Lancaster 3. Serial No. DV 233. Radio Call Sign - PO. unit 467 Sqn RAAF. Post war it was established the aircraft was shot down by an ME 110. After bombing the railway yards in Mannheim. the Lancaster crashed near the Bahnhof at Goddelau. I am aware of the official photographs kept in the Australian War Memorial collection. 1. Is anyone aware of photographs in private hands of the crew : - Farmer, Puttick, Knowles, Darvill, Chinnery, Cansfield and Adair ? 2. Does anyone know more about the crew of the ME 110 and any other German information to this particular air action ? Thank you, Richard
Forum member Spidge thread below 23rd September ADAIR, CHARLES EDWARD Flight Sergeant 11615 467sq 23/09/1943 23 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 5. B. 21. DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Germany Bad Tolz, Bayern FARMER, WALTER THEODORE Pilot Officer 416843 467sq 23/09/1943 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Panel 191. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL UK Surrey Date of Death: 23 September 1943 Source: AWM 64 (1/426) AWM 237 (63) (64) W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War : Page 333, Volume 1943. Aircraft Type: Lancaster Serial number: DV 233 Radio call sign: PO - Unit: 467 Sqn RAAF Summary: Lancaster DV233 took off from RAF Bottesford at 1904 hours on the night of 23/24th September 1943 to bomb Mannheim, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Seventeen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these including DV233 failed to return. Crew: RAAF 416843 PO Farmer, W T Captain (Pilot) RAF FO Puttick, A (Navigator) RAF Sgt J Knowles, (Bomb Aimer) RAF Sgt T W Darvill, (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) RAF Sgt R V Chinnery, (Flight Engineer) RAF Sgt P Cansfield, (Mid Upper Gunner) RAAF 11615 Flt Sgt C E Adair, (Rear Gunner) Post war it was established that the aircraft was shot down by an ME110 whose opening burst killed Flt Sgt Adair. The aircraft caught fire and crashed near the bahnhof at Goddelau, approx. 24 miles north of Mannheim, Germany. Both PO Farmer and Flt Sgt Adair were killed and the other five members of the crew became POW’s. In later statements Sgt Knowles and Sgt Chinnery (POW’s) said “It was highly improbable that PO Farmer had sufficient time to enable him to effectively abandon the aircraft.” Sgt Darvill and Sgt Knowles (POW’s) reported “ Sgt Adair was unable to exit from the rear turret after receiving instructions to abandon the aircraft. Sgt Cansfield made two attempts to save him but due to the fire could not reach the turret and he was forced to abandon the aircraft.” PO Farmer is listed as missing and his name is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK. Flt Sgt Adair is buried at Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany. Durnbach is a village, 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// In Memoriam - Those Air Force Pilots/Crews who died on this day in WW2.
Hi many thanks for replying to my request for information regarding DV 233. Tom Darvill, my uncle related to me and my son John the conversation which took place in the final moments between him and Wally Farmer in Lancaster DV233. Which we believe would be of interest to the descendents of the Farmer family and the Australians who wish to remember. As I intend to submit a letter to the Australian Government to put on record our knowledge. Which I have every hope at some stage in the future to being able to share with everyone on ww2 talk. I guess Spidge the Australian RAAF guy will have interest in all of this. I am grateful you responded with interest kicking this off for us. Richard
Durnbach is concentration military cemetery created postwar by the CWGC. F/S Adair would be first interred elsewhere, probably close to Goddelau where DV 233 crashed. DV 233 was a Mark 111 Lancaster from a Metropolitan Vickers, Trafford Park, Manchester production run of 200 aircraft ordered in 1941 and delivered May to September 1943. Looking at DV 233's service hours, it accounted for 61 hours which would point to less than 10 bombing ops.
Thank you so much Harry for bringing your interesting info to our attention. We will try to upload some photos of interest.
