

Code: WS-W

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Location: Crashed near Stettin, Poland.

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Laurance Walter Goalen 1386536 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. James Victor Redshaw 1011028 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Donald Patrick Shanley 1291832 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Alan Gilbert Boughtwood 1376768 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. David Bruce Paton 1176975 RAFVR Age 35. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Vincent Joseph Louis Lebano R/95574 RCAF Age 24. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Edwin Watts 962662 RAFVR Age ? Killed

Update July 2018 - Informed that this aircraft may have been on an operation to drop supplies to the Polish Underground - Records then checked and the Squadron ORB state that it was on a mine laying operation. (With thanks to our Kate Tame for the ORB copy)

Update August 2019 - According to the latest Edition of the Nachtjagd Combat archive (Author: Dr. Theo Boiton) no claims by night fighters for this loss. Neither are any claims by flak units. With thanks to John Jones for pointing this out. Research continues.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Tasked to carry our mine laying (Gardening) in the ‘Willows’ area of the Baltic and taking off from base in Lincolnshire.

14 Lancasters taking part with just the one loss loss that of W4237 thought to have been shot down by the Luftwaffe ace, Oblt. Hans Schmid (1) (this his 19th claim of the war) of 6./NJG3. (See update)

Oblt. Hans Schmid is understood to have survived the war with 13 night and 15 day operational claims.

Lancaster WS-C at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Laurance Walter Goalen. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of Walter Laurance and Elsie May Goalen, of East Cowes, Isle of Wight, England.

Sgt. James Victor Redshaw. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of James Victor and Kathleen Rose Redshaw, of Spring Bank, Hull, England.

Sgt. Donald Patrick Shanley. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of Patrick and Hilda Mary Shanley, of Slough, Buckinghamshire, England.

Sgt. Alan Gilbert Boughtwood. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Grave 2. AA. 6. Son of Thomas George and Gertrude Boughtwood, of Billericay, Essex, England.

Fl/Sgt. David Bruce Paton. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of Hugh and Esther Paton, husband of Mary Howorth Paton, of Tilford, Surrey, England.

Sgt. Alan Gilbert Boughtwood. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Grave 2. AA. 6. Son of Thomas George and Gertrude Boughtwood, of Billericay, Essex, England.

Fl/Sgt. David Bruce Paton. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of Hugh and Esther Paton, husband of Mary Howorth Paton, of Tilford, Surrey, England.

Sgt. Vincent Joseph Louis Lebano. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. Son of Louis and Clara Miron Lebano, husband of Denise Marie Rita Lebano, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Sgt. John Edwin Watts. Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. Coll. grave 2. AA. 7-10. No further details - are you able to assist?

Right: 9 Squadron Lancaster I W4237 Crew? Contact us if you recognise any of them please.

Researched for Brian Sidney Barnes - relative of the pilot and dedicated to all the relatives of the crew. Sources as quoted below. With thanks also to our Kate Tame for checking the Squadron Operational Book - July 2018.