Lancaster MkII,LL689,115 Sq RAF

[Icare9]

Sgt J Johnston was in Camp 357, with PoW No. 2114
F/Sgt J D Tomlin was in Camp L6, with PoW No. 2120

Homebound, shot down at 2319 over the IJsselmeer by Oblt Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Stab 1V./NJG1. The two survivors were blown from the aircraft and landed in the water, from where they were rescued within an hour or so.

I've no other details I'm afraid.

[Larry]

To find out what happened to the two survivors you could contact the Sqn Association to see if they are members or were members if they have died in recent years:

No. 115 Squadron Association
Mr I.R.E. Lucas
28 Mill Farm Drive
Randlay, Telford
Shorpshire
TF3 2NA
England

[Ardmoreal]

Further to this request, I have the RAF report on the crash which states" Pilot( James Ralph)did not have chute". Surely all aircrew had a parachute,or is there another explanation?

The report also gives the pilot's rank as "F/S"-Flight Sergeant. On the Runnimede Memorial he has the rank of" P/O"-Pilot Officer. Can Anyone explain this please?

[Larry]

Was the pilot found in the wreckage or was he found somewhere else as if he had been blown out of the aircraft in an explosion and or fell to his death?

If he was found in the wreck perhaps he could not reach it and put it on correctly in time or someone else took it and bailed out! My father knew of a case just post war when a crewmember snatched the first parachute available and bailed out of a doomed Wellington leaving others to die!

Another possibility is that the crew failed to load the correct number of chutes. Again I know of instances where other safety gear was left at base by mistake such as the dingy in the wing of a Wellington, which was doing a long over sea mission!

[Ardmoreal]

The pilot and two of the crew were never found.Two more were found in the water, dead, with their chutes, and two , POW,were rescued from the water.

So when was the report written? It was unlikely that the new POW would have provided the info to the Germans to be relayed back to the UK. One or both of them must have provided it on their release or could it have done in their prison camp?

What was the protocol for these Squadron reports?