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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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No. 98 Squadron
23.07.1944 No. 98 Squadron American Mitchell Mk II FV985 VO-S Sqr/Ldr. Paynter AFC

Operation: Railway Yards, Glos-sur-Risle, Eure, France

Date: 23rd July 1944 (Sunday)

Unit: No: 98 Squadron

Type: American Mitchell Mk II

Serial: FV985

Code: VO-S

Base: RAF Dunsfold, Surrey

Location: Glos-sur-Risle, Eure, France

Pilot: Sqr/Ldr. Hugh Paynter AFC 42721 RAF Age 28. Killed

Nav: P/O. Jack Dodd 54258 RAF Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Thomas Francis Riley 1309520 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Ronald Angus McGregor AUS/400658 RAAF Age 25. Killed

American Mitchell Mk II FV985 VO-S of No. 98 Squadron based at RAF Dunsfold, Surrey in April 1944

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Dunsfold at 15:00hrs to bomb the railway yards at Glos-Montfort. The target was bombed on Gee-H from 10.000 feet with 500lb bombs. Mitchell FV985 while releasing their bombs over the target area exploded and the debris from this explosion hit Mitchell FW122 with the loss of all the crew.

The debris from Mitchell FV985 also damaged Mitchell FL186 which crash landed in the American sector of Normandy and Mitchell FV931 was also damaged and forced to land at RAF Tangmere, West Sussex, England

Sqd/Ldr. Paynter, P/O. Dodd, Fl/Sgt. Riley and P/O. McGregor. (pictures courtesy of Kate Tame)

Burial details:

The crew are all buried in St. Philbert-Sur-Risle Communal Cemetery. The village of St. Philbert-Sur-Risle is 12km south west of Pont-Audemer, Eure, France.

Sqr/Ldr. Hugh Paynter AFC. Son of John Paynter J.P. and May Wood Paynter of Speldhurst, Kent, England. Supplement to London Gazette 1st January 1943 Flight Lieutenant Hugh Paynter A.F.C.

P/O. Jack Dodd. Son of Jack and Mary Leona Jane Dodd. Husband of Sylvia Cottrell Hughes Dodd of West Kirby, Cheshire, England. At the time of his death Jack's address was 14 Groveland Avenue, Hoylake, Cheshire

Fl/Sgt. Thomas Francis Riley. Son of Joseph and Mary Riley. Husband of Philomena Riley of Walton Stone, Staffordshire, England.

P/O. Ronald Angus McGregor. Son of John and Mary Isabella McGregor of Stawell, Victoria, Australia. Ronald was born on the 17th May 1919 in Stawell, Victoria and enlisted in Melbourne, Australia.

Researched by Kate Tame for aircrewremembered and for all the relatives and friends 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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