Hi All, I'm Max Williams, from Portland, Dorset in England (not to be confused with the many "Portlands" in the States!). My primary interest of 463 and 467 squadrons (RAAF) arises from the fact that my father trained as a pilot with another "Max" (Venton), who was posted to 467 squadron and killed in March 45. For some years now I have been investigating the circumstances of the loss of Lancaster ME453 (PO-L): my interim website Just an Ordinary Crew summarises my research, though a more comprehensive one is under preparation which will do justice to the detail that I have discovered! I look forward to joining the discussions, I already recognise many names from other "forae"!
Hi Max, Welcome aboard! We've already said g'day and thanks again for your assistance relating to Bob Eggins and the night of 04MAR45. Cheers Owen
Thanks guys (hello Owen!), I'm sure this forum will be as friendly as most to which I contribute; I look forward to making some worthwhile comments on this one! In case you're not familiar with the Lancaster forum, you might like to look here: Lancaster-Archive Forum • View forum - Lancaster-Archive Forum We're always keen to have new members and their expertise. Regards Max
Welcome to the forum Max, we are somewhat a birders home, though we do tolerate the poor deluded fools that like Tanks. (Boat chasers are honory birders )
Thanks Kitty, glad to hear that "air-heads" predominate. Hmmmm, Tanks....are those what you keep fish in? :Booty: Max
Welcome to the forum Max. There is also a Portland in Victoria Australia. Did Max Fenton die with this crew? Y ELLIOTT, OSRIC BROWNRIGG Flight Sergeant 432217 463sq 3/03/1945 Y HOWELLS, FRANCIS JOHN (DFC) Flight Lieutenant 419044 463sq 3/03/1945 TERRAS, COLIN HILL Warrant Officer 432286 467sq 3/03/1945 Y WARD, ROWLAND TELFORD Flying Officer 428814 467sq 3/03/1945 Or this one? Y CAHILL, CLYDE MCCARTNEY Flight Sergeant 428103 467sq 4/03/1945 Y EGGINS, ROBERT BRUCE Flying Officer 424717 467sq 4/03/1945 Y MADDEN, PATRICK JOSEPH Flight Sergeant 426633 467sq 4/03/1945 Y RICHARDSON, RUSSELL VERNON Flight Sergeant 428189 467sq 4/03/1945 Y WALKER, ALEXANDER BECK Flight Sergeant 436305 467sq 4/03/1945 Cheers Geoff
Hi Spidge, I'll think you'll find it was the first crew mentioned. I've been researching Bob Eggins and the crew of LM677. Cheers Owen
Yes Owen you are correct. I had the info all the time on the comments section on my spreadsheet on the name section however I was looking at the date section of the spreadsheet. Lancaster ME453 467 Sqn RAF Waddington Take Off... 3rd March 1945 at 1853hrs Target...Ladbergen Reichswald Military Cemetery F/O R T Ward RAAF F/S M Venton F/S H Callaghan F/S R V Smith W/O C H Terras RAAF Sgt W A A Chatters Sgt T E Drennan
Hello Geoff, Owen's right, Max Venton (Note the "V" not "F") died with Rolly Ward's crew, all 7 were killed (Ward, Venton, Terras, Smith, Chatters, Callaghan and Drennan) on only their 3rd op. (though Rolly did a second dickie op. as well of course). They never actually dropped a bomb on Germany, their first two targets (canals again) were obscured by cloud and on their final one they were shot down on the run-in. I'm as certain as can be they were shot down by Heinz Schnaufer, making them his 117th victory, followed a few minutes later by W/Cdr Eric le Page Langlois, squadron CO. Regards Max PS I'd like to find out more about 463's only loss for that night, F/Lt Frank Howells from Melbourne, but that will be another story!
Hey there ME453 My great-uncle, Sgt (later Pilot Officer and DFM) D.J. Marks flew with 467 during January-April 1943, before being posted to 97 Sqn, and he was killed on July 30, 1943, while coming back from Hamburg.
Thanks Pathfinder and Andy, it's amazing how many different forums there are, each with its own bias and resident team of "experts"! I've found in the past that you never know who you're going to meet, and what gems of info they may have that can be exchanged, as happened with Owen and myself. All power to WWII Forum! Regards Max
There's experts and there's experts, Max. These guys you and I share the forum with are the bloody good kind!
Hi, Francis John Howells died along side Charles Edward Billard,Douglas Bates,Philip Barlow andOsric Elliott on the Dortmund ems Canal mission on 3rd March 1945.They flew with the 463 squadron in an avro Lancaster numbered ng469.There were 2 survivors,Eugene Foreman and JMH Millar who were taken as POW,sThe crew that died are in Reichswald.
I'd like to add: http://somethingverybig.com/2014/05/01/anzac-day-2014-in-sydney/ list of books .. pls see for 463/467 lancaster http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/research/RAF-Sqadron-books