The above photos are as follows: We believe the Lancaster to be PO A DV 233. 2. Photo of an RAAF crew, sgt. Adair, 4th from the left. 3. The pilot Wally Farmer, 2nd from the left front row seated. 4th photo Tom Darvill. First 3 photos from the Australian Memorial Collection. Richard
Description Group portrait of No 4 Initial Training School, RAAF, Course No 21, C Squadron, Flight 10, at Victor Harbor, South Australia. Identified in the back row, from left to right: 401498 William Dennis Keith Forbes (died 20 March 1943 in UK); 409823 Michael John Douglas; 416836 Vincent John Duke; 416833 Jack Currie; 409824 Stanley Elliott; 409826 Harold George Frew (died 19 April 1944 in Gibraltar); 409500 Daniel Patrick Boyle (died 15 May 1943 in UK); 409827 Allan Douglas Garland; 409818 Thomas James Russell Crow (died 26 November 1943 in Mildura, Victoria); 26847 Douglas Lloyd George Cushway; 416848 Roy Everic Anzac Frost; and 409822 John Frederick Dohrmann. Identified in the middle row, from left to right: 416845 Donald Norman Flower; 416835 Alfred Keith De Garis (died 31 March 1943 in Scotland); 409821 Geoffrey Arthur Dean; 415378 Alexander Eric John Elsbury (died 28 February 1943 off the north Queensland coast); 416838 Reginald Alfred Eckert; 409819 John Daly; 409871 Alan Sheridan Fullarton; 416832 Douglas MacDonald Craig; 416847 John Ross Ford; 416840 Douglas Ernest Elliott; and 409820 Derick Aubin Deal. Identified in the front row, from left to right: 416844 Harold Ferme (died 27 September 1943 on operations over Germany); 416843 Walter Theodore Farmer (died 23 September 1943 on operations over Germany); 409870 Donald Macpherson Fraser; 14343 John Ronold Croker; 26629 Noel Dudley Prime; 416842 Geoffrey Clifford Errington; 409824 John Douglas Wharton Ford; 416837 Gordon Keith Eames; 416834 John Clifton Davis (died 12 July 1943 on operations over New Guinea); and 416841 Walter William Eriksen
A new loss report completed here: THESE TWO AUSTRALIANS, THE ONLY CREW KILLED ON THIS TRIP, WERE THE 52ND AND 53RD OF 286 KILLED IN 467SQ RAAF AND THE 5,245TH AND 5,246TH AIR FORCE AUSTRALIANS TO DIE FROM ALL CAUSES AND IN ALL THEATRES TO THIS DATE. 467 SQUADRON RAAF, WORLD WAR 2 FATALITIES Date of Death: 23 September 1943 Source: AWM 64 (1/426) AWM 237 (63) (64) W R Chorley: RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: Page 333, Volume 1943. Aircraft Type: Lancaster Serial number: DV 233 Radio call sign: PO - Unit: 467 Sqn RAAF Summary: Lancaster DV233 took off from RAF Bottesford at 1904 hours on the night of 23/24th September 1943 to bomb Mannheim, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. Seventeen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these including DV233 failed to return. Crew: RAAF 416843 PO Walter Theodore Farmer, Captain (Pilot) (Killed) RAF 134545 FO A C Puttick, (Navigator) (POW – Camp L3 - #2539) RAF 1128898 Sgt J Knowles, (Bomb Aimer) (POW – Camp 357 - #541) RAF 1331412 Sgt T W Darvill, (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) (POW – Camp L6 - #534) RAF 1642934 Sgt R V Chinnery, (Flight Engineer) (POW – Camp 357 - #543) RAF 1130732 Sgt P Cansfield, (Mid Upper Gunner) (POW – Camp 357 - #532) RAAF 11615 Flt Sgt Charles Edward Adair, (Rear Gunner) (Killed) Post war it was established that the aircraft was shot down by an ME110 whose opening burst killed Flt Sgt Adair. The aircraft caught fire and crashed near the bahnhof at Goddelau, approx. 24 miles north of Mannheim, Germany. Both PO Farmer and Flt Sgt Adair were killed and the other five members of the crew became POW’s. In later statements Sgt Knowles and Sgt Chinnery (POW’s) said “It was highly improbable that PO Farmer had sufficient time to enable him to effectively abandon the aircraft.” Sgt Darvill and Sgt Knowles (POW’s) reported “Sgt Adair was unable to exit from the rear turret after receiving instructions to abandon the aircraft. Sgt Cansfield made two attempts to save him but due to the fire could not reach the turret and he was forced to abandon the aircraft.” PO Farmer is listed as missing and his name is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK. Flt Sgt Adair is buried at Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany. Durnbach is a village, 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich. RAAF 416843 PO Walter Theodore Farmer. Aged 21, Son of Arthur Rawson Farmer and Ethelynd Lucy Farmer, of Renmark North, South Australia. RAAF 11615 Flt Sgt Charles Edward Adair. Aged 23, Son of Michael Thomas Adair and Doris Isabell Adair; husband of Joyce Beryl Adair, of North Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
Hi Spidge thank you very much for the information it is much appreciated I know Tom would have been thrilled to have been able to have seen this, he held Wally in the highest regard. You honour these men they won't be forgotten they will be remembered. Richard
