REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from Oulton at 23.40 hours to assist in Jostle duties to Boehlen, Germany.

Presumed shot down by flak or night fighter over Germany.

The Flying Fortress B Mark III, HB796. (IWM).

Sister aircraft Fortress B Mark III, HB796, at Prestwick, Ayrshire, after being fitted with radio counter-measures equipment by Scottish Aviation Ltd. It served with No. 214 Squadron RAF of No. 100 Bomber Group, based at Sculthorpe, Norfolk, from November 1944.

Equipment fitted included American AN/APS15 radar in the large radome under the nose, Airborne Cigar(ABC) radio-jamming equipment (shown by the large aerial on top of the fuselage), and an Airborne Grocer aircraft radar jamming installation, the aerials of which can be seen on either side of the tail turret. HB796 failed to return from a bomber support mission on 9th February 1945.

Tail turret of aircraft HB796. (IWM).

F/O Robert Verdun Kingdon. Air/Bomber, F/O Douglas Nugent Donald.

Air/Bomber: WO2 James Walter Pellant. Air/Gunner: F/Sgt Hilton Mackay Carter.

Nav: WO2 William Arthur Routley. Air/Gunner: WO2 Robert George Wilson.

All above crew images from R.C.A.F. Personnel files.

Air/Gunner: Sgt. Walter Perkins. (Helsdon). Grave of Walter Perkins (Durnbach) Helsdon.

Lynda Helsdon visits her local town memorial of Calverton, Nottinghamshire, where her uncle is remembered to pay her respects. (Helsdon).

Aerial reconnaissance post raid photo showing the total destruction of the Boehlen Synthetic-Oil Plant

Burial Details:

Durnbach War Cemetery Germany (Philipp Hayer)

Pilot: F/O Robert Verdun Kingdon. J/28299 R.C.A.F. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 7.

Nav: WO2 William Arthur Routley. J/93926 R.C.A.F. (Age 31.) Son of Frederick and Emma Maude Routley, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 9-10.

Flt/Eng: Sgt William Denis Dale. 1594366 R.A.F.V.R. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 2.

Radio/Op: F/Sgt Donald Fraser Miller. 1809260 R.A.F.V.R . Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 9-10.

Air/Bomber: WO2 James Walter Pellant. J/95470 R.C.A.F. (Age 21.) Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 3.

Air/Bomber: F/O Douglas Nugent Donald. J/47671 R.C.A.F. (Age 23.) Son of Charles D. Donald and Fanny Donald; husband of Corinne Donald, of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 6.

Air/Gunner: F/Sgt Hilton Mackay Carter. J/94203 R.C.A.F. (Age 22.) Son of Hilton P. M. Carter and Doris M. Carter, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 5.

Air/Gunner: Sgt. Walter Perkins. 2223326 R.A.F.V.R . (Age 19.) Son of William and Alice Gladys Perkins, of Calverton, Nottinghamshire. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 4.

Air/Gunner: WO2 Robert George Wilson. R/197780 R.C.A.F. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 1.

Air/Gunner: Sgt. Donald Parker. 3040675 R.A.F.V.R . (Age 19.) Son of Albert and Mabel Parker, of Kettleby, Lincolnshire. Durnbach War Cemetery Germany, Plot: 7 Row: D. Grave: 8.

Researched and compiled by Melvin Brownless and David King in memory of this fallen crew so late in the war. Special thanks to Lynda Helsdon & IWM, Canadian War Archive, C.W.G.C. and Bill Chorley’s Bomber Command Losses 1945.