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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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44 Squadron Crest
08/09.01.1943 No. 44 Squadron (Rhodesia) Lancaster I W4176 KM-X P/O. Shattock

Operation: Gardening (Sea/coastal mine laying by aircraft)

Date: 08/9th January 1943 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No: 44 Squadron (Rhodesia) Motto: "Fulmina regis iusta" ("The King's thunderbolts are righteous").

Badge: On a mount an elephant. The badge is based upon the seal of Lo Bengula, the chief of the Matabeles on conquest. The seal shows an elephant which, in the case of this unit, is intended to indicate heavy attacks. Authority: King George VI, October 1941.

In September 1941, the squadron's title was altered to "No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron" in recognition of that country's generous donations to the war effort. This was particularly appropriate as about a quarter of the squadron's personnel were Rhodesian.

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4176

Code: KM-X

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.

Location: North Sea, West of Sylt, Denmark.

Pilot: P/O. Nicholas Coryndon Shattock 80461 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. William Barrett 541539 RAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed (2)

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Edward Francis Stack AUS/402412 RAAF Age 30. Missing - believed killed (3)

Air/Bmr: Sgt. Michael John Crowley 1036177 RAFVR Age 30. Missing - believed killed (4)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Hubert William Howe (Billy) Morton RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed (5)

Air/Gnr (mid upper): Sgt. John Anthony Martin Bell 1330611 RAFVR Age 19. Missing - believed killed (6)

Air/Gnr (rear): Sgt. Reginald Edwin Gladwish 1330780 RAFVR Age 23. Missing - believed killed (7)


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REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire at 17:54 one of 73 Lancasters detailed to lay mines off the Danish and German coastline where it is understood it was intercepted and shot down in the target area at around 2500 metres ‘probably’ by Maj. Günther Radusch (8) of II./NJG3 at 20:00 hrs. The aircraft is thought to have come down in the North Sea west of Sylt, Denmark.

The members of this crew apart from Sgt. Bell and Sgt. Barrett were posted in to No. 44 Squadron from No. 207 Squadron on 16 October 1942 and the crew had completed at least 8 operations with No. 44 Squadron prior to this one.

Two aircraft were lost on this operation and both from the same squadron.

Details of the other Lancaster lost are:

Lancaster W4277 KM-S Flown by Fl/Sgt. Milton James Paige R.C.A.F. who, along with his 6 other crew members were all killed when their aircraft was shot down by Fw. Ernst Baader of 4./NJG3 over the area Rise-Hjarup 3 km north of Aabenraa, Denmark earlier at 19.40 hrs. The bodies of that crew were all recovered and buried in Aabenraa.



BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS


(1) P/O. Nicholas Coryndon Shattock was born on 19 September 1921 at Barbeton, Transvaal, South Africa the son of Leonard and Nancy Shattock nee Greathead. He had a brother Jim Selby Shattock (1918-2004)

He entered, Gaul House at Plumtree School, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in January 1935. After passing his Cambridge Certificate in December 1939, he started farming in the Banket District of Southern Rhodesia. He attested in the Air Force in September 1940, received preliminary training in Southern Rhodesia, and proceeded overseas in June 1941. (Details courtesy Plumtree School - Old Prunitians - Roll of Honour)

778397 Sgt Nicholas Coryndon Shattock was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) on 1 October 1942 (London Gazette 29 December 1942)


He is commemorated on the Plumtree School Roll of Honour and Ruzawi Preparatory School War Memorial, near Marandellas, Rhodesia




(2) Sgt. William Barrett was born on 19 February 1919 at Ardagh, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland the son of Patrick (Paddy) Barrett (a Farmer) and Ellen Barrett nee Harrold. He emigrated to England before the war and joined the RAF. His brother, Air Gunner Fl/Sgt Michael Barrett 1798959 RAFVR was killed when Lancaster MZ494 C8-B of No. 640 Squadron crashed during a raid on Witten on 19 March 1945. He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, German. To read the story of the loss please click here











PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Since William and Michael Barrett were citizens of the neutral Republic of Ireland it is perhaps interesting to note the following details from the Irish Independent newspaper of 11 November 2012.

Irish neutrality in World War Two was a most extraordinary thing. The first RAF bomber pilot to be shot down and killed in 1939 was Willie Murphy from Cork. His navigator, Larry Slattery, from Thurles [County Tipperary] became the longest-serving 'British' POW of the war.

The co-pilot of the last RAF bomber to be shot down over Germany, in May 1945, Sgt W Mackay, who was killed, was Irish too.[Sgt. William Henry Vasey MacKay from Glenageary Co. Dublin]

In all, some 250 men from neutral independent Ireland died with RAF Bomber Command, compared with 218 Frenchmen, 136 Czechs and 34 Norwegians, all of whose countries were at war.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/the-forgotten-...






(3) Fl/Sgt. Edward Francis Stack was born on 16 May 1922 in New South Wales, Australia the son of Edward North (Bunny) Stack and Matilda Stack nee Hall-Brown of 12 Anglo Street Greenwich, New South Wales, Australia. He had a sister Jean Elizabeth Stack born in 1908. He was ducated at North Sydney Intermediate High School (1925-1928) and after leaving school worked as a Clerk for Gibbs Bright & Co and afterwards as a Storeman and Depot keeper and Wages Clerk for 6 years in the employ of the Metropolitan Water, Sewerage and Drainage Board in Sydney.

