F/L Charles H Living RCAF and crew – 576 Squadron - RAF Fiskerton – 1944/45
Failed to Return - 21/22nd February 1945 – Lancaster I – ME735 – Op Duisberg
Charles Living and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton around the end of October 1944. Unusually the crew included 3 married men. They flew the following operations before being lost in the 21/22 February 1945 in an attack on Duisberg.
Tour details :-
04/11/1944 – Bochum – PD363 – F/L CH Living RCAF
06/11/1944 – Gelsenkirchen – JB410 – F/L CH Living RCAF
09/11/1944 - Wanne Eikel – ND521 – F/L CH Living RCAF
11/11/1944 – Dortmund – ND521 – F/L CH Living RCAF
16/11/1944 – Duren – JB410 – F/L CH Living RCAF
21/11/1944 – Aschaffenburg – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
27/11/1944 – Freiburg – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
29/11/1944 – Dortmund – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
04/12/1944 – Karlsruhe – JB410 – F/L CH Living RCAF
15/12/1944 – Ludswighafen/Oppau – PD403 – F/L CH Living RCAF
17/12/1944 – Ulm – PD403 – F/L CH Living RCAF
28/12/1944 – Bonn – PD403 – F/L CH Living RCAF
31/12/1944 – Osterfeld – PD403 – F/L CH Living RCAF
05/01/1945 – Royen – PD403 – F/L CH Living RCAF
07/01/1945 – Munich – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
14/01/1945 – Leuna – JB410 – F/L CH Living RCAF
22/01/1945 – Duisburg/Hambourn – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF - Damaged by flak and rear gunner Sgt Burrows received minor injuries.
08/02/1945 – Politz – PB785 – F/L CH Living RCAF – Early return - Engine fire
13/02/1945 – Dresden – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
14/02/1945 – Chemnitz – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF
21/02/1945 – Duisburg – ME735 – F/L CH Living RCAF – FTR - Crashed with great force and exploded about 3 miles S of Kevelaer, Germany.
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F/L Charles Henry Living RCAF - ( pictured above ) Pilot – 30 – 576 Sqn - Son of Charles and Viola Living; husband of Mary A. Living - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt John Francis Arthur Mooney RAFVR - Flight Engineer – 24 – 576 Sqn - Son of Arthur and Molly Mooney; husband of Joan Mooney of Kegworth, Nottinghamshire - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
F/O John Arnold Russell RCAF ( pictured below ) - Air Bomber – 22 – 576 Sqn - Son of Willoughby Moore Russell and Lillian Margaret Russell of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada; husband of Maude Gertrude Russell, of Montreal - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
F/O Raymond Campbell Hill RAFVR ( pictured below ) - Navigator – 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of William Raymond Milner Hill and Mary Louise Hill of Wallington, Surrey - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S Geoffrey Leonard Vyvyan Tabor RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of Walter Leonard and Vera Alice Curl Tabor of Bitterne Park, Southampton - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Harold Peach RAFVR – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Harry Burrows RAFVR – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
F/O John Arnold Russell RCAF
F/O Raymond Campbell Hill RAFVR
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Charles Henry Living
Charles Henry Living was born in Halford, Saskatchewan on June 27, 1914, the oldest son of Charles William Robert and Viola Georgina Living. The family resided in Holly Village, Oakland County, Michigan. Father Charles senior was a carpenter by trade. Charles Henry had two sisters, Georgina (1 year older than Charles) and Clara“and three younger brothers: Fred Stevenson (born 1921 in Alberta); Paul; and Reese. He resided for most of his boyhood in Holly, Michigan where he attended high school and later attended St.Michael’s College in Toronto. Charles then enrolled in Michigan State College, Lansing.
In 1918 he took up residence in Sarnia in 1938 and played football with the Sarnia Imperials, as a star snap and inside wing. Subsequently, he played football for the Toronto Argonauts prior to enlisting which is a very high standard. Robert Sarvis, another former 576 Squadron pilot killed in July 1944 was a similarly gifted footballer.
Charles enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in May 1940 at Toronto. He received most of his training in Eastern Canada, and was awarded his wings and commission in a ceremony in Hagersville in May 1941. He would marry Miss Mary Alyce Wocker of Sarnia, on April 17, 1943. They would reside at George Street, Sarnia, and later 135 North Broad Street, Holly, Michigan. He was stationed at Fingal Bombing and Gunnery School as staff pilot until November 11, 1943, when he left for overseas. While in England, he played football in exhibition games arranged between teams of selected stars in the Canadian and American armed forces. He was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant in August 1944. During that same month, on August 6, 1944, Charles’ younger brother, Fred, was killed in action while fighting in France, Fred a member of the Canadian Army Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
Charles was a very heftily built man and his size caused him some concern about his ability to evacuate the aircraft through the escape hatches in an emergency. A 103 pilot was killed in similar circumstances
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Lancaster ME735
ME 735 was a veteran machine being lost on its 84th operation. It was first on the strength of 576 Squadron from April 1944.
Item compiled by David Fell with contributions from the Hill family and also the photos. Also the Canadian Visual War Memorial and the Sarnia Historical Society
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