Failed to Return

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 (but see the ORB Mix-up sub-section below):

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.

ORB Confusion

In November 2024 information was received that indicated that W/O Collier and F/Sgt Cromie (both RAAF) had not transferred into 550 Squadron from 100 Squadron, but that they had in fact transferred in from RAAF 460 Squadron. This appears to contradict the 550 Sqdn ORB. However, relevant pages from the 460 Squadron ORB do show Collier and Cromie being posted from 460 Sqdn to 550 Sqdn. An ops list showing that the Collier crew had flown on 12 Ops with 460 Squadron before posting to 550 Squadron has also been made available.

Below are a number of images received with details pertaining to W/O Collier and his crew and their operations while with 460 Sqdn.

- The list of 550 Sqdn crews taking off on the night of 2nd December 1943 from RAF Waltham/Grimsby, including the Collier crew
(as recorded by the lads who manned the caravan and listed the crews as they took off by the caravan).
- 460 Squadron Personnel Occurrence Reports (POR) showing posting to No. 550 Squadron for Collier and Crombie
(again with a typo in Crombie's name)
- W/O Collier crew ops with 460 Sqdn, September 1943 - November 1943

Many thanks to Daryll Fell a researcher at the RAAF Directorate of History and Heritage Branch for the information and images.

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:

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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