Abbs, Kenneth Arthur (Flight Sergeant)

Prisoner of War 1944-August-26

Male Head

Birth Date: unkown date

Born:

Parents:

Spouse:

Home:

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAF

Unit

405 (PFF) Sqn- Squadron
Ducimus We Lead

Base

RAF Gransden Lodge

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Flight Engineer

Service Numbers

959080
PoW: 736

Target
Google MapRusselsheim Germany

Took off from Gransden Lodge on an operation to Russelsheim Germany.

Aircraft was severely damaged by a night fighter on the homeward journey. The aircraft went out of control and three crew baled out before the pilot recovered and flew it home.

Killed: Pilot Officer Ross Bell Nairn RCAF J/89037 parachute failed to deploy and body not found Runnymede Memorial Panel 252.

POWs: Flight Sergeant Kenneth Arthur Abbs RAF POW Stalag Luft L7 Bankau near Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia. F/Lt Henry Donald Brown RCAF J/12102 Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang.

The Long Road, Trials and Tribulations of Airmen Prisoners from Stalag Luft VII (Bankau) toBerlin, June 1944-May 1945 by Oliver Clutton-Brock page 286

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster PB233

Flight Sergeant Kenneth Arthur Abbs RAF

Flight Sergeant Abbs, Kenneth Arthur (RAF)
Flight Engineer
Prisoner of War
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Flight Lieutenant Donald Henry Brown RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Brown, Donald Henry (RCAF)
Wireless Operator
Prisoner of War
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Maurice James Martin RCAF

Pilot Officer Martin, Maurice James (RCAF)
Air Gunner (Rear)
Survived
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Flying Officer James Stewart McDowell RCAF

Flying Officer McDowell, James Stewart (RCAF)
Navigator
Survived
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Pilot Officer Edwin James New RAF

Pilot Officer New, Edwin James (RAF)
Bomb Aimer
Survived
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Flight Lieutenant William Jacob Louis Weicker RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Weicker, William Jacob Louis (RCAF)
Pilot
Survived
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Flight Lieutenant William James Louis Weiker RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Weiker, William James Louis (RCAF)
Pilot
Survived
1944-August-26
cemetery unknown

Mission

Lancaster Mk.I/III PB233

Bombing Russelsheim Germany 1944-August-25 to 1944-August-26

405 (PFF) Sqn (RCAF) Gransden Lodge

405 City of Vancouver Squadron (Ducimus) Pathfinder Force, RAF Gransden Lodge. Lancaster BIII aircraft PB 233 LQ-O was returning from a raid against targets in Russelheim, Germany, when it was attacked by a night fighter that shot up the rear fuselage, the tail plane, and the starboard mainplane with cannon fire. The Lancaster returned to the UK safely but three of the crew had bailed out over enemy territory contrary to the captain's instructions. Flight Lieutenant HD Brown (RCAF) and FS KA Abbs (RAF) survived to be taken as Prisoners of War, but Pilot Officer RB Nairn (RCAF) was missing, presumed killed in action

Pilot Officer Nairn has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

Flight Lieutenant WJL Weiker (RCAF), Flying Officer JS McDowell DFC (RCAF),Warrant Officer MJ Martin (RCAF) and Sergeant EJ New (RAF) survived and returned to RAF Gransden Lodge. The only other casualty wasWarrant Officer Martin with an ankle injury

unvetted Source [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

Lancaster serial: PB233

Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.

The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia

YouTube Lancaster Bomber

Wikipedia Wikipedia

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Unit Desciption

405 (PFF) Sqn Ducimus ("Vancouver")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Wellington II, Halifax II, Lancaster I, III & X)

