Roll of Honour

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Name MONTGOMERY
First names Robert
Rank P/O
Service RAF
Service number 170961
Crew position Pilot
Age 22
Date of death 27/04/44
Cemetery Bure Churchyard Meuse France

Images and information courtesy of Martin Jarred
Further details are shown at the bottom of the page

Photographed by Malcolm Brooke

26/27 April, 1944; SCHWEINFURT:
Mosquitoes of 627 Squadron, Woodhall Spa, used 5 Group's low-level marking technique for the first time. The attempt was not accurate and much of the bombing fell outside Schweinfurt. Meanwhile, German night fighters had managed to penetrate the 215 strong main force taking a heavy toll; 21 Lancasters failed to return. The Fiskerton squadron had 15 aircraft airborne by 21.40hrs.
P/O Robert Montgomery and four fellow members of his crew are buried in Bure Churchyard, Meuse. The two gunners, F/Sgt Baker RAAF (rear gunner) and Sgt Mitchell (mid-upper) managed to parachute to safety.

Lancaster JB679 (EA-D)
P/O R. Montgomery Pilot (Killed)
Sgt R.J. Boyce F/E (Killed)
F/S S. Smith NAV (Killed)
Sgt T. Parkin W/AG (Killed)
Sgt R.J. Mitchell A/G (Evader)
P/O R.F. Cluff RCAF B/A (Killed)
F/S J. Baker RAAF A/G (P.o.W.)

Crew on their 19th operation

Image courtesy of Theo Boiten

A copy of the original Abschussmeldung (combat report) of Hauptmann Bergmann's victory claim for JB679

The following additional information kindly provided by Martin Jarred from an article discovered in the Yorkshire Post:

The newspaper report stated:

He was a sporting star and a war hero who gave his life for his country.

And now the story of Robert "Monty" Montgomery, who played for Leeds United
before the Second World War, is to be remembered.

Footballing memorabilia collected by the talented sportsman, whose promising
career on the pitch was cut short when he was killed in action, is being sold off at auction later this month.

Monty died at just 22 when he was leading a heavy bombing attack in a Lancaster bomber over southern Germany in April 1944.

The young Irish soccer star was spotted while still a schoolboy in the late 1930s by the then Leeds United manager Billy Hampson, who brought Monty back to Yorkshire to play as centre forward for the club.

Monty also signed up for the RAF, but when he was called to fight for his country he never returned and his full footballing potential was never realised.

Now sporting items including a rare autograph book featuring players from the nation's 1938/39 football clubs are to be auctioned by Bonhams later this month.