Personnel Index - Detail
Flew 8 operations (6 as mid-upper and 2 as rear gunner).
His last operation was 30th March 1944 (Nurenburg)..
Believed posted out injured.
Lt J F Stevens Pilot, Groundcrew, Sgt E Smith F/E, F/O J S Stanley Nav, F/O J Smeaton W/Ag, Groundcrew; Groundcrew; Sgt T D Horne M/U, Groundcrew, F/O K S Stokoe DFM B/A, Sgt L Pysden R/G.
The Lancaster is ME675 (EA-R)..........she failed to return from Wesseling 21/22 June 1944 her 35th trip.
The images below are courtesy of his daughter Janet Walder and come via Ashley Hales.
Sgt Horne is RHS on the rear row.
Names written on the back of the photograph.
Wedding day (Valentine's day).
SEASIDE SORTIE (November 1943):
F/O Don Turner (JB229) and crew were returning over the North Sea on track, with 1,000ft showing on the altimeter. The conditions were misty, so the pilot decided to let down a little in order to determine landfall. Just as he did the Lancaster suddenly struck the sea and then moments later it was careering up a beach towards sand dunes. A startled but intact crew clambered out into waist high freezing sea water! S-Sugar had in fact come ashore at Chapel-St-Leonards on the Lincolnshire coast 5 miles north of Skegness. The freezing cold crew found much to their displeasure, that the Lincolnshire seaside, whilst perhaps popular with pre-war summertime holiday makers, was not so alluring in the middle of November 1943. The crew spent the next few days recovering in Scampton sick bay.
Pilot........F/O D G Turner
F/E..........Sgt J Finlayson
Nav........ Sgt J N Hughes
B/A.........F/O W Pearce
WOp......Sgt L Nightingale
MUG......Sgt T D Horne
RG.........Sgt J N E Bennett
Further details of the incident are recored in May Hill's WW2 diary (opens in a new window)