Brown, Douglas Stewart (Pilot Officer)

106 Squadron (Pro Libertate). Target - Oberhausen, Germany. Lancaster aircraft R 5551 was shot down by 0.Lt Geiger in a German ME-110 night fighter aircraft using upward firing guns. Pilot Officer Brown attempted to land his damaged aircraft in a field at Tenet, Holland but hit some trees and the aircraft was destroyed. Six RAF members of the crew were also killed. One Canadian, Pilot Officer R. Pegg bailed out and was taken Prisoner of War. 0.Lt Geiger was a German night fighter ace credited with destroying 53 four engine aircraft. He was killed on Sep 29/43. There were two 106 Sqdn. aircraft lost this night. Ex Pilot Officer Pegg of Oxbow, Saskatchewan had this to say about the trip, "We were hit by a night fighter so bad that Doug Brown ordered a bail out. I grabbed the escape hatch on the floor and jumped with two guys right behind me ready to go. No one else got out, and I don't know why, as Doug kept the aircraft fairly level when I got out. I landed O.K. and the Lanc. crashed a mile from me which was just over a mile north of Arnhem. We had an extra navigator on board for experience. This was not usual, as pilots usually went along for their first trip. All seven of my crew were buried in a small cemetery in Arnhem. Pilot Officer Brown's parents had his remains moved to the Groesbeek Canadian Cemetery.