Operation: Sterkrade

Date: 16th/17th June 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 434 (Bluenose) Squadron, RCAF

Type: Halifax III

Serial: MZ297

Code: WL:Z

Base: RAF Croft, Yorkshire

Location: Alphen-aan-den-rijn, Southern Holland

Pilot: Fg Off. Earl Stewart Dwyer J19788 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. John Henry Bolton 1864874 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Stanley Keith Kaiser R129941 RCAF Age 25. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. James Cornwallis Lummis J28211 RCAF Age 23. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: WO1. Arthur Robert Moorby R93814 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Thomas Duncan Turner R173655 RCAF Age 29. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Norman Erick Moore R196185 RCAF Age 31. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22:40 hrs from Croft in North Yorkshire to attack the synthetic oil plant. The total aircraft taking part on this raid being 321 aircraft. Heavy cloud covered the target and most of the bombing was scattered over a large area. Very little damage was done to the oil plant but 21 Germans and 6 foreigners were killed with 18 houses destroyed in the vicinity.

Above: Rear L-R: WO1. Arthur Robert Moorby, Sgt. Norman Erick Moore, Sgt. Thomas Duncan Turner, Fg Off. Earl Stewart Dwyer. Front: Fg Off. James Cornwallis Lummis, Flt Sgt. Stanley Keith Kaiser. Sgt. John Henry Bolton is not in the photograph - perhaps he took the photograph?

4 Halifaxes from 434 Squadron were lost this night.

LK792 WL:N flown by Fg Off. McQueen RCAF With all 7 crew members killed.
LK801 WL:D flown by WO1 Laffin RCAF With 1 crew member killed, 5 made PoW and another evading capture.
LW433 WL:W flown by Flt Sgt. Haldenby RCAF With 3 crew members killed, 3 made PoW and another evading capture.

MZ297 was shot down by Hptm. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab IV./NJG1 with combat taking place at 4,000 mtrs at 01.54 hrs. Hptm. Schnaufer (already an ace at this time with an incredible 79 victories) survived the war but was killed in a car accident in France in 1945. (Total of 121 night victories)

A poem, written by Oswald John Lumis, was sent to Aircrew Remembered by Marian McKiernon (cousin), now in our Poetry Section. We are pleased to write that Mark Lummis contacted us in November 2018 and confirmed the authors name.

The Drenthe Air War Research Foundation has placed a Lost Wings information panel near the crash location of this Halifax and dedicated a page to the aircraft and crew on their Website.

Burial details:

Fg Off. Earl Stewart Dwyer. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 1. Grave 10. Inscription: 'LOVING AND KIND IN ALL HIS WAYS, UPRIGHT AND JUST TO THE END OF HIS DAYS'. Born on the 24th March 1922 at River John, Nova Scotia.James William and Elizabeth Marguerite (née Holmes) Dwyer of Trail, British Columbia, Canada.

Plt Off. John Henry Bolton. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 1. Grave 4. Inscription: 'HE SOUGHT THE GLORY OF VALOUR, HE SEES THE GLORY OF GOD'. Son of Alfred Harold and Kate Ann Bolton, of Stanmore, Middlesex, England.

Posthumously commissioned and promoted to 178848 Plt Off. on the 15th June 1944

Plt Off. Stanley Keith Kaiser. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 1. Grave 5. Inscription: 'GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS'. Born on the 18th August 1921 in Middlesex Country, Ontario. Son of Garfield Judson and Lena (née McFarlane) Kaiser, of Lambeth, Ontario, Canada.

Posthumously commissioned and promoted to J87268 Plt Off. on the 9th June 1944

Fg Off. James Cornwallis Lummis. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 1. Grave 2. Born on the 21st September 1920 in Lake Field, Quebec. Son of Wallace James Hamilton and Sarah Agnes (née Millar) Lummis of Lakefield, Quebec, Canada.

Plt Off. Arthur Robert Moorby. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 1. Grave 13. Inscription: ’AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM’. Born on the 13th June 1922 in Wayne, Alberta. Son of Arthur Hutton and Nellie (née Bradbury) Moorby of Camrose, Alberta, Canada.

Posthumously commissioned and promoted to J89868 Plt Off. on the 15th June 1944

Plt Off. Thomas Duncan Turner. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 9. Grave 191. Inscription: 'REST IN PEACE, BELOVED SON AND BROTHER'. Born on the 30th April 1915 in Kingston, Ontario. Son of Thomas James and Jessie Jane (née Duncan) Turner of Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Posthumously commissioned and promoted to J87128 Plt Off. on the 10th June 1944

Plt Off. Norman Erick Moore. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery Plot 13. Row 9. Grave 193. Inscription: 'I GAVE MY ALL THAT YOU MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE'. Born on 29th August 1912 in Fort William, Ontario. Son of Frank Levi and Francis (née Woolsey) Moore; husband of Madeleine M. A. Moore, of Verdun, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Posthumously commissioned and promoted to J87131 Plt Off. on the 11th June 1944

For further details our thanks to the following, Marian McKiernon for poem and to Malcolm Blair for details on Fg Off. Lummis (Apr 2018) . Also to Mark Lummis for his contact (Nov 2018). Update to NoK details by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2023). Thanks to Yannic Wethly of the Drenthe Air War Research Foundation for the link to their website (Feb 2023).

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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