Failed to Return

F/Lt A J Grain DFM and Crew

F/Lt A J Grain and crew were posted to 550 Sqdn from 1667 C.U. w.e.f. 11/2/44:

F/Lt Grain and crew were killed when Lancaster LL826 was lost on the Mailly raid 3/4 May 1944. On this occasion the crew was not the transferred-in crew, rather it was as listed below:

P/O Large, the crew regular MU/AG was not flying, instead Sgt Dye was in the MU/AG position. Also flying with the crew on this flight as a Passenger/Observer was:

Major S Whipp TD Territorial, 7th Battalion The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment (West Riding)

The entry on the 550 Squadron Roll of Honour is available here.

Other information about the flight and the target available here.

Crew Information

Arthur James Grain. Born 20/6/1916 Burton on Trent.
John Stanley age 21. Son of Thomas and Edith Stanley of Stockingford, Warwickshire
Melvin Robert Oliver was born in Guelph, Wellington County, Ontario 14/5/1920
In the 2nd Quarter of 1943 he married Pamela Mercer in Scarborough.
Edward Crowther Jones RCAF
H W Batt
Kenneth Reginald Dye age 19. Son of Sydney and Edith Dye of Lower Edmonton, Middx
James Ellis age 36 son of Thomas and Eliza Ellis and husband of Noreen from Buckley, Chester
Major S Whipp: Territorial, 7th Battalion The Duke of Wellingtons Regiment (West Riding)
Transferred to 550 Sqdn 4 Feb 1944. Flying as a Passenger/Observer

F/Lt A J Grain (P)
Photo courtesy of Stefanie Bolzen (via Ed Owen)
From an item in The Guardian, Sunday 26 May 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/26/my-family-at-war-raf-hero-bereaved-uncle-second-wolrd-war-stefanie-bolzen

Sgt John Stanley (F/Eng)
Photo courtesy of Rod Davis (nephew of Sgt Stanley)

Melvyn Robert Oliver RCAF (Nav)

Cheniers Churchyard

The photographs below kindly made available by Rod Davis.

	Cheniers Churchyard with fragment of LL826 panel alongside the graves
	Cheniers Churchyard LL826 panel fragment (rear) writing believed to have been put on by ground crew whilst servicing or repairing the plane to make re-assembly easier