6 Bomber Group March 11/12, 1943
35 Halifaxes from 405, 408, and 419 Squadrons were ordered on an attack at Stuttgart. The crews were over the target between 12,000 and 18,000 feet, releasing 195,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, this attack was not successful. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
405 Vancouver Squadron (Ducimus) RAF Topcliffe. Halifax BII aircraft DT 745 LQ-V was attacked at 15,000 feet and shot down by night fighter pilot Lt Jakob Schaus of the 4/NJG 4, flying a Bf 110 from Saint-Dizier airfield, during an attack on targets in Stuttgart , Germany. The Halifax crashed near Chlons-sur-Marne, France
This was the first loss from 405 Squadron after it returned to Bomber Command from a five month attachment to Coastal Command
Pilot Officer HD Rea (RCAF), Flying Officer WA MacDonald (RCAF), Flight Sergeant JJ Maguire (RAAF), (2nd Pilot) Sergeant HJ Mason (RAF), Pilot Officer KPC Money (RAF) and Flight Sergeant P Johnston (RAF) survived and all were taken as Prisoners of War
Flight Sergeant P Dmytruk (RCAF) and Pilot Officer KW Elt (RAF) survived and evaded. Pilot officer Elt, with the aid of an escape organization, made his way to Gibraltar and eventually back to the UK. Flight Sergeant Dmytruk joined the French Resistance but was captured and shot after an ambush 1943-12-09
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