F/L Frank E Dotten RCAF and crew – 576 Squadron - RAF Fiskerton – 1944/45
Failed to Return - 16th/17th March 1945 – Lancaster III – PB785 – Op Nuremberg
Frank Dotten and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron at Fiskerton in November 1944. The crew consisted of 6 RCAF ( including one from the USA ) and one RAFVR who was the Flight Engineer Sgt Eve from Wembley Middlesex. Almost all the Flight Engineers in Bomber Command were of British nationality.
Dotten air and ground crew. Frank Dotten 3rd from left and Flight Engineer John “ Jack “ Eve 5th from left. Photo courtesy of Marc Parker-Lynn
This crew were killed on their last op and are listed below.
Their tour was as follows :-
27/11/1944 - Freiburg – NF976 – F/L FE Dotten
29/11/1944 – Dortmund – LM294 – F/L FE Dotten
03/12/1944 – Urft – NN749 – F/L FE Dotten.
04/12/1944 – Karlsruhe – NN749 – F/L FE Dotten
12/12/1944 – Essen – PD363 – F/L FE Dotten
15/12/1944 – Ludswighafen/Oppau – PD363 – F/L FE Dotten - Sighted SE NF. No combat.
29/12/1944 - Scholven Buer – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
05/01/1945 – Royen – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
16/01/1945 – Zietz – NG119 – F/L FE Dotten
28/01/1945 – Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen – NG119 – F/L FE Dotten
01/02/1945 – Ludswigshafen – NG119 – F/L FE Dotten.
03/02/1945 – Bottrop – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
20/02/1945 – Dortmund – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
21/02/1945 – Duisburg – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
23/02/1945 – Pforzheim – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
02/03/1945 – Cologne – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
05/03/1945 – Chemnitz – ME317 – F/L FE Dotten - Lost SI engine. Pressed on and bombed from 13,000ft. Combat with TE NF in which fire was exchanged. Hits claimed. Lancaster undamaged
07/03/1945 – Dessau – ME317 – F/L FE Dotten
11/03/1945 – Essen – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
12/03/1945 – Dortmund – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
15/03/1945 – Misburg – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten
16/03/1945 – Nuremberg – PB785 – F/L FE Dotten - FTR - It is suggested that the reason for this loss was collision with a German night fighter flown by Major Gerhard Friedrich in the region of Stuttgart at 21:00 hours. It has also been reported that Friedrich could have attacked PB785 with upward firing cannon from underneath and the bomber exploded taking the night fighter with it. Friedrich and his crew were flying Ju 88 G-6 (W.Nr. 621801) “2Z+LB”and he was credited with over 30 victories. All his victories were recorded at night. As there were no survivors from either crew it is impossible to say exactly what happened.
Gerhard Friedrich - Knights Cross of the Iron Cross holder.
Above - Friedrich crew graves and what is claimed to be the 4000 lb Cookie from PB785
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All Dotten's crew were killed and rest at Durnbach War Cemetery
F/L Frank Edmond Dotten RCAF ( pictured below ) – Pilot - 22 – 576 Sqn - Son of Ervan Leonard and Elizabeth Ellen Laffin Dotten of Selmah Hants Co, Nova Scotia, Canada - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt John Eve RAFVR – Flight Engineer – 36 – 576 Sqn - Son of Charles William and Anne Eve; husband of Lilian Ethel Eve of Wembley, Middlesex - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
P/O Donald Swallow Quinn RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Bomber - 25 – 576 Sqn - Son of James Joseph and Sadie Arvilla Swallow Quinn; husband of Pauline Good Quinn of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
P/O William Frederick Nicol RCAF ( pictured below ) – Navigator - 24 – 576 Sqn - Son of William A. Nicol and May L. Nicol of Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.A - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt James Stanley Marks Gibb RCAF ( pictured below ) – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 22 – 576 Sqn - Son of Andrew Mark and Edna Lillian Gibb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S Roland James Saundercook RCAF ( pictured below ) - Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
P/O Edward James Peverley RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner - 28 – 576 Sqn - Son of Archibald Brock Peverley, and of Sarah Buttle Peverley of North Bay, Ontario, Canada - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
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Flight Engineer John “ Jack “ Eve
Jack Eve was a married man of 36 year years of age when he was killed. Quite old for aircrew. Prior to volunteering for aircrew he had been a police officer with the Metropolitan Police which was a reserved occupation
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F/L Frank Edmond Dotten RCAF with his father
P/O Donald Swallow Quinn RCAF
P/O William Frederick Nicol RCAF
Sgt James Stanley Marks Gibb RCAF
F/S Roland James Saundercook RCAF
P/O Edward James Peverley RCAF
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Footnote :- Lancaster PB785 was lost on its 31st trip. Its first trip was on the 3rd December 1944 flown by F/O K F Mills and crew in an attack on the Urft dam. Mills and crew flew this machine 9 times.
Item compiled by David Fell. The crew photo is courtesy of the Holmes archive. Crew photos courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Other photos courtesy of the Jones archive. Crew photo and Eve info cortesy of Marc Parker-Lynn
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