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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07/08.10.1943 No. 426 Squadron Lancaster II DS689 OW-S P/O. Summers

Operation: Stuttgart

Date: 07/08th October 1943 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit: No. 426 Squadron (RCAF)

Type: Lancaster II

Serial: DS689

Code: OW-S

Base: RAF Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire

Location: Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France

Pilot: P/O. Malcolm Barnes Summers J/18532 RCAF Age 20. Killed (1)

Pilot 2: Fl/Sgt. Francis John Neal R/123716 RCAF Age 21. Killed (2)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. C.J. Bettesworth 1604632 RAFVR Evaded capture.

Nav: F/O. J.J. Beaton J/22490 RCAF Evaded capture

Air/Bmr: P/O. James Wilde J/18537 RCAF Age ? Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Glyndwr Davies 158798 RAFVR Age 27. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Edward Aldous 1527318 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Peter Edward Newland 53012 RAF Age 22. Killed.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 20.32 hrs. RAF Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire joining 323 Lancasters on a deep penetration into Germany to bomb Stuttgart. This operation being the first to start using the ABC (3) jamming system and to good effect, with only a small number of aircraft lost on this raid.

426 Squadron Lancaster DS689 OW-S (courtesy Derek Durnbrell)

The city was cloud covered and during the latter part of the operation severe fog set in. Reports from Stuttgart state that many bombs fell over a scattered area with 344 mainly dwellings houses were destroyed a further 4,586 were damaged. 104 people were killed including 36 who were drowned when a water main burst and flooded the under ground shelter they were in.

DS689 was intercepted on its home run and shot down by Oblt. Ferdinland Christiner (4) of 5./NJG4 at 23.24 hrs at 3.800 mtrs, his second abscüss of the night.

(1) Pilot, P/O. Summers, was part of a 427 Squadron Wellington crew who, after returning from an operation to St. Nazaire on March 3rd 1943, whilst over Southern Ireland forced to abandon their Wellington X3563 ZL-T. All bailed out and for a short period interned.

 

(2) Neale Lake East of McPherson Lake was renamed after Fl/Sgt. Francis John Neal in 1994.

Left: P/O. Peter Edward Newland (courtesy Angela Olah - great niece)

(3) Airborne Cigar - The only signs of special equipment were two 7 - foot aerials on top of the Lancaster fuselage, another below the bomb-aimer’s window and a shorter receiver at the top-rear of the fuselage. Because of the weight of the radio equipment and extra crew member the aircraft had a reduced bomb load of 1000 lbs.

(4) This was the last claim for Oblt. Ferdinland Christiner. On the 5/6th July 1944 he was shot down and killed North West of Beauvais, France.

Burial details:

P/O. Malcolm Barnes Summers. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 4. Son of Waldo D. Summers and Ethel B. Summers, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Fl/Sgt. Francis John Neal. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 2. Son of William Merton Neal and Frances Jean Scott Neal, of St. Vital, Manitoba, Canada.

P/O. James Wilde. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 1. From Montreal, Quebec, Canada. No further information available as yet. Batchelor Arts degree - promoted posthumously to P/O. R/66444.

P/O. Glyndwr Davies. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 3. Husband of Vera Mary Davies, of Bridgend Glamorgan, Wales.

Sgt. George Edward Aldous. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 6. Son of William and Ann Aldous, of Salford, Lancashire, England.

P/O. Peter Edward Newland. Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France Cemetery. Grave 5. Son of George Douglas and Annie Elizabeth Newland, husband of Joyce Newland, of Loddon Norfolk, England. Joyce was born on 14th May 1920 - died on the 29th December 2001 - they married just 6 weeks prior to his loss.

Researched and dedicated to relatives of the crew with thank to the following for additional information: Angela Olah - great niece of P/O. Newline. Derek Durnbrell for tremendous aircraft photo, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol. 4', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and  2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Les Allison and Harry Hayward - 'They Shall Grow Not Old', Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Gerald F. Holm and Anthony P. Buchner 'A Place of Honour', The Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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