Personnel Index - Detail
Photograph by kind permission of George's family.
16/17 June, 1943; COLOGNE:
The squadron contributed 9 aircraft to the total force of 202 bombers sent to attack Cologne. The Pathfinders used H2S to place sky markers over a cloud covered target. Only half the Main Force managed to bomb with the remainder being turned back due to the adverse weather. The cost to Bomber Command was 14 Lancasters... and their crews. Those aircraft that did get through caused widespread damage to the housing areas of the city.
Seven Lancasters landed safely back at Fiskerton, each crew having completed successful trips; but as W/Cmdr Peter Johnson, still in his flying gear, scanned the operations board he realised that 2 more of the squadron's aircraft had failed to come home.
S/Ldr George Storey's Lancaster (ED785) had come down in the Scheldt Estuary near Flushing, Holland; the body of the Squadron Leader (on his second tour) was recovered from the sea near Westkapelle on 21 June. He is buried along with five of his fellow crew members in Flushing Cemetery; Sgt Bill Waring's body has never been found; Sgt Webb, the Candian W/AG, managed to bale out and became a PoW (Camp 357).
Lancaster ED785
S/L G.G. Storey Pilot (Killed)
Sgt G.S Underlin F/E (Killed)
F/O R.C Blythe NAV (Killed)
Sgt M.G. Webb RCAF W/AG (P.o.W.)
Sgt H. Buttrey A/G (Killed)
Sgt W.H. Waring B/A (Missing)
Sgt M.E. Bunn RCAF A/G (Killed)
Sgt Burnside 2nd Pilot (Killed)
Crew on their 7th operation