Operation: Stuttgart, Germany

Date: 24th/25th July 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 75 (NZ) Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: HK575

Code: AA:O

Base: RAF Mapal, Cambridgeshire

Location: Between Burlioncourt and Château-Salins, France

Pilot: Plt Off. James Kenneth McRae 415216 RNZAF Age 27. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Frederick Hubert Patten 2211183 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. William Lowe 151082 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Thomas Christopher Potts 421143 RNZAF Age 27. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Clifford Booth 1034046 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Douglas Archibald Thomas Roffey 1852080 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. George Cunningham 1365361 RAFVR Age 30. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 24th/25th July 1944 the squadron detailed twenty-one (21) aircraft to join a force of four-hundred and sixty-one (461) Lancasters and one-hundred and fifty-three (153) Halifaxes on an operation to bomb Stuttgart in Germany.

This was the first of three (3) heavy raids on Stuttgart over the next five (5) nights. Of the seventeen (17) Lancasters that failed to return two (2) were from the squadron. One of the twenty-one (21) returned early with engine problems.

HK575 or 622 Sqn Lancaster LM477 was claimed by Oblt. Hans-Heinrich Breitfeldt from Stab I./NJG5, his 3rd Abschuss over the Nancy area at 3300 m. at 02:31 hrs.

Note: LM477 was also claimed by Flak of 1. & 3./schw. Flak Abt. 418 (Eisb.) (Lancaster near Nancy/Essey at 6100 m at 02:30hrs). The Flak claim was denied and the victory attributed to Oblt. Breitfeldt which was the only Abschuss credited to him this night. (Ref 1. p7)

HK575 was therefore lost in unknown circumstances as there are no further German night-fighter or Flak claims relating to this aircraft.

The aircraft crashed between Burlioncourt and Château-Salins about 1¼ mls (2 km) SSE of Château-Voué and 1½ mls (2¼ km) SW of Wuisse, département de la Moselle, France.

The second Lancaster that failed to return was Lancaster I HK568 AA:K flown by Plt Off. Keith Owen Whitehouse 428800 RNZAF age 23. He and his crew were KiA when their aircraft was claimed by Ofw. Günter Scheidel from 3./NJG7 in the Strasbourg area at 02:11 hrs. The seven (7) airmen are buried at the Cronenbourg French National (Mixed) Cemetery at Strasbourg.

On the 27th July 2026 Danielle Meier contact Aircrew Remembered and informed us that leading up to the 82nd anniversary of the crash and loss of the crew local French veteran’s visited the cemetery. They cleaned the grave, replaced the stones, laid a wreath and placed crosses. There was one cross for each headstone, so they added four more crosses, one for each crew member. This will be repeated every year on the 25th July. In the run-up to the day, the tree above the grave was pruned and an information plaque was installed at the entrance to the cemetery. A cross was also placed on a tree at the crash site. The grave is decorated with flowers by the local council every 1st November for All Saints’ Day.

Above: The information plaque installed at the entrance to the cemetery (Courtesy of Danielle Meier)

Translation of main body of text:

Buried in this cemetery is the crew of the Lancaster HK 575 AA-O, shot down by the German Forces on July 25, 1944

Twenty-one aircraft from RAF Squadron 75 took off on July 24, 1944, at 9:49 p.m. from RAF Mepal en route to Stuttgart. Eighteen of them bombed the target. One of the aircraft returned early due to an engine problem. Intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered over the target, and enemy fighters were very active, with two British aircraft forced to engage in combat. Two of the bombers did not return, including the Lancaster HK 575 AA-O.

The Lancaster HK 575 AA-O was shot down by a night fighter on July 25, 1944, at approximately 2:50 a.m. between Burlioncourt and Château Salins. There were no survivors. All crew members are buried in the Château-Voué municipal cemetery, near the crash site.

Burial details:

These seven (7) airmen are the only CWGC grave in this cemetery.

Above the Grave markers for the crew at the Château-Voué Communal Cemetery (Courtesy of Danielle Meier)

Plt Off. James Kenneth McRae. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Born on the 3rd September 1916 in Winton, Southland, New Zealand. Son of Donald and Madeline (née Devery) McRae of Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand.

Sgt. Frederick Hubert Patten. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Son of Mr and Mrs. F. Patten of Lower Woodburn, Tiverton, Devon, England.

Fg Off. William Lowe. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Grave Inscription: “NOT JUST TO-DAY BUT EVERY DAY IN SILENCE WE REMEMBER”. Son of William and Mary Elizabeth Lowe of Knypersley, Staffordshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Thomas Christopher Potts. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Born on the 11th October 1916 in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. Son of William Ralph and of Margaret (née Caldwell) Potts of Lorneville, Southland, New Zealand.

Sgt. Clifford Booth. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Grave Inscription: “AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM”.Born on the 10th December 1920 in Wooddale, Yorkshire. Son of Harry and Mary Edith Hinchliffe (née Wrigley) Booth. Husband of Margaret (née Beaumont) Booth of Holmbridge, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Douglas Archibald Thomas Roffey. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Grave Inscription: “IN EVERLOVING MEMORY OF DOUGLAS. REST ON, DEAR SON, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN”. Born on the 23rd December 1924 in Bournemouth, Hampshire. Son of Archibald Francis and Eliza Lillian Maud (née Case) Roffey of Ensbury Park, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Sgt. George Cunningham. Château-Voué Communal Cemetery, Collective Grave 1-3. Born on the 11th July 1914 in Dundee, Scotland. Son of William and Mary (née Scott) Cunningham of Dundee. Husband of Helen (née Reilly) Cunningham of Dundee, Scotland.

Also remembered Roll of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families. Many thanks to Danielle Meier for the information and images of the Grave markers and plaque in memory of the crew. (Aug 2026).

Other sources listed below:

References:

1. Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten.

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