F/O Keith I Dexter RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 16/17th June 1943 – Avro Lancaster III – ED945 – Op Cologne
I believe Keith Dexter ( pictured above ) was a senior police officer, CID, which was a reserved occupation. However he volunteered for aircrew and was accepted for pilot training and a later commissioned. I can recall at least two other former police officers who volunteered for aircrew who were at Elsham Wolds. Vic Jones with 103 Squadron and Tom Laing with 576 Squadron. Both killed. I also seem to recall being told that Keith Dexter was a good all round sportsman and played football at a very good level. He may have played for Reading briefly or at least had trials for Reading at some stage. May have been Oxford
Dexter trained as a pilot in the USA and then returned to the UK being posted to No 6 Advanced Flying Unit, 30 Operational Training Unit and then 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit. On the 11th June 1943 he was posted with his crew to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds. Sadly this crew were lost on their second operation.
14-Jun-43 – Oberhausen – Lancaster – ED945 – P/O KI Dexter
16-Jun-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – ED945 – P/O KI Dexter – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed near Boxtel, Holland.
Reportedly shot down by night fighter pilot and ace Hauptmann Manfred Meurer of the 3/NJG 1
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F/O Keith Inger Dexter RAFVR – Pilot – 32 – 103 Sqn - Son of Walter John and Constance Sneath Dexter, of Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire – Eindhoven Woensel General Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt Roy Cyril Ridgway RAF – Flight Engineer - 24 - 103 Sqn - Son of Walter and Annie Ridgway of Old Swan, Liverpool - Eindhoven Woensel General Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt William Thomas Shepherd RAFVR – Navigator - 27 - 103 Sqn - Son of Ernest Alfred and Ethel Louisa Shepherd, of Highgate, London
Sgt Harold Gwyn Thomas RAFVR – Air Bomber - 34 - 103 Sqn - Son of Fredrick Bartlett Thomas and Lizzie Marguerite Thomas
Sgt Horace Staples RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Son of Horace and Ruth Staples; husband of Charlotte Edith Staples, of Blackpool, Lancashire
Sgt James Maurice Carroll RAFVR – Air Gunner - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of John and Amy Carroll of Church Stretton, Shropshire
Sgt Robert Arthur Heslop RAFVR – Air Gunner - 25 - 103 Sqn - Son of William and Maria Heslop, of Carlisle, Cumberland
It was suggested in local reports that several members of this crew were shot my German soldiers whilst descending in their parachutes or murdered when they reached the ground. That is quite possible and was not uncommon.
Both Dexter and Shepherd were former London Metropolitan Police Officers
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16-Jun-43 - Cologne
103 Squadron detailed 22 aircraft for this attack on the German city of Cologne. The Pathfinders used sky marking and ground marking because of the 8/10ths cloud, thundercloud, with tops at 17000 ft to 20000 ft but these dropped to 10000 ft to 15000 ft over the target. Results were not observed satisfactorily. The Germans used false markers and also decoy fire sites with a certain amount of success. As the moon was bright the searchlights beneath the cloud were ineffective. Flak was as usual. There were several sightings of enemy aircraft which were easily evaded and no combats occurred. Most crews were unsatisfied with this cloud marking technique and being unable to observe results. It was however noted that glows in the cloud indicate large fires beneath. Three aircraft returned early. F/O Dexter and Sgt Winchester and their crews failed to return. All other aircraft returned to base.
For this attack on Cologne Bomber Command detailed a total of 202 Lancasters and 10 Halifaxes of 1, 5 and No 8 Groups. The marking for this raid was not by Oboe but by 16 heavy bombers of the Pathfinders fitted with H2S. The target was cloud-covered and some of the Pathfinder aircraft had trouble with their H2S sets. The skymarking was late and sparse, and the bombing of the all-Lancaster Main Force was thus scattered. 14 Lancasters lost.
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Lancaster – ED945
This was another machine with a short career. It was lost on its 7th operation
23-May-43 – Dortmund – Lancaster – ED945 – S/L HA England
25-May-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – ED945 – S/L HA England
27-May-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED945 – S/L HA England
29-May-43 – Wuppertal – Lancaster – ED945 – Sgt AC Wishart
11-Jun-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – ED945 – S/L HA England
14-Jun-43 – Oberhausen – Lancaster – ED945 – P/O KI Dexter
16-Jun-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – ED945 – P/O KI Dexter – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed near Boxtel, Holland.
Written and compiled by David Fell with photo from the Dexter family
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