Personnel Index - Detail

Name
WEST
First Names
John Frederick
Rank
Sgt
Service
RAF
Service Number
1592150
Crew Position
Flight Engineer
Age
29
Date of Death
29/07/1944
Cemetery

 

Photographed by Malcolm Brooke
 



This image has been the subject of great discussion. It appears to have been taken at an OTU/HCU as two members are still wearing names tags on their uniform.
We currently believe that the airmen shown here are:
Sgt T Moore (A/G), F/O Franklin (Nav), Sgt Kirkpatrick (A/G), Sgt I A Mitchell (did not join 49Sqn with the rest of the crew)
Sgt West (F/E), F/L Powell (Pilot), Sgt Stephens (W/Op)

28/29 July, 1944; STUTTGART:

If cloud and bad weather had caused problems on the previous raid, then the bright moon conditions that prevailed over France this night were to prove an even greater hazard to the bombers. As the force of nearly 500 aircraft headed for Stuttgart, German night-fighters were waiting, and in the ensuing air battle 39 Lancasters were shot down. Fiskerton had 12 aircraft airborne.
F/Lt William Powell (JB701) and crew were all killed when their Lancaster was shot down by a JU88 nightfighter over France. The flight engineer and rear gunner have separate graves, but the remaining five crew members are in a collective grave; all seven rest in St Martin-sur-Oreuse Cemetery, Yonne.

FTR JB701 (EA-G)
F/L W.L. Powell Pilot (Killed)
Sgt J.F. West F/E (Killed)
F/O G.E. Franklin NAV (Killed)
F/S D.C. Stephens W/OP (Killed)
Sgt G.E. Kirkpatrick A/G (Killed)
F/O A.S. Cole B/A (Killed)
Sgt T. Moore A/G (Killed)

Crew on their 17th operation

The crew are remembered on a memorial in the local French churchyard.

Further information via Colin Cripps (49 Squadron Association Researcher)
Hptm Heinz-Horst Hissbach of 5./NJG2  claimed a  4-motored aircraft north of the Montargis-Sens area (DF-DG), interception was at a height of 5,500mts at 00.46hrs. This was his 22 "Abschuss".
Hissbach claimed 26 night kills and 4 daylight during his service.
On the 14-15th of April 1945, near Gelnhausen, whilst carrying out a ground-strafing sortie, Hissbach was shot down and killed by American ack-ack.