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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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RAF Bomber Command
03.11.1942 No. 1484 Flight Oxford I DF536 W/O.2 John J.W. Forster

Operation: Bombing and Gunnery practice

Date: 03rd November 1942

Unit: 1484 Flight

Type: Airspeed Oxford I

Serial: DF536

Base: RAF Driffield, Yorkshire

Location: At base, RAF Driffield, Yorkshire.

Pilot: W/O 2. John Joseph William Forster R/92075 RCAF Age 29. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Hedley Walter Carter 926380 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Francis John Faye 1529983 RAFVR Age 22. Killed (1)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Almost immediately after taking off from RAF Driffield at 19.59 hrs on an night Bombing and Gunnery practice the Oxford (2) dived into the ground, killing all those on board.

Although the air accident investigations could not determine the cause of the crash, speculation is that either the practice 'flash' bombs on board exploded or that the starboard engine exploded severing the wing.

                       

Left: Flash Bombs - in this case loaded onto a Mosquito. Right: Oxford

(1) Sgt. Francis John Faye was on detachment from 408 RCAF Squadron.

(2) Anson I DF536 was manufactured by the Standard Motor Co. td and delivered between January and September 1942.

Burial details:

W/O 2. John Joseph William Forster. Driffield Cemetery. Grave 6191. Born on the 26th January 1913. Son of John Charles and Alice Candlish Forster, husband of Theresa Mary Forster, of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

Sgt. Hedley Walter Carter. Talbot Village Churchyard (St. Mark). Grave 989. Born in Epsom, Surrey in 1922. Son of Hedley Vicars Carter and Edith Lily Carter, of Wallisdown, Bournemouth, England.

Sgt. Francis John Faye. Brotton Cemetery. Sec.G. Line N. Grave 15. Born in Guisborough district, Yorkshire in 1920. Son of John and Mary Jane Faye, husband of Dorothie Nancie Faye, of Rugby, Warwickshire, England.

Researched and dedicated to Adam Faye, relative of Sgt. Francis Faye and all the relatives of this crew with thanks to Les Allison and Harry Hayward - 'They Shall Grow Not Old’, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

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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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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