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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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489
29th January 1945 489 (NZ) Squadron Beaufighter TF.X NE538 Fl/Lt. Stuchbery

Operation: Rover patrol

Date: 29th January 1945 (Monday)

Unit: No. 489 (NZ) Squadron (motto: Whakatanagata kia kaha - 'Acquit yourselves like men, be strong'). 18 Group

Type: Beaufighter TF.X

Serial: NE538

Code: P6-E

Base: RAF Dallachy, Morayshire

Location: Solheim Nord, Norway

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Lloyd Robert Stuchbery NZ/412761 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

Nav: F/O. Rex Stewart Ebert Aus/413840 RAAF Age 30. Injured. PoW No: 8149 Camp: Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 19:46 hrs. one of five leaving at intervals on a Rover patrol off Bommel Fjord near Haugesund.

Two crews failed to return, the other Beaufighter TF.X NE779 P6-A flown by 24 year old, W/O. Raymond William Gibson Leslie NZ/415702 RNZAF with his navigator 23 year old, F/O. Neville Alexander Heffernan NZ/423665 RNZAF.

NE538 was lost after the wing tip clipped the water and crashed, killing the pilot. His navigator, F/O. Ebert surfaced shortly after and rescued by 4 young boys in long boats before being handed over to the Germans to be able to treat his injuries. Fractured left shoulder, abrasions to legs and hands.

Treated at Military Field Hospital, south of Bergen from 29th January 1945 - 09th February 1945. Dulag DL Wetzlar 09th February 1945 - 29th April 1945, Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang - released 12th May 1945. Further details shown below.

Burial and personal details:

Fl/Lt. Lloyd Robert Stuchbery. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 284. Born on the 08th July 1918 at Wyndham. Nelson College. Worked as entomologist for the Cawthrorne Institute in Nelson prior to service. Enlisted on the 04th May 1941 at Levin. Initial training with No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School. Embarked for Canada on the14th August 1941. Trained at No. 2 Service Flying Training School in Uplands joining on the 02nd September 1941.

Awarded his pilots badge and commissioned on the 21st November 1941. Attached to 31 School of General Reconnaissance on the 01st December 1941 at Prince Edward Island. Attached to 32 Operational Training Unit at Patricia Bay on the 05th February 1942 flying the Beaufort. Flew a Hudson via Newfoundland to England on the 10th September 1942. Attached to 9 (C) Operational Training Unit on the 22nd December 1942. Further training with Torpedo Training Unit on the 06th February 1943.

Attached to 306 Ferry Training Unit on the 12th March 1943. Attached to No. 1 Overseas Delivery Unit and flew a Beaufort to Egypt via Gibraltar, Algiers and Libya 17-24 April 1943. Flew a Beaufort to India via Bahrein arriving on the 24th September 1943, flew by air to UK, via Egypt, Algeria and Gibraltar arriving 16th October 1943. Attached to No. 9 (C) Operational Training Unit on the 14th February 1944. Joined 236 squadron on the 10th May 1944. Joining 489 squadron on the 06th July 1944.

Son of James Andrew and Georgina Alexandrina Stuchbery (née Wilson), of Ruby Bay near Upper Moutere, Nelson, New Zealand. A total of 606 flying hours logged and completed in excess of 32 operational sorties.

F/O. Rex Stewart Ebert. Survived the war. Born on the 17th June 1914 at Broken Hill NSW (died 21st January 1978, age 64). Husband of Therese Catherine Ebert (nee Granger - died 06th December 2002, age 96) of, 53 Casey Street Orange, New South Wales and 99 Victoria Street, Kings Cross, New South Wales. Also 25 Station Street, Griffith, New South Wales Married 10th June 1939. Engineers chainman prior to service for Water Conservation and Irrigation at Griffith.

Enlisted on the 06th June 1941 and attached to No. 2 Initial Training School on the 13th September 1941. Embarked for England 02nd November 1942. Attached to No. 9 Operational Training Unit 14th February 1944. Joined 489 squadron 06th July 1944 from 236 squadron when he joined on the 10th March 1944. Pilot Officer 21st August 1944. Flying Officer 21st February 1945. A total of 128 flying hours logged and 34 operational sorties

A total of 34 operational sortie, 128 flying hours logged.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, National Archives Australia, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 12-09-2021

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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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