Lancaster 166 PD261 AS-S Stettin 30 AUG 1944

Geeze · Leading Aircraftsman

Lancaster 166 PD261 AS-S Stettin 30 AUG 1944

Starman 1957 · Flying Officer

Hi Geeze,
Found this info on "Lost Bombers a good site for initial findings. If you put Lancaster PD 261 into Google you will come up with quite a few sites with information.

Lancaster PD261 Information
Type Lancaster
Serial Number PD261
Squadron 166
X1D AS-S
Operation Stettin
Date 1 29th August 1944
Date 2 30th August 1944

Further Information
"Serial Range PD198 - PD444 This aircraft was one of 200 lancaster Mk.1s ordered from metro- Vick apr43 and delivered from Jun44 to Dec44 with Merlin 24 engines. PD261 was delivered to 166 Sqdn aug44. When lost this aircraft had a total of 47 hours. No operational history. PD261 was one of two 166 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See: NE112 Airborne 2110 29Aug44 from Kirmington. All are buried in Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. F/L Dunton had been an Exhibitioner at Christ's College, Cambridge. F/L F.R.Dunton KIA Sgt C.M.Murray KIA F/S R.E.Harding RAAF KIA Sgt T.H.Davis KIA F/S D.K.Powers RAAF KIA Sgt J.J.Carey KIA Sgt J.H.Peake KIA "

Hop this is of help.
Regards,
Gary

Geeze · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi Gary,
Thanks for that info.
Best
Geeze

Date: Apr 26, 2011

Hi Geeze,

I noticed your enquiry regarding the crew of Lancaster 166 PD261 AS-S Stettin 30th August, 1944. My uncle, my mother's brother, Robert E. Harding was the navigator on this flight. He was from Sydney, Australia and aged 19. My grandmother was told that on the night of 29th August there was a fierce electrical storm and because of this volunteers were called for. After bombing Stettin, on its homeward journey the plane was struck by lightning over Poland. None of the crew survived but are all buried in Poznan Old Garrison Cemetary, Poznan, Poland. This was my uncle's first mission.

If you have gathered any further information since your last post could you please let me know.

Bron

Geeze · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi Bron, That's really interesting. Thank you for that. It was information I hadn't known. Always presumed they had been shot down. I have no further info at the moment.

Kind regards

Geeze.

Meant to add... Your uncle would have known my mother's first husband. T H Davis.

-- Edited by Geeze on Wednesday 27th of April 2011 06:01:56 AM

-- Edited by Geeze on Wednesday 27th of April 2011 08:30:35 AM

AW · Air Commodore

Bron/Geeze,

If it's of any interest to you, i have the 166sqdn ORB, and would be happy to look through it for you, especially Bron, as i can find this op and any flown before, by your uncles crew

Alan.

Geeze · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi Alan,

I'd be interested in learning more about Trevor Davis as I know little about him apart from two letters he wrote my grandmother before marrying my mum. They are very poignant letters, in one of which he wonders if he would survive the war.

Best wishes

Geeze.

AW · Air Commodore

Geeze

Can you let me have your email address via my whiteboard on my profile, so as i can send anything i find in the ORB.

Alan

barnsley · Air Commodore

if you would care to contact me via white board i have photo of Peake in crew.

barnsley · Air Commodore

Sorry and i also have some papers from the operations record book for 166.Dunstan was on his second tour with 166 squadron.I would be delighted to help any relatives with info.researching 166 is my hobby.

Date: Sep 24, 2011

Hi Geeze, my name is David Geraghty I live in Cornwall England.

My connection with PD261 is that my Great Uncle was one of the crew members on PD261 last trip attacking Stettin in Poland on the night of 29th 30th August 1944.

My Great Uncles name was James Peake, he was the rear gunner on the Lancaster.

To close a chapter in Family history I visited there final resting place in poznan military cemetry just after 9/11 on the 28th of the month.

We placed flowers on the crews grave and photographed the the three head stones with all the crew names clearly displayed.

Contact EMAIL oceanblueelectrical@hotmail.co.uk

Geeze · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi David,
Thank you for that post. I have emailed you.
Best wishes
Geeze.