On his enlistment at Sydney on 19 August 1940 he was described as being 5' 10½" tall weighing 157lbs with a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He was a golfer, surfer and tennis player.

After training at No. 2 Initial Training School at RCAF Bradfield Park, Sydney he embarked for South Africa on 4 November 1940 arriving at Durban on 4 December en route for training in Southern Rhodesia. From Durban he travelled to the Initial Training Wing at Bulawayo arriving on 14 December. Two weeks later he was posted to No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School at Guinea Fowl, Gweru for training on de Havilland Tiger Moths and Fairchild Cornells.

On 31 January 1941 he was re-mustered as an Air Observer and on 14 February 1941 he was posted to No. 7 Air Observer Navigation School later renamed No. 47 Air School for Air Observer Type B training on Avro Ansons and Airspeed Oxfords.

At the end of his training he was posted to Lyttleton Camp at Pretoria, a holding camp, and on 20 September embarked for the UK where on arrival he was posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre and on 28 October to No. 14 Operational Training Centre, RAF Cottesmore, Rutland for training on Handley Page Hampdens and/or Herefords. After crewing up here he was posted to No. 44 Squadron at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire on 12 May and shortly afterwards on 6 July was posted to No. 1 Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit at RAF Portreath, Cornwall. It seems that he was detailed along with Nicholas Shattock as part of the crew detailed to fly Lancaster R5494 KM-O of No. 44 Squadron to Gibralter and although the aircraft crashed on landing there were no casualties.

On return to No.44 Squadron on 17 August he commenced training on Lancasters withe the squadron Conversion Flight and after training was posted on 8 September to No. 207 Squadron at RAF Bottesford on the border between Lincolnshire and Leicestershire and shortly afterwards moved to RAF Langar in Nottinghamshire on 20 September.

He is commemorated on the Mosman War Memorial New South Wales and Panel 130 of the Australian War memorial in Canberra


(4) Sgt. Michael John Crowley was born in 1913 at Pontypool Monmouthshire, Wales the eldest child of Jeremiah Crowley and Johanna Crowley nee Desmond. He had five siblings: Dennis Crowley born 1916, Johanna Crowley born 1920, Mary A. Crowley born 1922. Jeremiah F. Crowley born 1926 and Kevin Crowley born 1930.

He is commemorated on the Pontypool War Memorial Gates, Pontypool Park, Hanbury Road, Pontypool.


(5) P/O. Hubert William Howe (Billy) Morton was born in 1920 at Chester, Cheshire, the son of Hubert and Nellie Gertrude Morton nee Howe, of Cardiff, Wales. He had a brother John E. Morton born 1923 and a sister Mary D. Morton born 1925.

818184 Fl/Sgt. Hubert William Howe Morton was commissioned as a Pilot officer on probation (emergency) on 16 June 1942 (London Gazette 16 March 1943)


(6) Sgt. John Anthony Martin Bell was born in 1923 at Eastry, Kent the son of John Bell and Delcy Bell nee Fisher later of Crowhurst, Surrey, England

He is commemorated on a War Memorial at St George's Church, Crowhurst.



(7) Sgt. Reginald Edwin Gladwish was born in 1920 at Willesden, Middlesex the only child of Edwin R. Gladwish and Ethel M. Gladwish nee Walton later of Kilburn, Middlesex, England

(8) Günther "Fips" Radusch was born on 11 November 1912 at Schwetz in Westpreußen.He was already a night fighter ace (13) at the time of this combat. He was one of the leading Night fighters with 140 combat missions, 64 Night and 1 Day victories (Spain). In one night, he achieved seven victories. After leading NJG-5 (August 1943), he was also Kdr of NJG-2 and then NJG-3 (November 1944) until the surrender.

He survived the war and died in Nordstrand, Schleswig-Holstein on July 29th 1988 of natural causes.

Awards

Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords

Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross 1939) 2nd and 1st Class

Ehrenpokal (Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe) 19 October 1942

Deutsches Kreuz (German Cross) in Gold 13 February 1943

Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) 29 August 1943

Eichenlaub (444th Oak Leaves) 6 April 1944



MEMORIAL DETAILS

P/O. Nicholas Coryndon Shattock. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 133

Sgt. William Barrett. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 141

Fl/Sgt. Edward Francis Stack. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 193

Sgt. Michael John Crowley. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 146

P/O. Hubert William Howe (Billy) Morton. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 132

Sgt. John Anthony Martin Bell. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 142

Sgt. Reginald Edwin Gladwish. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel No. 150



Page of Remembrance created for Mr. William Aimer, nephew of P/O. Morton, Ms. Mary Fitzpatrick (cousin) and Paddy Enright (nephew)of F/Sgt. William Barrett and all other relatives and friends of the crew.


With thanks to the sources quoted below.

RW 04.07.2017 Substantial additions of biographical details and photographs.

RW 26.04.2018 Photographs of William Barrett courtesy of Paddy Enright (nephew) added

RW 29.09.2018 Bio details of William Barrett amended per birth cert. courtesy Mary Fitzpatrick

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
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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