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.