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W/O A T S Collier and Crew
W/O Collier and crew were posted to 550 Sqdn on squadron start-up from 100 Sqdn w.e.f. 25/11/1943:
- W/O A T S Collier RAAF (P)
- Sgt F Turner (F/Eng)
- F/Sgt P E Lee (Nav)
- F/Sgt H S Bennett (A/B)
- F/Sgt J A Cromie RAAF (W/Op)
- Sgt W F Dowson (MU/AG)
- Sgt E A Topham (R/AG)
Lancaster LM301 was being flown by the W/O Collier crew when it was lost on the 2nd/3rd December 1943 on an operation to Berlin. The aircraft had departed Grimsby/Waltham at 1653 for Berlin. It was intercepted at 5800M in the Hannover-Braunschweig area by a Nightfighter captained by Fw Hans Meissner (6/NJG3) and shot down at 1955. The aircraft crashed at Wasbuttel, Germany. Six crew were killed, while one, F/Sgt Cromie, became a PoW. F/Sgt Cromie was presumably blown clear of the exploding Lancaster as he could not recall baling out. The members of the crew killed are buried in Hannover War Cemetery.
The entry on the 550 Squadron Roll of Honour is available here.
Other information about the flight and the target available here.
Sgt Frank Turner (F/Eng)
A memorial plaque to Sgt F Turner (F/Eng) can be seen in the Methodist Chapel, Rawtenstall (Longholme), Lancashire. A number of photos are shown below. Thanks to Samantha Mackulin (Communications and Engagement Worker, Rossendale Methodist Circuit) for taking the photos and sending them in to the Association.
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F/Sgt John Andrew Cromie RAAF (W/Op)
Many thanks to Sue Williams (née Cromie), daughter of F/Sgt Cromie, for the following information from her father's records and research about the Luftwaffe pilot credited with bringing down the Lancaster.
John Andrew Cromie was the wireless operator on Lancaster LM301 when it was shot down over Germany on December 2nd 1943. He was the only survivor, and he ended up a POW in Stalag IVB for one and a half years.
As with many veterans John Cromie was loathe to talk of his wartime experiences. He died in 1974 at the young age of 51.
The aircraft was shot down by FW Hans Meissner. Information about FW Hans Meissner can be found at the following links:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_Germany:_M%E2%80%93P
- https://aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?s=1700&q=Berger%20Hans%20G.&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_type=&search_only=
- http://www.igleize.fr/aces/ww2nach.htm
In the book "Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat claims 1939-45" by John Foreman, Simon W Parry, Johannes Matthews (available in the Matheson Library General Collection at Monash University Library, Melbourne, Australia. 940.544 F715L 2004) it is recorded that on the night of 2nd to 3rd December 1943 Hans Meissner (6/NJG3) had 2 Abschuss (downings), the 2nd one being LM301. Note that his unit was 6/NJG3 (not 6/NJG1 as was originally listed on this page), and this is corroborated in the links above. Also the downing of LM301 is listed as his 9th Abschuss and not his 4th as was originally noted above. By the conclusion of the war nightfighting ace Hans Meissner is recorded as having 19 claims.
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The link below is an interesting story concerning Hans Meissner:
Sue Williams has researched and compiled a book about her father's experiences in WWII:
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