Looking for some info on a 207 Sqn Avro Manchester Mk1 L7380. My Mothers cousin was a member of the crew. Sgt.Douglas Kingston, not sure if he was a Navigator or wireless operator/gunner though. It was shot down on08/09/1941 just off the Dutch coast. Douglas spent the rest of the war in Stalag 357 POW camp. Martin
Hi Martin, KINGSTONE DOUGLAS 615858 SERGEANT DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL 207 SQDN RECOMMENDATION (THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL REGISTER IAN TAVENDER) LONDON GAZETTE 12/1/43 SORTIES 75 ! FLYING HOURS 279 WIRELESS OP/AIR GUNNER AIR 2/8930 SGT KINGSTONE WAS THE WOP OF A MANCHESTER AIRCRAFT WHICH FAILED TO RETURN FROM A SORTIE ON THE NIGHT OF 7/8TH SEPTEMBER 1941. THE CREW WERE FORCED TO ABANDON THEIR AIRCRAFT WHILST RETURNING FROM BERLIN AND IT WAS LARGELY DUE TO THE CALMNESS DISPLAYED BY THIS NCO THAT THIS WAS CARRIED OUT SUCCESSFULLY. SGT KINGSTONE WHO WAS ON HIS SECOND TOUR OF OPERATIONS, SET AN EXAMPLE BY HIS DEVOTION TO DUTY AND THE CHEERFULNESS WITH WHICH HE CARRIED OUT HIS OPERATIONAL COMMITMENTS. 29/11/1942 Mark
Hi, Thanks for that info, his name was Kingston actually, not Kingstone. Do you know if it is possible to get any photos of the crew then? I never actually met Douglas, just used to write to him on my Mothers behalf, then we lost contact, and he died in 1996. Martin
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: D Kingston Rank: Flight Sergeant Army Number: 615850 Regiment: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks POW Number: 9589 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 357 Camp Location: Kopernikus, Poland Section: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks TD edited to add: Just noticed a slight difference in the service numbers for this gent Marks in the post above has him as 615858
The following from RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.2 - W R. Chorley 7-8 September 1941 207 Squadron Manchester I L7380 EM-W Op. Berlin Crew. F/L. W J. Lewis. PoW Sgt. C S F. Powell. PoW Sgt. R B. MacLeod RCAF. PoW Sgt. D. Kingston. PoW Sgt. C F. hall. PoW F/S. E S. Miller RCAF. PoW Took off from Waddington. Damaged by a night-fighter while outbound and still over the North Sea. The crew managed to reach Wilhelmshaven where their bombs were jettisoned before turning for home. Subsequently, the Manchester force-landed north of Ballum on the Dutch island of Ameland.
Thanks again for more info. I was hoping to find some photos of the squadron. I have been in contact with Gerlof Molenaar,who is also going to give me some information. Martin
Just a bit of an update on my research into Sgt.Douglas Kingston,my Mothers Cousin. I now have some copies of his RAF Logbook and a photo of him. Martin
Have you seen this photo and details about L7380? The Avro Manchester Sounds a real Heath Robinson device to release the 4,000lb cookie! Also interesting how that fuggly central fin was removed, thanks to the extremely high setting of the mid upper turret, if you read on. Seems a worthwhile book purchase, the story behind the Lancaster. and Accident Avro Manchester Mk I L7380, 08 Sep 1941 I wonder how much the Germans were able to discover from dragging the wreck ashore? EDIT: Just found a photo of the wreck Avro Manchester L7380 EM-W of No. 207 Squadron RAF force-landed | World War Photos and if you want to build one, here's how to do it Blackbird Avro Manchester Diorama L7381 "A Fateful Cookie" Hall published his memories: Hall, C F "Missing Believed Killed" Personal account of his loss in Manchester L7380 and subsequent experiences as a PoW (Hall family papers, 89pp unpublished 2004) worth asking the publisher or the author how they got hold of this information. Bomber Command War Diaries show that 197 bombers (103 Wellingtons, 43 Hampdens, 31 Whitleys, 10 Stirlings, 6 Halifaxes and 4 Manchesters) attacked Berlin. 15 aircraft were lost, 8 Wellingtons, 2 each of Hampdens, Whitleys and Stirlings and 1 Manchester - we know which one.... Considering only about 200 were built, there can't have been too many RAF personnel who had even flown in the Manchester, and according to Wiki, it officially entered service in November 1940 - and that 207 Squadron had EIGHTY on strength!. One wonders what might have been the situation had the ventral turret been introduced and retained on the Lancaster, as that would have been an effective defence for the schragemusik attacks, and some aircraft could have lost the ventral turret for the H2S radome but the nightfighters wouldn't know if there was a turret or radome...... what might have been, eh?
Interested in this thread as one of my teachers at school was Sgt CSF Powell, the second Pilot of of Avro Manchester L7380. I remember him talking about the problems they had with the Avro Manchester engines, and that his hearing was damaged in the crash. About his time as a pow, he said that he was in the same camp, but not same compound as the Wooden horse escape ( I now know this is Stalag Luft III at Sagan) & he was repatriated during the war due to his hearing. He passed away in 1986. I can't seem to find the book by C F Hall "Missing Believed Killed" for sale on line & would like to read it, does anyone know any other source.
Hi, That is interesting to know. My Mother’s cousin,Sgt.Douglas Kingston,the wireless operator on that mission passed away in 1996. I have contact with people he lived with in Birmingham. Martin
If you get the chance to go to the National Archives the casualty file is there with the reference below. They often sent investigators out after the war to gather information on the fate of missing aircraft and this could well contain that sort of information. Best John AIR 81/8933 Description: Flight Lieutenant W J Lewis, Sergeant C S F Powell, Sergeant R B MacLeod (RCAF), Sergeant D Kingston, Sergeant C F Hall, Sergeant E S Miller (RCAF): prisoners of war; aircraft shot down and crashed near Ameland Island, Holland, Manchester L7380, 207 Squadron, 8 September 1941