419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Lancaster KB870

Crew members of Lancaster KB870

Early on the evening of March 15th, F/L McLaughlin and crew were bound to Hagen aboard KB870 VR-K. Within less the four hours the crew were under attack my an enemy night fighter. They were 10 miles inside friendly territory when four members of the crew had bailed out, before the aircraft exploded in the air. Those lost were F/O H. Garriock, P/O Alexander Sutherland and P/O E. B. Carleton DFM.
The four who bailed out had all suffered injuries but had been found by Allied forces before ten o'clock that night. U.S. Army Intelligence informed the airforce that they were all hospitalized. At this point it was not known for sure what had happened to the other airmen. The most seriously injured was Saunders with a brocken bone in the back but still was not listed as "serious" or "dangerously ill" ?
F/O Charbonneau received injuries to his head and legs due to the aircraft catching fire and exploding before he was able to exit the Lancaster. After his recovery he again returned to duty. Was unable to find out rest of the stories on the other three survivors.
The crew was highly experinced one.For F/L McLaughlin, F/O Saunders, and P/O Charbonneau it was the 10th sortie of their second tour, WO Sutherland was on his seventeenth trip of his second trip, F/O Garriock had 16 sorties, P/O Carleton with 9 sorties of his second tour.
The crew were also attcked during an operation against Pforsheim earlier in the same month. While flying VR-K they weresunjected to an attack from dead astern and directly at the rear gunner's position by a JU88. Both the Ju88 and rear Gunner F/O Charbonneau opened fire at the same time as the fighter came with in 400 yards. Directing the pilot F/L McLaughlin to corkscrew to starboard. The enemy fighter hung on to the Lancaster, which gave Charbonneau an opportunity to fire a long burst and two shorter bursts. Definitie hits were seen on the fighter, it then later dove down and exploded on impact with the ground. Both P/O Carleton and P/O B.A. Anderson witnessed the destruction of the fighter. What all on board did not know was that all four of Charbonneau's guns had developped stoppages before the actual combat was over. This action and his later action when KB870 was lost won him his DFC.

Crew members of Lancaster KB870

Flying Officer

Henry Lloyd Garriock

Navigator Age 27 16Ops.
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From St. Catharines Ontario
Nederweert War Cemetery

Flying Officer

Edmund Bruce Carleton DFM

Air Gunner Age36 2nd. Tour
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From Toronto Ontario
Nederweert War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

Alexander Sutherland

Wireless Op. Age22
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From Sydney Mines Nova Scotia
Nederweert War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

Joseph Delphis Maurice Rene Charbonneau

Air Gunner
Injured in attack March 15th 1945
From Montreal Quebec

Flight Leutenant

M.V. McLaughlin

Pilot
Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Flight Sergeant

W. W. Lightfoot

Flight Engineer
Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Flying Officer

B.V. Saunders

Bomb Aimer
Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Crew members of Lancaster KB870

Flying Officer

Henry Lloyd Garriock

Navigator Age 27 16Ops. Killed In Action March 15th 1945 From St. Catharines Ontario Nederweert War Cemetery

Flying Officer

Edmund Bruce Carleton DFM

Air Gunner Age36 2nd. Tour Killed In Action March 15th 1945 From Toronto Ontario Nederweert War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

Alexander Sutherland

Wireless Op. Age22 Killed In Action March 15th 1945 From Sydney Mines Nova Scotia Nederweert War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

Joseph Delphis Maurice Rene Charbonneau

Air Gunner Injured in attack March 15th 1945 From Montreal Quebec

Flight Leutenant

M.V. McLaughlin

Pilot Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Flight Sergeant

W. W. Lightfoot

Flight Engineer Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Flying Officer

B.V. Saunders

Bomb Aimer Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Navigator Age 27 16Ops.
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From St. Catharines Ontario
Nederweert War Cemetery

Air Gunner Age36 2nd. Tour
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From Toronto Ontario
Nederweert War Cemetery

Wireless Op. Age22
Killed In Action March 15th 1945
From Sydney Mines Nova Scotia
Nederweert War Cemetery

Air Gunner
Injured in attack March 15th 1945
From Montreal Quebec

Pilot
Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Flight Engineer
Injured in attack March 15th 1945

Bomb Aimer
Injured in attack March 15th 1945