44 Squadron Lancaster III NE138 KM-Z Sq/Ldr. White, RAF Dunholme Lodge, lost without trace

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Archive Report: Allied Forces

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26/27.08.1944 No. 44 Squadron Lancaster III NE138 KM-Z Sq/Ldr. White

Operation: Gardening (see Gardening map)

Date: 26/27th August 1944

Unit: No. 44 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: NE138

Code: KM-Z

Base: RAF Dunholme Lodge

Location: Not known

Pilot: Sq/Ldr. J.E. White 66581 RAF PoW No further details available

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Arthur John Rickeard 1863568 RAFVR Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Nav: P/O. Roy Cyril Morgan Jones 179429 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Tom Edward Jenkins 1585758 RAFVR Age 31. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Leonard Frederick Arthur Marston 157900 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Walter McGregor Halliday Burnett 1550824 RAFVR Age 28. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Douglas Haig Watts 815235 RAFVR Age 25. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

41 Lancasters leaving on Gardening operations to Konigsberg, Danzig and Gydnia - Lancaster NE138 to drop its mines in the Gulf of Danzig area departing RAF Dunholme Lodge at 20:24hrs.

This made a return journey of some 1,790 miles - the maximum range of the Lancaster. 166 Squadron, also on mine laying operations, lost two aircraft over Denmark as a result of Luftwaffe night fighters but no claims were made for this aircraft - listed as lost without trace! The aircraft had flown just a total of 261 hours.

Burial details:

Sgt. Arthur John Rickeard. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 237. Son of Reginald Sim and Dorothy Gladys Burnett of Worthing, Sussex, England.

P/O. Roy Cyril Morgan Jones. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 211. Son of Albert Lewis Howe jones and Florence Agnes Jones.

Fl/Sgt. Tom Edward Jenkins. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 219. Son of Evan and Sarah Ann Jenkins of Brixton, London, England.

P/O. Leonard Frederick Arthur Marston. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 208. Son of Walter George and Florence maud Marston of South Benfleet, Essex, England.

Fl/Sgt. Walter McGregor Halliday Burnett. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 216. Son of William and Catherine (née Halliday) Burnett and husband of Margaret Burnett of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Fl/Sgt. Douglas Haig Watts. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 223. Son of Samuel Alfred and Mary Ann Watts of Radford, Nottinghamshire, England.

Researched for Aircrew Remembered by Linda Ibrom - May 2017 and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Thelma Leitch (niece) of Flight Sergeant Burnett.

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', Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', 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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