F/S J V Roper RAFVR and crew - 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds –1942/43.
Failed to Return - 9/10th March 1943 - Avro Lancaster I - W4860 - Op Munich.
The last Flight of D - Donald
John Curnow was navigator in Johnnie Roper's ( see pic above ) crew which were posted to 103 Sqn in the late summer of 1942. They started flying operations in Oct 42 on Halifaxes converting to Lancasters in Nov 42. At the time of their loss they were the senior crew at Elsham Wolds, the last of the "Halifax Boys".
In his memoirs John states they were attacked by a night fighter without warning and the first shell hit the starboard wing. He left his navigator’s table and clipped on his parachute which was something he had never done before. He moved to the cockpit to find the Engineer, Sgt Rose, had gone down to the bomb aimer’s position. The pilot, Johnnie Roper, asked him to check the starboard side to see if the extinguisher had put out the fire. There was a small hole with flames coming out quite near the inner engine. John Curnow feathered the engine and pressed the fire extinguisher button but it did not work.
Before anything more could be done, there were a series of loud bangs from the wing and with each bang the wheel jerked anti clockwise in Johnnie Roper’s hands and the starboard wing rose higher and higher. Johnnie Roper was off his seat putting all his weight on the wheel trying to pull it back to no avail as the fire had destroyed the aileron controls.
The bomber flipped over onto its back and went into a diving spin. John Curnow was pinned down and could not lift his chin from his chest nor lift his hands. He thought he was going to die.
After what seemed like an eternity there was a crashing explosion of light, sound and violence. As he regained consciousness a blurred red ball kept passing before him and he realised he was tumbling over and over in the cold winter night air. He quickly reached across and pulled the rip cord of the parachute he had so providentially clipped on barely two minutes earlier.
He watched D-Donald, now a flaming comet, plunge to earth and wondered whether anyone else had been blown clear. John landed by parachute on a nearby railway line not far from the crash. None of his crew mates survived.
The aircraft crashed very near the French village of Lavannes where the 6 crew are buried. Years later John and his wife visited Lavannes twice and a memorial was unveiled at the site of the crash.
A full account of John’s experienced are contained in his excellent book Shot Down which is still available on Amazon here.
Roper Crew Tour details:-
Date - 13/14th Oct 1942. Target - Kiel. A/C - Halifax. Serial - W7861.
Crew :-
Sgt J V Roper.
Sgt J M Curnow.
Sgt J S Dobie.
Sgt J A Todd.
Sgt J S Rose.
Sgt C E L Duncan.
Sgt E Waghorn.
Up - 1836. Down - 0054. Bombed form 10,000ft at 2136.
Date - 15/16th Oct 942. Target - Cologne. A/C - Halifax. Serial - W7861. Crew - As above.
Up - 1911. Down - 0021. Bombed from 10,000ft at 2055.
Date - 24/25th Oct 1942. Target - Milan. A/C - Halifax. Serial - W7861. Crew - As above.
Failed to take off. Aircraft U/S.
Date - 22/23rd Nov 1942. Target - Stuttgart. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1823. Down - 0321. Bombed from 10,000ft at 2156.
30 x 4lb incendiaries hung up.
Date - 6/7th Dec 1942. Target - Mannheim. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1722. Down - 0044. Bombed from 11,000ft at 2055.
Date - 8/9th Dec 1942. Target - Baltic Entrance/ Mining. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4787. Crew - As above.
Failed to take off. Aircraft U/S.
Date - 9/10th Dec 1942. Target - Turin. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4340. Crew - As above.
Up - 1744. Down - 0215. Bombed from 12,000ft at 2205.
Date - 20/21st Dec 1942. Target - Duisberg. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Failed to take off. Aircraft U/S.
Note. Sgt Roper now shown as F/S.
Date - 21/22nd Dec 1942. Target - Munich. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4340. Crew - As above.
Up - 1733. Down - 0214. Bombed from 12,000ft at 2127.
Date - 4th Jan 1943. Target - Essen. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4335. Crew - As above.
Up - 1744. Down - 2203. Bombed from 20,000ft at 1944.
Date - 16/17th Jan 1943. Target - Berlin. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1645. Down - 0029. Bombed from 18,000ft at 2019.
Date - 17/18th Jan 1943. Target - Berlin. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1703. Down - 1942. Early return. Starboard outer engine U/S. Bombs jettisoned.
Date - 21st Jan 1943. Target - Essen. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1742. Down - 2146. Bombed from 19,000ft at 1846.
Date - 23rd Jan 1943. Target - Dusseldorf. A/C - Dusseldorf. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1726. Down - 2211.Bombed from 20,000ft at 1956.
Date - 27th Jan 1943. Target - Dusseldorf. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Up - 1744. Down - 2203. Bombed from 19,000ft at 2009.
Date - 31st Jan 1943. Target - Hamburg. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above.
Swerved on take off due to cross wind. Aircraft crashed before it left the ground.
Date - 11th Feb 1943. Target - Wilhelmshaven. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4323. Crew - As above. Up - 1753. Down - 2222. Bombed from 18,500ft at 2006.
