57 Squadron Lancaster III LM522 DX-G P/O. Findley

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Archive Report: Allied Forces

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07/08.07.1944 No 57 Squadron Lancaster III LM522 DX-G P/O. Findley

Operation: St-Leu-d' Esserent, France (V1 Bomb stores)

Date: 7/8th July 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 57 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM522

Code: DX-G

Base: RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire.

Location: Envermeu - South East Dieppe, France

Pilot: P/O. Stanley Findley 176090 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Thomas Spencer 2209623 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon 1671453 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Bmr: Sgt. James Horton 1471891 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Wilfred Clark 1233900 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker 1895850 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Douglas Carter 1819918 RAFVR Age 26. Killed

We welcome any further contact from relatives for this crew and encourage them to consider laying a wreath? Helps us to continue our voluntary research work.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF East Kirkby at 22:18 hrs to bomb the V1 flying bomb stores. Part of a 208 strong Lancaster force and a further 13 Mosquitos to attack the V1 stores at St-Leu-d' Esserent (30 km North of Paris). 31 Lancasters were lost on this raid with fierce fighting with the German night fighter squadrons.

It is possible that LM522 was shot down by a Lt Joachim Plass (1 ) who did make the claim. It was shot down at 01:38 hrs. at a height of 3.500 mtrs.

Part of the Crew of Lancaster LM522 (Probably taken whilst with with 14 OTU on Stirlings.) Rear row L to R: James Horton, Douglas Carter, Viv(?), Wilfred Clark. Front row L to R: Richard Kenneth Nixon, Stanley Findley - can you assist with further information on Viv(?)

Left to right: Stanley and his young wife Connie outside her parents house in Skipton. Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon, Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker.

(1) Lt Plass was himself killed at Berlin on the 14/15th February 1945 due to an engine fire.

Envermue Cemetery July 1944 - 1956 - 2008 - 2013

Grave photographs taken at both Envermeu Communal Cemetery and St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery by our Kate Tame during her visit in 2012. Any relative who would like higher definition photographs please don't hesitate to contact us and we will supply them free of charge.

Burial details:

P/O. Stanley Findley. Envermeu Communal Cemetery. Grave 41. Son of John and Isobel, husband of Connie Findley, of Grassington, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Thomas Spencer. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Robert and Mary, of Halsall, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. Richard Kenneth Nixon. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of William and Charlotte Florence, of Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham, England.

Sgt. James Horton. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Percy Rowland and Edith Gertrude, of Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

Sgt. Wilfred Clark. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Edward and Hannah Mary, husband of Joyce Evelyn Clark.

Sgt. Arthur Charles Henry Baker. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Arthur and Ethel, husband of Irene E. A. Baker, of Strood, Kent, England.

Sgt. Douglas Carter. St. Nicolas D'Aliermont Communal Cemetery French Mil Plot. Row 1. Coll grave 2. Son of Frederick and Alice May, husband of Jennie Olive Carter, of Alum Rock, Birmingham, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Tony Cantlow, for the many photographs used, Alan Nixon for further information, Kate Tame for modern grave photographs, Carl Thomas for Sgt. Baker photo. Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses' Vol. 5, 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', Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'.

Christmas dinner menu with autographs - 1943
Carl Thomas, cousin of Arthur Barker adds this:
Arthur flew with Findley's crew to make up that night as he had already flown the night before and volunteered to make up the crew. Also I have been informed that it was the other crew members' first operation. Findley's wife was pregnant at the time and so was Arthur's. Both had girls but have never met. I also met the farmer who saw LM522 crash and he also found Findley in one of his fields still alive, But the strange thing is that he had no parachute attached and was found 1.5 miles from where the Lancaster crashed. I was also informed that the Lancaster was seen as if trying to find a place to put down when it stalled and fell in to the hill side 100 meters short of flat ground. Findley could not have been at the controls at this time as he was in the other direction of the aircraft.

SY added Carl Thomas info 11 Jul 2016

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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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