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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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90 squadron
28/29.07.1944 No. 90 Squadron Lancaster III PB198 P/O. John D. Morton

Operation: Stuttgart

Date: 28/29th July 1944

Unit: No. 90 Squadron

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB198

Code: WP-M

Base: RAF Tuddenham, Suffolk

Location: Saulxures-les-Bulgneville

Pilot: P/O. John Donald Morton J/88266 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Dennis James Ingram 1711742 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Nav: P/O. Myron Fetchison J/88486 RCAF Age 23. Killed

Air/Bmr: W/O II Joseph Wilfred Jean Paul Huot R/159901 RCAF Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Walter Charles Pomfret 1392396 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Hugh Donald Hilts R/256204 RCAF Age 18. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Edward Laverne Eitel R/191621 RCAF Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 21:50 hrs from RAF Tuddenham in Suffolk to attack the city of Stuttgart. A total of 494 Lancasters joined this operation together with 2 Mosquitoes. German night-fighters engaged the bomber stream on the outward flight over France and as there was a bright moon huge losses were incurred. Such was the ferocity of the engagement very few positive claims by the German fighters were made.

Crash site today (courtesy Stephane Muret)

40 Lancasters were lost during the raid and 203 aircrew killed with a further 50 made PoW, 24 evaded capture.

No certain details regarding the loss of Lancaster PB198 can be ascertained but it would seem that it was another victim of the German night-fighter force.

Fl/Sgt. Edward Eitel received his wings from No.3 B and GS McDonald, Manitoba on August 20th 1943.

Original memorial and the current day version (courtesy Stephane Muret)              

Graves of the 7 crew members (courtesy Stephane Muret)

Burial details:

P/O. John Donald Morton. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 6. Son of Mr and Mrs J.G. Morton of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Dennis James Ingram. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5. Son of Robert and Katherine Ingram, of Redhill, Surrey, England.

P/O. Myron Fetchison. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5. Son of Michael and Josephine Fetchison, Oshawa, Canada.

W/O II Joseph Wilfred Jean Paul Huot. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 7. Son of Wilfrid and Marguerite Huot, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Sgt. Walter Charles Pomfret. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 2. Son of James George and Florence Mary Ann Pomfret; husband of Joyce Gladys Pomfret, of Camberwell, London, England.

Fl/Sgt. Hugh Donald Hilts. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5. Son of James E. Hilts and Millie Saunders Hilts of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Fl/Sgt. Edward Laverne Eitel. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 1. Son of G.E. Eitel, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.

Researched for the nephew of the navigator P/O. Myron Fetchison - Mr. Jim Fetchison and all the relatives of the crew. With thanks to the following: Stephane Muret for visiting the crash site and showing respect by sending these photographs. Other sources as quoted below.

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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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