F/O. Robert Leslie Rutherford, No. 50 Squadron Les Rutherford served as a despatch rider in the army, he was evacuated from Dunkirk using a shed door and volunteered to transfer to the RAF. He became a bomb aimer with No. 50 Squadron and completed 24 operations. He was shot down over Germany on 20th December 1943 in Lancaster III DV217 and became a prisoner of war. International Bomber Command Centre have digitised his diary and other items as well as interviewed Rutherford. https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/168 Took off 16:58 from Skellingthorpe. Burst into flames at 19000ft and the order to bale out was given. Pilot Officer John Llewelyn HECKENDORF (412442) KIA Navigator Flying Officer Kenneth Thornton DALE (141548) KIA Air Gunner Sergeant Douglas Sinclair HALL (1483259) KIA Flight Engineer Sergeant John HENDERSON (1019301) KIA Flight Sergeant Robert Campbell TURNER (408379) KIA W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. A.D. Hope, RAFVR (169139) POW F/O. Air/Bomber F/O. R.L. Rutherford, RAFVR (146342) POW (info from RAFCommands) Hope & Rutherford were the only survivors, the rest of the crew were buried in Durnbach War Cemetery. One should look at his diary with cartoons, sketches & a tribute to the Fifty men of Stalag Luft III that were murdered, in the vain of a medieval manuscript. Les Rutherford's prisoner of war diary Interview with Les Rutherford. One Interview with Les Rutherford. Three Interview with Les Rutherford. Four English airman's grave Les Rutherford's prisoner of war parcel inventory Programme for Christmas show Warnung der Regierungen der Sowjetunion, der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika und Grossbrittanniens an alle deutschen Kommandanten Len Whiteley presents Fanfare