Hunter, Donald
Prisoner of War 1944-07-29
Birth Date: 1922-June-09
Born:
Home: Blackpool, England UK
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: 1941-06-08
Service
RAF
Unit
550 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Per Ignem Vincimus Through fire we conquer
Base
RAF North Killingholme
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Sergeant
Service Numbers
1479638
PoW: 518
Target
Stuttgart Germany
Footprints on the Sands of Time, RAF Bomber Command Prisoners of War in Germany 1939-45 by Oliver Clutton-Brock, page 324
Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)Lancaster Mk.III NE164
Bombing Stuttgart Germany 1944-July-28 to 1944-July-29
550 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Stn North Killingholme
Shot Down By A Night Fighter At Ottrott 2 Miles West of Obernai Returning From A Raid on Stuttgart, 4 of the Crew Survived, 1 of Whom Evaded
Pilot Officer Harry Jones died in the crash and Sergeant Idwal Williams (both RAF) died as a result of his parachute jump.
The others landed safely and had to consider their chances of evading capture. Sergeant Don Hunter, Sergeant James Drury and Sergeant Roy Barton (all RAF) were captured quickly and taken in charge of the Feld Gendarmerie and the Luftwaffe. Flight Sergeant Fred Habgood was captured in Niederhaslach which is approximately10 kilometres NNW of the crash site Oliver Clutton-Brock, Footprints ..., however other sources say that he was helped by people of Ottrott who were then denounced and taken to the nearby concentration camp at Natzweiler-Stuthof. Sergeant Fred Habgood was hung at Natzweiler-Stuthof and his body was never found. In a trial held at Wuppertal in 1946, five men were found guilty of the crime, two of whom were executed on the 11th of October.
Habgood's identification bracelet was found in 2018 near the concentration camp site. See the story on Habgood's page.
Habgood Bracelet 
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
Search for France-Crashes 39-45
28/29.07.1944 550 Squadron Lancaster III NE 164 Fg Off Harry Jones RAF...
Lancaster NE164
Avro Lancaster
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
Lancaster Bomber
Wikipedia Lancaster NE164 Mk.III - Bombing Stuttgart Germany - 1944-07-28 to 1944-07-29
Stuttgart
494 Lancasters and 2 Mosquitos of 1,3,5, and 8 Groups in the last raid of the current series on the target. German fighters intercepted the bomber stream while over France on the outward flight; there was a bright moon and 39 Lancasters were shot down. 7.9% of the force.
6 Bomber Group July 28/29, 1944
46 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 Squadron were joined by 186 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 424, 425, 425, 427, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Hamburg. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 22,000 feet, releasing 2,019,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, some bombing fell into the port area, otherwise the attack was scattered. On this attack, 6 Group suffered their highest losses. 22 crews failed to return.
As well as the crews that went to Hamburg, 5 Halifaxes from424 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation to Heligoland. The crews were over the garden at between 12,000 and 15,000 feet, sowing 20@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
Shot Down By A Night Fighter At Ottrott 2 Miles West of Obernai Returning From A Raid on Stuttgart, 4 of the Crew Survived, 1 of Whom Evaded
Pilot Officer Harry Jones died in the crash and Sergeant Idwal Williams (both RAF) died as a result of his parachute jump.
The others landed safely and had to consider their chances of evading capture. Sergeant Don Hunter, Sergeant James Drury and Sergeant Roy Barton (all RAF) were captured quickly and taken in charge of the Feld Gendarmerie and the Luftwaffe. Flight Sergeant Fred Habgood was captured in Niederhaslach which is approximately10 kilometres NNW of the crash site Oliver Clutton-Brock, Footprints ..., however other sources say that he was helped by people of Ottrott who were then denounced and taken to the nearby concentration camp at Natzweiler-Stuthof. Sergeant Fred Habgood was hung at Natzweiler-Stuthof and his body was never found. In a trial held at Wuppertal in 1946, five men were found guilty of the crime, two of whom were executed on the 11th of October.
Habgood's identification bracelet was found in 2018 near the concentration camp site. See the story on Habgood's page.
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
Search for France-Crashes 39-45
28/29.07.1944 550 Squadron Lancaster III NE 164 Fg Off Harry Jones RAF...