Operation: Ladbergen, Germany

Date: 23rd/24th September 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 463th (RAAF) Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM223

Code: JO:P

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Location: Unknown

Pilot: Fg Off. Sydney John Staples 422310 RAAF Age 23. MiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Anthony Ledger 1593894 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Nav: Fg Off. Cyril McCall 434227 RAAF Age 28. MiA (1)

Bomb Aimer: WO. John Buxton Stinson 420783 RAAF Age 21. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Norman George Hurst 432190 RAAF Age 23. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Lawrence Arthur Davis 8905 RAAF Age 27. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Walter George McDonald Geikie 404416 RAAF Age 24. MiA

Above: Fg Off. Sydney J. Staples, Fg Off. Cyril McCall (From the their Service Records)

Above: WO. Stinson, Flt Sgt. Norman G. Hurst, Flt Sgt. Lawrence A. Davis (From the their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 23rd September 1944 the Squadron detailed seventeen (17) to join a force of 136 Lancasters on a mission to bomb and breach the Dortmund Ems Canal near Ladbergen, just north of Münster. Due to a technical issue a viaduct 7½ mls (12 km) to the north was marked and bombed.

LM223 took-off from RAF Waddington at 19:07hrs and failed to return at the expected time. LM223 was one of fourteen (14) bombers and two (2) from the squadron, that failed to return from this mission. The circumstances leading to the loss of LM223 and her crew are not known.

The second aircraft was Lancaster I LM309 JO:V which was claimed to be hit by Flak and crashed at 23:00 hrs 4 km (2½ mls) SE of Ibbenbüren at Laggenbeck (4 KiA, 3 PoWs).

A prolonged and thorough investigation carried out by the Missing, Research and Enquiry Service (MRES) found no news of the aircraft or any member of the crew and as a consequence are posted as Missing in Action (MiA).

This crew had completed their training at No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School (5 LFS) on the 17th September 1944 and were posted to the Squadron that day. This was their first operational mission.

(1) Fg Off. Cyril McCall started his training at No.1 Bombing and Air Gunnery School (1 BAGS), RAAF Base Evans Head the day his brother Fg Off. Keith M. McCall completed his training at No.1 BAGS.

Cyril McCall served as a Gunner with the 2nd/3rd Field Regiment, 2nd Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) from November 1939 to November 1942 and transferred to the RAAF on the 6th November 1942.

Above: Photograph of brothers Cyril McCall on the left and Keith M. McCall on the right. Taken whilst they were aircrew trainees. (Courtesy of Michael McCall who is the son of Keith McCall)

Note: Flt Lt. Keith Martin McCall 429614 was a Navigator who flew a tour of operations with 214th (Federated Malay States) Squadron as a Specialist Radar Operator. He completed his service as an instructor with 462nd (RAAF) Squadrons during the war. He was discharged from the RAAF on the 1st May 1946.

Burial Details:

Above: The Runnymede Memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Fg Off. Sydney John Staples. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 258. Born on the 20th December 1920 in Port MacQuarie, New South Wales. Son of John Henry and Ada Louisa (née Dick) Staples. Husband of Daphne May (née Strange) Staples of Coogee, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Anthony Ledger. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 233. Born during October 1923 in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. Son of George Cocking and Eleanor (née Hodgson) Ledger of Sunderland, County Durham, England.

Fg Off. Cyril McCall. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 257. Born on the 22nd October 1915 in Mackay, Queensland. Son of John Joseph and Nora (née Nora) McCall of Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

WO. John Buxton Stinson. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 259. Born on the 1st July 1923 in Coonabarabran, New South Wales. Son of Robert John and Winifred Alice Stinson of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Norman George Hurst. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 260. Born on the 22nd December 1920 in Campsie, New South Wales. Son of George and Jemima Hurst of Brighton le Sands, New South Wales. Husband of Mary Florence Hurst of Picnic Point, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Lawrence Arthur Davis. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 260. Born on the 29th August 1917 in Burnie, Tasmania. Son of Arthur Thomas and Amy Annie (née Ellis) Davis. Husband of Edna Florence (née Ewington) Davis of Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia.

Sgt. Walter George McDonald Geikie. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 262. Born on the 24th August 1920 in Southport, Queensland. Son of Waverley Stewart and Maud Alice (née Black) Geikie of Highgate Hill, Queensland. Husband of Dorothy Louise (née Lawson) Geikie of Newark-on-Trent, Nottingham, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thank to Michael McCall for the photograph of his father, Keith McCall and his brother Cyril McCall. (Feb 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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