Squadron Personnel who Failed to Return

The lists on this page are of those servicemen who failed to return from an operation. Sadly the marjoity of these will have been men who lost their lives on active service, but some will have survived. In addition to those on who died ca. 85 members of No. 550 Squadron took to their parachutes over the continent. The great majority of these became Prisoners of War but a small number evaded capture and were helped back to England.

Definitions of the abbreviations used are available: here.

Roll of Honour

The men who lost their lives on active service are listed in the Roll of Honour (or Roll of Honour (extended version)).

Survivors: Prisioners of War

The following were captured following the loss of their aircraft.


Rank Initials
(First Name)
Last Name Medals Service
F/O A
(Alec)
Abrams - RCAF
F/O S R
(Stephen Roy)
Angill - RAF
F/O S C
(Stanley Christmas)
Beeson - RAF
W/Cdr B
(Bryan)
Bell - RAF
Sgt D B
(Dennis Bertin)
Boyce - RAF
Sgt G E
(George Edward)
Brown - RAF
Sgt J C
(John Christopher)
Cartwright - RAF
F/O A J
(Arthur Lawrence)
Coldwell - RCAF
Sgt A C
(Anthony Constantine)
Crilley - RAF
F/Sgt J A
(John Andrew)
Cromie - RAAF
Sgt R B
(Roy Barton)
Cumberlidge - RAF
Sgt D P
Dingle - RAF
Sgt J E
(James Edmund)
Donnan - RAF
Sgt J R
Drury - RAF
F/Sgt P H
(Paul)
Evans - RCAF
Sgt D V H
Evans - RAF
Sgt D F
(Donald Francis)
Fadden - RAF
F/Sgt L F
(Leslie)
Figg - RAF
Sgt A
Finnigan - RAF
Sgt W C
Frost - RAF
Sgt C V
Gale - RAF
Sgt R L
(Raymond Leslie)
Gibbs - RAF
Sgt R
(Rodney)
Gray - RAF
F/O D H
Grundy - RCAF
Sgt W C
(Charlie)
Gundry - RAF
F/Sgt J P
Harrison - RAF
Sgt K J R
Hewlett - RAF
Sgt D J
(Douglas James)
Hicks - RCAF
Sgt G
Hunter - RAF
Sgt D
Hunter - RAF
Sgt P H
Hurst - RAF
Sgt J
Jackson - RAF
F/Sgt D S
Jeffrey - RAF
Sgt J S
Jenkins - RAF
Sgt S A
Keirle - RAF
Sgt G P
Kelleher - RAF
W/O E W
King - RCAF
Sgt R H
Laney - RAF
F/L R J
(Robert)
Liefooghe - RAF
P/O J W
Lowe - RCAF
S/L K
MacAleavey DFC RAF
Sgt F M
Main - RAF
Sgt J
Matthews - RAF
P/O J L
McKeown - RCAF
W/O R C
(Roy)
McLauchlan - RCAF
Sgt E J
Morgan - RAF
F/Sgt F
Neal - RAF
F/O G J
(Gordon James)
Nicol - RCAF
F/O G H
(Geoffrey Howard)
Packham - RAF
Sgt S
(Stanley)
Pelham - RAF
Sgt C C C
Pettit - RAF
Sgt H C
Petty - RAF
F/O G
Pickavance - RCAF
Sgt J J
(Jack)
Sawkins - RAF
Sgt L I
Smith - RAF
Sgt M B
(Maurice Braham)
Smith - RAF
Sgt P W
Smith - RAF
Sgt R F
Stevens - RAF
Sgt S
(Stanley)
Sykes - RAF
Sgt W G
Upton - RAF
Sgt T W
Vittle - RAF
F/O R
Warren - RAF
Sgt S J
Webb - RAF
Sgt R E
White - RAF
Sgt F A
Willson - RAF
Sgt K D
(Kenneth Douglas)
Winstanley - RAF
Sgt D
Yardley - RAF
F/O E
Yaternick - RCAF
F/Sgt D J
(David Johnston)
Yemen - RCAF

Service Representation

The breakdown of servicemen across the participating Air Forces is:


Royal Air Force 55
Royal Australian Air Force 1
Royal Canadian Air Force 13
Royal New Zealand Air Force 0
TOTAL 69

Survivers: Evaded Capture

The following either evaded capture or, in one or two cases, were captured and then escaped.