This was the first RCAF bomber squadron to be activated at Driffield, Yorkshire, England and flew its first mission on 12/13 June 1941. At that time it was a member of 4 Group of Bomber Command, and flew successively from Driffield, Pocklington and Topcliffe, Yorkshire, England. With Code Letters LQ It flew Wellington Mk II aircraft until converting to Halifax II in April 1942, in time for the first 1000-bomber raid on Cologne. In October 1942 it was transferred to Coastal Command No 18 Group, flying over the Bay of Biscay from Beaulieu, Hampshire. Returning to Bomber Command, the squadron joined No 6 (RCAF) Group and flew from Topcliffe and Leeming, Yorkshire in March and April 1943. It was then seconded to No. 8 (Pathfinder) Group and for the rest of the war flew from Grandsen Lodge, Bedfordshire, UK . Its first Pathfinder mission was on 26th April 1943, and its last on 25th April 1945. It was slated to become part of the "Tiger Force" to attack Japan, but the surrender of Japan precluded that, and the Squadron was disbanded at Greenwood, Nova Scotia on September 5th, 1945. One of the aircraft that flew briefly with the squadron was the first Canadian-built Lancaster Mk. X, KB700, christened the "Ruhr Express", which was subsequently transferred to 419 Sqn RCAF in December 1943. Overall, the squadron flew 4427 sorties, of which 349 were with Coastal Command and 41 were in Operation Exodus, the repatriation of POWs. Nearly 25000 operational hours were logged together with 12,000 non-operational, and 12,856 tons of bombs were dropped. In the course of operations, 167 aircraft were lost with 937 aircrew. In the course of its history, squadron members were awarded 9 DSO's, 161 DFC's and 24 Bars to DFC's, 38 DFM's, 2 CGM's 2 BEM's and 11 MiD's. Battle Honours were: Fortress Europe 1941-44, France and Germany 1944-45, Biscay Ports 1941-45, Ruhr 1941-45, Berlin 1941; 1943-44, German Ports 1941-45, Normandy 1944, Walcheren, Rhine; Biscay 1942-43.Moyes, Kostenuk and Griffin

Squadron History (Bomber Command Museum PDF)

Maps for Movements of 405 Squadron 1941-45

MAP 1: 405 Squadron Movements in Yorkshire 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)
MAP 2: 405 Squadron Movements in England 1941-45

405 Sqn History Summary 1941-45

405 Sqn History Summary 1941-45 Page 2

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Lancaster X, Neptune, Argus I & II, Aurora)

The squadron was re-formed as No 405 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron at Greenwood, Nova Scotia on 31 March 1950, and redesignated No 405 (Maritime Patrol) Sqn on 17 July 1956. The squadron was the first of four formed in Maritime Air Command. It flew modified Lancaster Mk. X aircraft until mid-1955, when they were replaced by P2V7 Lockheed Neptunes, which gave an enhanced anti-submarine capability. and the first to fly Lancaster, Neptune and Argus aircraft on East Coast maritime duty. In April 1958 the squadron was given the distinction of being the first to fly the Canadian-built CP-107 Argus. The squadron made its last flight in the Argus on 10 November 1980 before introducing the CP-140 Aurora. On 1 February 1968 the squadron was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces. It is now designated No 405 Long Range Patrol Squadron, flying from Greenwood, NS.

The squadron’s primary combat functions are Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface (ASUW). The Squadron regularly trains for its roles by participating in a number of naval exercises at home and abroad. However, most of its time is taken up in a number of non-combat roles, including search and rescue and support to other government departments, including counter-drug operations with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and fisheries patrols with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Year-round, the Squadron carries out sovereignty patrols covering the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and maritime areas of interest . During these patrols, 405 LRPS crews maintain a constant vigil for ships that discharge pollutants illegal at sea. Similarly, its crews verify that foreign and Canadian fishing vessels abide by their Canadian licensing agreements and report suspected violators to DFO patrol boats.

405 LRPS regularly deploys to a number of allied bases for an assortment of exercises and missions. Among its international training sites are US NAS Keflavik (Iceland), US NAS Sigonella (Sicily, Italy), US NAS Oceana (Virginia, USA), US NAS Jacksonville (Florida, USA), US NAS Roosevelt Roads (Puerto Rico), UK RAF Kinloss (Moray, Scotland),UK RAF Station St. Mawgan (Cornwall, England) and NL NAS Valkenburg (Netherlands).

unvetted Source Government of Canada RCAF Website