419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Lancaster KB715

Crew of Lancaster KB715

F/O Thomas Cowtan and his crew arrived at 419 Squadron on November 27th. from 1664 CU. Their first operation together was on December 15th 1944. They would only complete three sorties before the night of December 24th.

Lancaster KB715 squadron ID VR-T on it's 60th mission took off at 1206 from Middleton St. George on a raid to bomb the airfield at Lohausen near Dusseldorf. It was during the Ardennes campaign of December of 1944 and the operation was aimed at keeping enemy support from taking part in the action. With a clear sky the defenders were able to put up accurate and heavy flak. It was flak and the shrapnel that it spread across the sky that hit KB715 in both starboard engines and set them on fire. The aircraft's controls were also damaged making the Lancaster hard to control. With the two engines now on fire and control being lost, the order to bail out was given by the pilot F/O Thomas Cowtan.

The crew began the evacuation of the heavy bomber Flight Engineer P/O Ranson who was wounded in the action jumped first followed by Sgt. Colin Thompson, Sgt. George Little. When Bomb Aimer F/O Joseph Cartier finally managed to drop the bombs he then followed out the hatch. F/O Cowtan and Sgt Ferdinand Hector bailed out some time later, landing near Venlo. All six of the men were captured. F/O Hale was not accounted for.
The one mystery of KB715 was what happened to F/O Raymond Hale the Wireless Operator, the only member of the crew to have been killed. Several scenarios have been put forward. One based on another pilot seeing only six cutes open and that therefore F/O Hale must have gone down with the aircraft.
Two other sources had him being murdered after parachuting to the ground. One source blames the Gestapo and another blames German ground forces.

In time his family would receive the letters, first one telling that he was missing and another following much later informing the family of his death. It would not be for another two years before the truth came out. The story behind the mystery of F/O Raymond Hale

Crew of Lancaster KB715

Flying Officer

Raymond Wallace Hale

Wireless Op Age 21 3rd.Op.
Murdered
December 24 1944
From From Renfrew Ontario
Burial at Rheinberg War Cemetery

Sergeant

George Burten Little

Rear Gunner 2nd. Op.
POW Stalag Luft VII POW #1336
From Eston Saskatchewan

Flying Officer

Thomas Henry Cowtan

Pilot 5th Op.
POW Stalg Luft I
From Westboro British Columbia

Flight Sergeant

Colin Wray Thompson

Navigator 2nd. Op.
POW Stalg Luft I
From Fort Francis Ontario

Flying Officer

Joseph Lionel Louis Cartier

Bomb Aimer 2nd. Op.
POW hospitalized due to injuries
From Cornwall Ontario

Pilot Officer

James Valentine Ranson

F/E 2nd. Op.
POW hospitalized due to injuries
From Winnipeg Manitoba

Sergeant

Ferdnand Albert Hector

Mid/Upper Gunner 2nd. Op.
POW Stalag Luft VII POW # 1327
From Dysart Saskatchewan

Crew of Lancaster KB715

Flying Officer

Raymond Wallace Hale

Wireless Op Age 21 3rd.Op. Murdered December 24 1944 From From Renfrew Ontario Burial at Rheinberg War Cemetery

Sergeant

George Burten Little

Rear Gunner 2nd. Op. POW Stalag Luft VII POW #1336 From Eston Saskatchewan

Flying Officer

Thomas Henry Cowtan

Pilot 5th Op. POW Stalg Luft I From Westboro British Columbia

Flight Sergeant

Colin Wray Thompson

Navigator 2nd. Op. POW Stalg Luft I From Fort Francis Ontario

Flying Officer

Joseph Lionel Louis Cartier

Bomb Aimer 2nd. Op. POW hospitalized due to injuries From Cornwall Ontario

Pilot Officer

James Valentine Ranson

F/E 2nd. Op. POW hospitalized due to injuries From Winnipeg Manitoba

Sergeant

Ferdnand Albert Hector

Mid/Upper Gunner 2nd. Op. POW Stalag Luft VII POW # 1327 From Dysart Saskatchewan

Wireless Op Age 21 3rd.Op.
Murdered
December 24 1944
From From Renfrew Ontario
Burial at Rheinberg War Cemetery

Rear Gunner 2nd. Op.
POW Stalag Luft VII POW #1336
From Eston Saskatchewan

Pilot 5th Op.
POW Stalg Luft I
From Westboro British Columbia

Navigator 2nd. Op.
POW Stalg Luft I
From Fort Francis Ontario

Bomb Aimer 2nd. Op.
POW hospitalized due to injuries
From Cornwall Ontario

F/E 2nd. Op.
POW hospitalized due to injuries
From Winnipeg Manitoba

Mid/Upper Gunner 2nd. Op.
POW Stalag Luft VII POW # 1327
From Dysart Saskatchewan