Rank Initials
(First Name)
Last Name Medals Service
Sgt G B C
(Guy Claud)
Capon - RAF
P/O W
(William ("Bill"))
Dinney RCAF
F/O R
(Roy)
Kay - RAF
Sgt E J
(Eli Joseph)
Molnar - RCAF
Sgt J G
(John Goffin (Jack))
Pearce - RAF

Service Representation

The breakdown of servicemen across the participating Air Forces is:


Royal Air Force 3
Royal Australian Air Force 0
Royal Canadian Air Force 2
Royal New Zealand Air Force 0
TOTAL 5

Survivers: Injured

The following survived crashes with injuries.


Rank Initials
(First Name)
Last Name Medals Service
Sgt C E G
(Cyril Ernest George)
Bream RAF
F/Sgt C W
Graham RAF
P/O H S
Vaughan - RAF

Service Representation

The breakdown of servicemen across the participating Air Forces is:


Royal Air Force 3
Royal Australian Air Force 0
Royal Canadian Air Force 0
Royal New Zealand Air Force 0
TOTAL 3

Survivers: Survived Crashes

The following survived crashes.


Rank Initials
(First Name)
Last Name Medals Service
F/Sgt W G
(Bill)
Anderson - RAF
Sgt W
(William)
Aspinall - RAF
F/O F W
(Frederick William)
Bennett - RAF
Sgt P E
(Paul Edward)
Binder - RAF
Sgt I V
(Ivor Victor)
Browse - RAF
F/O W K
(William Kenneth)
Campbell - RAAF
F/Sgt S G
(Sidney George)
Card - RAF
F/Sgt V B
(Vincent Bernard)
Cassapi - RAF
P/O L C
Davies - RAF
Sgt F E
(Frederick Edward)
Drawbridge - RAF
Sgt T
Elliott - RAF
F/Sgt T
(Thomas)
Fairclough RAF
F/Sgt F G
Ferguson - RAAF
Sgt H C
Gilbert - RAF
Sgt R F J
(Ronald Frederick John)
Gorman - RAF
Sgt R H
Hoggard - RAF
P/O R
(Richard)
Hopman UNUSED RAAF
F/Sgt G W
James - RCAF
F/Sgt A
(Alan)
Jarnell - RAF
Sgt W E
Johnson - RAF
F/O A W L
(Aubrey)
Lohrey - RNZAF
Sgt D L
(David Lesley)
Marks - RAF
F/Sgt G R
Martin - RAF
F/Sgt R E
McKenzie - RAAF
Sgt R W
Metcalfe - RAF
Sgt A J
Miles - RAF
F/Sgt D
(Denis)
Porter - RAF
Sgt L D
Purser - RAF
F/Sgt W E
Reed - RAF
WO2 E
Salte - RCAF
F/Sgt J K
Sharpe - RAAF
F/Sgt R E
(Robert (Bob))
Sloan - RAAF
Sgt R C
(Ronal Charles)
Smith - RAF
Sgt D A
Stanley - RAF
P/O S B
Taylor - RAF
Sgt A W E
(Albert William Edward)
Walters - RAF
Sgt W J
Watson - RCAF
F/Sgt E C
(Eddie)
Westhorpe - RAF
Sgt A
(Alexander)
Wilson - RAF
Sgt P W
(Percy William)
Wise - RAF
Sgt R L
Wood - RAF

Service Representation

The breakdown of servicemen across the participating Air Forces is:


Royal Air Force 31
Royal Australian Air Force 6
Royal Canadian Air Force 3
Royal New Zealand Air Force 1
TOTAL 41

The details were last updated: 21 December 2024


Note


this list is still being built and will take some time to complete
what is currently displayed is believed accurate but much more is still to be added

This note describes other options currently available to produce a smaller, more manageable list and also describes planned future enhancements to the reporting facility.


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