K F Forster RAFVR and crew – 576 Squadron – 1944 – 179282 ?
This crew is something of a mystery. There is no record of P/O K F Forster being posted to 576 Squadron in the ORB. This crew flew 8 operations with 576 and then disappear from the records.
Be that as it may the crew were as follows :-
P/O K F Forster
Sgt P Bates
Sgt M J Vinall
Sgt G W French
Sgt J Bettany
Sgt C W Parris
Sgt A C Manktelow
This crew flew the following operations :-
26/08/1944 – Kiel - Point of Aim – ME854 – P/O KF Forster
29/08/1944 – Stettin - Point of Aim – NE115 – P/O KF Forster
31/08/1944 – Agenville - V weapon – ME671 – F/O KF Forster
12/09/1944 – Frankfurt - Point of Aim – ME671 – F/O KF Forster
16/09/1944 – Leeuwarden – Airfield – PB472 – F/O KF Forster
24/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – ME671 – F/O KF Forster
26/09/1944 - Cap Griz Nez - Army support – ME671 – F/O KF Forster
27/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – ME671 – F/O KF Forster
At that point this crew ceased operations and there is no indication of where they went. There is a F/S G W French who appears again in the 576 Squadron ORB flying operations with Templeman Rooke, Sellick and Masters which may or may not be the same man
Bates Vinall and Manktelow were posted to 166 Squadron on the 15 Jan 1945 in the crew of S/L R Waters
S/L R Waters
Sgt P Bates
F/S RE Vinall
Sgt F I S Sharp
Sgt E J Johnson
F/S B R Galvin
Sgt Manktelow
21/02/1945 - S/L Waters and his crew crash landed at Manston on return from an attack on Dortmund with flak damage. F/S RE Vinall was seriously injured
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What became of K F Forster is not known. At a guess he may have suffered some illness or injury not due to flying and his crew were broken up. He does not seem to have received any award as I cannot find him in the London Gazette.
I shall be interested to know if anyone can add anything to that.
Compiled by David Fell.
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