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Operation: Montdidier
Date: 03/04th May 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 405 Squadron (motto: 'Ducimus - 'We Lead') 8 Group
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: ND881
Code: LQ-Q
Base: RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire
Location: Montdidier target area
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Stanley Clayton McDonald J/23317 RCAF Age 25. Killed
Fl/Eng: P/O. Michael Adrian Burnaby 173083 RAFVR Age 20. Killed
Nav: F/O. John Alexander Mcintyre J/22589 RCAF Age 21. Killed
Air/Bmr: F/O. William Earnest Parsons J/23971 RCAF Age 26. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Glen Mason Weaver J/19918 RCAF Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: P/O. Dudley Thomas Serviss J/86301 RCAF Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: P/O. John Edward Shepherd J/19904 RCAF Age 34. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 23:02 hrs on an operation to the Montdidier Luftwaffe airfield, a total of 84 Lancaster with 8 Mosquitoes took part.
Extensive damage was done among buildings and installations on the northern part of the airfield were reported.
4 Lancasters was shot down although just the one from the 405 squadron, the others:
35 squadron Lancaster III ND643TL-S Flown by 21-year-old, P/O. Colin Elton RAFVR - all 7 crew killed.
582 squadron Lancaster III JA968 60-Q Flown by 22-year-old, Fl/Lt. Frederick Castell Bertelsen RCAF - all 7 crew killed.
582 squadron Lancaster III nd910 60-F Flown by W/O2. Charles James Erskine O'neill RCAF - 6 Killed with 1 evading capture.
ND881 was shot down by Lt. Walter Starck of 1./SKG10 at 00:10hrs. and crashed north of the target. Debris was widely scattered, indicating that the Lancaster had exploded before impact.
Burial details:
Buried at 16:00 hrs on the afternoon of the 06th May.
Fl/Lt. Stanley Clayton McDonald. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Grave 5808. Son of Stanley Clayton McDonald and Inga McDonald, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Grave inscription: 'Beyond The Sunset Into The Light Of God's Eternity He Waits Until We Meet Again'.
P/O. Michael Adrian Burnaby. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Collective grave 5811-5814. Son of Ralph Houghton Burnaby and Hilda Margaret Burnaby, of Basingstoke, Hampshire, England. Grave inscription: 'Greater Love Hath No Man Than This'.
F/O. John Alexander Mcintyre. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Collective grave 5811-5814. Son of Robert and Rita McIntyre, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Grave inscription: 'In The Garden Of Memories We Meet Every Day. Mom And Dad'.
F/O. William Earnest Parsons. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Grave 5810. Son of William Henry and Dorothy May Parsons, of Fort William, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'May His Rest Be In Peace, And His Dwelling-Place In The Paradise Of God'.
F/O. Glen Mason Weaver. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Collective grave 5811-5814. Also remembered on a plaque at Birnie Memorial Park. Son of Sydney and Mary Weaver, of Birnie, Manitoba, Canada. His brothers Pte. Charles Edward H/77190 (09th December 1943) and Tpr. Frederick Murray H/77168 (killed 0n the 05th September 1944) also served. Grave inscription: 'Peace I Leave With You, My Peace I Give Unto You'.
Weaver Bay in Stoney Lake was after Glen Mason Weaver in 1989
Weaver Point in Stoney Lake was renamed after Charles Edward in 1989.
Weaver Island in Stoney Lake was renamed after Frederick Murray in 1989.
P/O. Dudley Thomas Serviss. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Grave 5805. Son of Frederick N. Serviss and Helen F. Serviss, of Cardinal, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'Thy Will Be Done'.
P/O. John Edward Shepherd. Montdidier French National Cemetery. Collective grave 5811-5814. Son of Ada B. Shepherd, and stepson of Harold Simpson, of Brigden, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'At The Going Down Of The Sun We Will Remember Them'.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Francois Dutil, Kracker Archives, Theo Boiten 'Nachtjad Combat Diaries' 1944 part 2, sources as quoted below:
KTY 11-01-2022
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 23 January 2023, 19:02