Date - 13/14th Feb 1943. Target - Lorient. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above.
Up - 1757. Down - 0006. Bombed from 12,000ft at 2036.
Date - 14/15th Feb 1943. Target - Milan. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above except Sgt R L May replaced Sgt Duncan. Up - 1904. Down - 0318. Bombed from 15,000ft at 2232.
Date - 16/17th Feb 1943. Target - Lorient. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above except Sgt H Garforth replaced Sgt May. Up - 1840. Down - 2350. Bombed from 12,000ft at 2049.
Date - 25/26th Feb 1943. Target - Nuremberg. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above except Sgt C E L Duncan replaced Sgt Garforth. Up - 1956. Down - 0338. Bombed from 14,500ft at 2355.
Date - 26th Feb 1943. Target - Cologne. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above.
Up - 1855. Down - 2330. Bombed from 14,000ft at 2115.
Date - 28/29th Feb 1943. Target - St Nazaire. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4845. Crew - As above. Up - 1847. Down - 0029. Bombed from 10,000ft at 2135.
Date - 1/2nd March 1943. Target - Berlin. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above.
Up - 1850. Down - 0155. Bombed from 16,000ft at 2115.
Date - 3/4th March 1943. Target - Hamburg. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above.
Up - 1944. Down - 0031. Bombed from 15,000ft at 2122.
Date - 5/6th March 1943. Target - Essen. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4828. Crew - As above except Sgt R Ingram replaced Sgt Duncan. Up - 1944. Down - 0031. Bombed from 15,000ft at 2122.
Date - 8/9th March 1943. Target - Nuremberg. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860 . Crew - As above except Sgt J Smith replaced Sgt Ingram. Up - 1944. Down - 0313. Bombed from 15,000ft at 2331.
Date - 9/10th March 1943. Target - Munich. A/C - Lancaster. Serial - W4860. Crew - As above. Up - 2008. Failed to return.
Probable fighter victim. Crashed near Lavannes ( Marne ) 12 km NE of Reims. Sgt J M Curnow survived and became a POW. Those who died rest at Lavannes Churchyard.
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Sgt John Victor Roper RAFVR – Pilot – 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of Herbert Victor and Helen Roper, of North End, Portsmouth – Lavannes Churchyard, France
Sgt John M Curnow RAFVR – Navigator – 103 Sqn - POW
Sgt John Scott Dobie RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 25 – 103 Sqn - Son of Walter and Margaret Dobie, of Glasgow; husband of Grace Aitken Dobie (nee Slimmon), of Springburn, Glasgow - Lavannes Churchyard, France.
Sgt John Alexander Todd RAFVR – Air Bomber – 32 – 103 Sqn - Son of Alexander and Jessie R. Todd - Lavannes Churchyard, France.
Sgt Stanley John Rose RAFVR – Flight Engineer – 35 – 103 Sqn -Husband of Alyda Rose, of Beckenham, Kent. - Lavannes Churchyard, France
Sgt Jack Smith RAFVR – Air Gunner – 103 Sqn - Son of Charles Henry and Myrindo Smith, of Morley, Yorkshire; husband of Dorothy Smith, of Batley, Yorkshire - Lavannes Churchyard, France
Sgt E Waghorn RAF – Air Gunner – 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of William Thomas Waghorn and Lily Waghorn, of Crockham Hill, Kent - Lavannes Churchyard, France
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Lavannes Memorial Group John Curnow and his wife 3rd and 4th from the left
Lavannes Memorial.
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09-Mar-43 - Munich
103 Squadron detailed 9 aircraft for this attack on the German city of Munich. All crews report target well fired. The PFF marking technique was used. This was late in starting but the raid went well afterwards. One particularly large explosion was noted by all crews and several large explosions of the oil tank variety were also noted. Defences were moderate. P/O A S Cook remained to do the Squadron " recco ". F/S Roper and crew failed to return. All other crews returned to base.
For this attack on Munich Bomber Command detailed a total of 264 aircraft - 142 Lancasters, 81 Halifaxes, 41 Stirlings - on Munich. The wind caused this raid to be concentrated on the western half of Munich rather than on the centre of the city, but much damage was caused. The most serious industrial damage was at the BMW factory where the aero-engine assembly shop was put out of action for 6 weeks. Many other industrial concerns were hit, including 141 small, back-street-type workshops which were destroyed. 8 aircraft - 5 Lancasters, 2 Halifaxes, 1 Stirling - lost, 3.0 per cent of the force.
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Lancaster - W4860
13-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
14-Feb-43 – Milan – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
16-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
21-Feb-43 – Bremen – Lancaster – W4860 – F/O KG Bickers
25-Feb-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
01-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
03-Mar-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
08-Mar-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper
09-Mar-43 – Munich – Lancaster – W4860 – F/S JV Roper - FTR – Night fighter victim - Crashed near Lavannes, France.
Item compiled and written by David Fell. Photos from the Roper family and my own archive.
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