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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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207 Squadron Crest
14/15.01.1944 No. 207 Squadron Lancaster III EE197 EM-N P/O. Frederick Gallagher

Operation:Braunschweig, Germany

Date:14/15th January 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 207 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: EE197

Code: EM-N

Base: RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire

Location: RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire

Pilot: P/O. Frederick Wooton Gallagher 157083 RAFVR Escaped injury

Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Charles E.D. Stewart RAFVR Injured

Nav: W/O. Alfred Young RAFVR Escaped injury

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Ronald Parson Scott 1553209 RAFVR Escaped injury

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Selwyn Fawcett 1238637 RAFVR Escaped injury

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth Waddington 1622511 RAFVR Escaped injury

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Murray Sherman R/144206 RCAF Escaped injury

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from Spilsby, Lincolnshire at 16:47 hrs as part of 496 Lancaster and 2 Halifax raid on this first major raid on this city of the war. A disastrous night for the RAF with 38 Lancasters lost and only very light damage to the target area. German's reporting that only 10 people killed on the ground and the majority of the bombs being dropped in open countryside.

Left to right: P/O. Frederick Gallagher, W/O. Alfred Young, Fl/Sgt. Ronald Scott, Sgt. Selwyn Fawcett, Fl/Sgt. Charles Stewart, Sgt. Kenneth Waddington, Sgt. Murray Sherman.

EE197 the port outer engine failed and was feathered. After jettisoning part of the bomb load, the crew continued to the target where they came under sustained attack from a Fw190. Damage was done to the port inner engine, the flying controls and both turrets before they shook off the fighter. 

Then EE197 was hit by a burst of flak making both ailerons useless. Following a very difficult return flight the Lancaster touched down at 22:54 hrs and broke up. The Pilot, P/O. Frederick Gallagher was awarded the DSO and the flight engineer Fl/Sgt. Charles Stewart the DFM.

Sadly, some of this crew were to be killed a short time later in June, on Lancaster ME827 EM-I.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher Mr. Michael Spence for relatives of this crew. 


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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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