550 Squadron

Sgt H F J Woods and Crew

The Sgt Woods crew was as follows:

On this operation a number of the crew were not the usual Sgt Woods crew (i.e. they usually flew with other crews).

Thus the F/Eng position was being filled by the stand-in engineer:

Sgt D G Davies (F/Eng) transferred into the Squadron with the F/O Bowen-Bravery crew.

While the R/AG position was being filled by the stand-in gunner:

Sgt J McConnell (R/AG) transferred into the Squadron with the Sgt W Bradley crew.

On one other operation the R/AG position was again filled by a stand-in gunner:

Sgt L M Collicutt RCAF, who normally flew with the P/O Kenyon DFC crew.

RAF 550 Squadron Lancaster ED730 (BQ-G), flown by the Sgt Woods crew, was lost during the night of 23/24 December 1943 when it was in collision with 550 Lancaster JB604 (BQ-K), flown by the F/Sgt Cooper crew, and crashed at Fulstow at 00.30hrs. All of the men in both crews were killed.

Note. The 550 ORB specifically lists "JB604" as being airbourne at 23.46 and colliding with "G2/550". But quoting from Ian Reid's wartime history of Waltham:

"It was thought that Sgt Woods had been lost as a result of enemy action but later investigations confirmed that Sgt Woods, 
flying ED730, collided with F/Sgt Cooper's ND327. 550 has lost 14 men, killed in an instant. ..."

But, despite saying 550 lost 14 men "in an instant", Reid includes Cooper's crew in the 100 Squadron Roll of Honour. However, Reid does confirm the two aircraft involved were ED730 and ND327.

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

Other information about the flight and the target available here.

Sgt John Atherton

Picture of John Atherton along with a Log book
Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor

The photographs below show Sgt Athertons funeral and came from the Australian War Memorial Archives (but are presumably of the Cambridge Cemetery where Sgt Atherton is buried).

	Funeral Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Funeral Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Funeral Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor

Many documents can obtained from the National Archive of Australia, available from the http://www.awm.gov.au/ (Australian War Memorial) web-site. The site provides an online application service (http://www.awm.gov.au/research/people/) to allow relatives and researchers to apply for service records of veterans.

Sgt John McConnell

The photographs below relate to Sgt John McConnell.

	Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Funeral Notice (newspaper) Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Funeral Notice (newspaper) Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Headstone Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor

Documents

	Log book cover Courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Certificate of Qualification (Navigator) Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Navigator Log Book Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor
	Letter that accompanied the return of Sgt Atherton's log books to his family Photo courtesy of Alistair Taylor

Memorial To The Crew

A memorial to crew can be seen at Fulstow Bridge on the Louth Canal, Lincolnshire.

Approximately fifty people gathered for a short ceremony at noon on Christmas Eve 2023, exactly 80 years to the day since the aircraft was lost and the crew killed. The 550 Squadron Association was represented by Mike Leeman.

A short narrative and a number of photos from the ceremony are available here.

Many thanks to everyone involved with the raising of this new memorial to a 550 crew. We will remember them.