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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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467 Squadron Crest
467 Squadron Lancaster I ME575 PO-G P/O. Stephen Charles Grugeon

Operation: Berlin

Date: 27/28th January 1944 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 467 Squadron (RAAF) (motto: Recidite Adversarius Atque Ferociter - 'Your opponents will retreat because of your courageous attack'). 5 Group

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ME575

Code: PO-G

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.

Location: Ziegenhagen

Pilot: P/O. Stephen Charles Grugeon AUS/413855 RAAF Age 22. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Douglas McKechnie 1820939 RAFVR. Age ? Killed

Nav: Sgt. William Alfred Taylor 1321329 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Alec Bryce 1497914 RAFVR Age ? Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Keith Molyneux 1436972 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Dennis Alfred Taylor 1320825 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Edwin Schiedel R/169831 RCAF Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 17.42 Hrs. from Waddington, Lincolnshire to join a total of 515 Lancaster's and 15 Mosquitoes on the first night of 3 continuos night bombing on the German capital, Berlin.

The city was covered in cloud and sky marking had to be used. No assessment of the raid was possible by Bomber Command except that the bombing was widely spread. Local reports confirmed that some 61 small towns and villages outside the city were hit with 18 being killed. In the city itself a further 567 people were killed including 132 foreign workers. 20,000 people were bombed out of their homes.

Lancaster ME575 was probably hit by flak as nothing was heard from them since it left Waddington and no night fighters claimed this Lancaster. Another 467 Squadron Lancaster, ED539 PO-P flown by P/O. Cecil O'Brien was also lost with all crew on the same raid. The raid cost the allies with 33 aircraft were lost with 183 aircrew killed, a further 52 being made PoW.

Burial details:

P/O. Stephen Charles Grugeon. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. Son of Francis and Alta Doris Grugeon; husband of Merle Phyllis Grugeon, of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Douglas McKechnie. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. No additional information, are you able to assist?

Sgt. William Alfred Taylor. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. Son of Herbert John Taylor, and of Margaret Isobel Taylor, of Shepherd's Bush. London.

Fl/Sgt. Alec Bryce. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. Son of John and Sarah Ellen Bryce, of Sutton Oak, St. Helens, Lancashire.

Sgt. Keith Molyneux. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. Son of George Leonard and Florrie Molyneux, of Waterloo, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire.

Sgt. Dennis Alfred Taylor. Hanover War Cemetery Collective grave 1.A. 1-6. Son of Herbert John Taylor, and of Doris May Taylor, of Harold Hill, Essex.

Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Edwin Schiedel. Hanover War Cemetery Grave 1.A. 7.. Son of Leonard and Mary Schiedel, of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

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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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