P/O George M Pettigrew RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 20/21st March 1943 – Avro Lancaster III – ED614 – Op Stettin
George Pettigrew and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds early in 1943 and were lost on their 7th operation.
26-Mar-43 – Duisburg – Lancaster – W4845 – Sgt GM Pettigrew
27-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – ED645 – Sgt GM Pettigrew
29-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4848 – Sgt GM Pettigrew – Did not take off - Passed take off dead line after runway change.
10-Apr-43 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – ED614 – Sgt GM Pettigrew
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – ED701 – Sgt GM Pettigrew - Landed at Westcott
16-Apr-43 – Pilsen – Lancaster – W4337 – Sgt GM Pettigrew - Coned by searchlights and badly damaged by flak.
20-Apr-43 – Stettin – Lancaster – ED614 – P/O GM Pettigrew – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed at Vester Vedsted, Denmark.
Reported to have been German night fighter victim by Hauptman Baer of 4/NJG3
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P/O George May Pettigrew RAFVR - 25 – 103 Sqn - Son of Alexander and Mary Pettigrew of Glasgow – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt James Cooper RAF – Flight Engineer - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of Walter and Esther Elizabeth Cooper of Chorley, Lancashire – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt Walter Dennis Ramsay RAFVR – Observer - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of Dr. Archibald Ramsay, M.A., M.B., and Hilda M. Ramsay of Preston, Lancashire – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt Archibald Ian MacKay RAFVR – Air Bomber - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of Alexander and Ella Mackay of Brodick, Isle of Arran – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
F/O Arthur Daley DFM RAF – Air Gunner - 24 - 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur and Doris Daley – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt Raymond George Elkins RAFVR – Air Gunner – 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of Sidney and Gertrude Annie Elkins of Abertillery, Monmouthshire – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
Sgt Patrick Joseph Cramer RAAF ( pictured above ) – 34 - 103 Sqn - Son of Edward and Anastasia Cramer; husband of Rose Mary Cramer of North Hughenden, Queensland, Australia – Esbjerg Fourfelt Cemetery, Denmark
During the attack the tail broke off the Lancaster and fell to the ground. Pat Cramer was trapped inside his turret and still alive when found by local people. He was immediately taken to hospital at Ribe but died hours later. Pat was an accomplished cartoonist and left a particularly nice drawing of himself - see above.
See also Air War Over Denmark website
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20-Apr-43 - Stettin
103 Squadron detailed 16 aircraft for this attack on the German port of Stettin. This appears to have been a most successful attack. Captains were ordered to cross Denmark at a height of 5000 ft to avoid both fighter and flak and then climb over the Baltic to attack the target. Several aircraft whichwere very low were seen to crash having been engaged by light flak. The moon was very bright and the clod nil. W/O Ross did the “ recco “ and reported the attack the best he had seen with a pall of smoke as high as his aircraft. Both heavy and light flak were inaccurate. The bombing height was between 10000 ft and 12000 ft. All crews were able to pin point visually and judging by the huge fires was a most successful raid. Some crews reported the conflagration being visible up to 150/160 miles away. All except Sgt Pettigrew and crew returned safely to base.
For this attack on Stettin Bomber Command detailed a total of 339 aircraft - 194 Lancasters, 134 Halifaxes, 11 Stirlings. This raid, on a target more than 600 miles from England, proved to be the most successful attack beyond the range of Oboe during the Battle of the Ruhr. Visibility was good and the Pathfinder marking was carried out perfectly. 24 fires were still burning when a photographic reconnaissance aircraft flew over Stettin a day and a half later. 21 aircraft - 13 Lancasters, 7 Halifaxes, 1 Stirling - lost, 6.2 per cent of the force.
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Lancaster – ED614
This machine had a short career being lost on its 6th operation
03-Apr-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED614 – W/O G Denwood
10-Apr-43 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – ED614 – Sgt GM Pettigrew
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – ED614 – W/O G Denwood - Landed at Westcott
16-Apr-43 – Pilsen – Lancaster – ED614 – W/O G Denwood
18-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – ED614 – F/O DW Finlay
20-Apr-43 – Stettin – Lancaster – ED614 – P/O GM Pettigrew – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed at Vester Vedsted, Denmark.
Item compiled by David Fell with photos from the Cramer family
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