KrisJG3 · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Dears Friends,

Here there are two technical data plates from one place of crashed wrack probably Lancaster hitted over Stettin on Pommern.

Please try to help ID of a/c and crew of destroyed aircraft. I think we will be in contact till the end of agree all needed details.

If any interesting information You can also contact with my collegues from following webside:

http://pomorze1945.com/

http://pomorze1945.com/?co=51&lang=EN

Email address after click on Red Eagel should be --- > info@pomorze1945.com

Here some technical data plates to id - we need agree crew crashed a/c in Stettin.

(Maybe interested to this post:

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-air/16533-lancaster-loss-30-aug-1944-a.html )

BR

Kris

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Sunday 17th of March 2013 01:36:51 PM

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Sunday 17th of March 2013 01:40:27 PM

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Sunday 17th of March 2013 01:41:55 PM

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Sunday 17th of March 2013 01:53:56 PM

barnsley · Air Commodore

Kris,email me direct on mjc41uk at Yahoo dot co dot uk.I will need more information about where the crash site is to help you identify if it is the Dunton Lancaster.I have a photo of the Tail Gunner.
Best Wishes
B

KrisJG3 · Aircraftsman 1st Class

30.08.1944 Lancaster hitted by NJG102- E. Stettin.jpg

Night of 29/30 August 1944

Lancaster PA159 90 Sqn attacked at 5329N 1602E (target area Stettin) 18000 ft

01:04

(AIR 27/737)

Oblt. Scholl: 1 Eins Kt./NJG102 Lancaster S.W. Pielenwisken: 7.000 m.

01.53

TW

Oblt. Scholl: 2 Eins Kt./NJG102 Lancaster E. Stettin

01.55

TW

Hptm. Rudolf Altendorf: 27 Stab IV./NJG5 Lancaster BJ-1 (25 km. N.W. Stettin) 3.000 m.

01.59

TW

Lancaster PB141 582 Sqn attacked by JU 88 at 17000 ft at 5335N 1450E over Stettin (CK-CL)

01:59

(AIR 50/278)

Lancaster MD864 626 Sqn 14000 ft attacked bu FW 190 in target area over Stettin	02:06	(AIR 27/2143)
Lancaster KB781 419 Sqn attacked by Me 109 in target area Stettin at 18000 ft.	02:09	(AIR 50/251+27/1824)
Lancaster PD242 166 sqn attacked over target Stettin 17000 ft Claims the E/A as probably destroyed.	02:10	(AIR 50/224+27/1090)

Lt. Kurt Welter: 25 1.NJG10 Lancaster . BJ-CJ (25 km N.W. to SW. Stettin) 3.900 m.	02.10	TW
Lt. Kurt Welter: 26 1./NJG10 Lancaster BJ-CJ (25 km. N.W. to S.W. Stettin) 4.800 m.	02.12	TW
Lancaster ND381 103 Sqn attacked by ME 210 at 5343N 1400E (BJ)	02:15	(AIR 50/206)
Lt. Kurt Welter: 27 1./NJG10 Lancaster BJ-CJ (25 km. N.W. to S.W. Stettin) 4.800 m.	02.15	TW

Source:

http://www.flensted.eu.com/1944augustcombats.shtml

Maybe this is correct pilot LW Scholle which shouted down this day Lancaster on East Stettin ?

"...166 Squadron. (AIR 27/1089)
19 Lancasters to Stettin.
5 Lancasters mine laying Stettin Bay.
Stettin: Some night fighter activity (so could be LW a/c from NJG102). Rocket projectiles were sighted over Denmark and north of Copenhagen.
Lancaster PD261 (S) F/O Dunton failed to return.
Lancaster PD242 (E) F/O Jones twice engaged by FW 190. ..."

But more another MIA Lancasters, here:

Source:

http://100548.activeboard.com/t38304829/lancaster-166-pd261-as-s-stettin-30-aug-1944/

(Is it possible that technical data plates belong to one of this a/c types:
Avro 683 Manchester Mk.III or Avro Lancaster B Mk.I ???? )

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Tuesday 19th of March 2013 05:46:56 PM

-- Edited by KrisJG3 on Tuesday 19th of March 2013 05:51:55 PM