Wellington BJ842 22/23 November 1942

Wellington Mk III - BJ842 - KO-W

T/O East Wretham 1840 - target Stuttgart, Germany.
Shot down by a Ju88 night fighter from IV/NJG4.
Crashed at Montigny Le France, Signy-Signets (Seine-et-Marne) 13 km ESE of Meaux, France.

Unusually F/O Wallace who was an observer was captain of this a/c and crew.
He was crewed up originally with P/O Berry's crew in August 1942 and would have been the most
experienced member of this crew.

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

222 aircraft - 97 Lancasters, 59 Wellingtons, 39 Halifaxes, 27 Stirlings.

A thin layer of cloud and some ground haze concealed Stuttgart and the Pathfinders were not able to
identify the centre of the city.
Heavy bombing developed to the south-west and south and the outlying residential districts of Vaihingen,
Rohr, Mohringen and Plieningen, all about 5 miles from the centre, were hit.
88 houses were destroyed and 334 seriously damaged; 28 people were killed and 71 injured.

10 aircraft - 5 Lancasters, 3 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes - lost, 4.5 per cent of the force.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary November 1942.

ORB. 22nd. Nov. 1942.
12 aircraft (6 from "A" Flight & 6 from "B" Flight)
took off between the hours of 18.40 and 19.01 to attack target STUTTGARD.
1 aircraft (A/C. G.B.J.756 - Captain Sgt. RODGERS) was forced to abandon the sortie owing to the top
escape hatch flying open and inability to close it and returned to base early bringing back its incendiaries.
2 aircraft failed to return from operations. Wellington Mk III BK206 KO-R, 1 POW - 4 KIA.
the other 9 aircraft successfully located the target and bombed from heights ranging between 6,000 and 9,500 feet.
Many bursts were seen on a factory in the North of town and in centre of town.
Incendiaries were seen to ignite in the vicinity of the marshalling yards and very good fires were burning in
the whole of STUTTGARD.
Leaflets were dropped and photographs attempted.

02.49 10 aircraft had returned safely to base.

More info on Aircrew remembered.

Coates Edwin Armstrong Coates Edwin Armstrong - Pilot

Sgt - Service No 403798

Age: °June 13 1911 Guyra, NSW, Australia

RAAF - evaded - He made a solo escape through France,
and into Spain (Pyrenees January 43),
then Gibraltar, after fifty-five days on the run.
He was home by mid-February 1943.

Son of

Source: Flying Among Heroes: The Story of Squadron Leader T.C.S. Cooke DFC AFC DFM AE

Wager Leonard Richard Wager Leonard Richard - 2nd Pilot

Sgt - Service No 1332120

Age:

RAFVR - POW No 951 Stalag Luft 1
He first evaded capture and was betrayed by a Belgian at Ghlin near Mons (Bergen), on 27/11/1942.

Son of

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan - rafcommands.com.

Wallace George ErnestWellington BJ842 Wallace George Ernest - Observer

F/O - Service No J10183

Age: 26

RCAF

Son of Samuel Robert and Annie Elizabeth Wallace,
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Perreuse Chateau Franco British National Cemetery - grave 2. B. 2

Source: CWGC - photo via Canadian virtual war memorial - francecrashes39-45.net by A. Octavie - Find a Grave.

Devenish-Meares Jack Devenish-Meares Jack - WOP

Sgt - Service No 405349

Age:

RAAF - POW No 42673 Stalag 357

Son of

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

Watson Ronald Watson Ronald - BA

Sgt - Service No 65596

Age:

RAF - POW - No 42826 Stalag Luft 6

Son of

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

Payie Everett Garfield Payie Everett Garfield - RG

Sgt - Service No R108688

Age: 25

RCAF

Son of Edward and Lyla Payie, of Nobel, Ontario, Canada.

Perreuse Chateau Franco British National Cemetery - grave 2. B. 1

Source: CWGC - Photo: Aircrew remembered - francecrashes39-45.net, by A. Octavie - Find a Grave.