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F/O Frederick H Watts RCAF and crew – 576 Sqn – RAF Elsham Wolds - 1944
Failed to Return – 16/17 August 1944 – Lancaster III - LM133 – Op Stettin
Frederick Watts ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron from 11 Base in July 1944.
He flew his first operation with his crew on the 17/18 July 1944 to Sanneville and completed 13 operations being lost on the 14th.
Tour details below :-
17/07/1944 – Sanneville – JA868 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
20/07/1944 – Wizernes – LM439 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
23/07/1944 – Kiel – LM594 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
24/07/1944 – Stuttgart – LL905 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
28/07/1944 - Stuttgart – JB555 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
30/07/1944 – Cahagnes – ME792 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
01/08/1944 - Belle Croix Les Bruyeres – ME792 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
03/08/1944 – Trossy-St-Maximin – ME854 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
04/08/1944 – Pauillac – LM227 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
05/08/1944 – Blaye – JB555 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
10/08/1944 – Dugny – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF - F/O I G D Mills, Air Bomber, severely wounded by flak on bombing run. Landed at Deanland in South of England.
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin – LM294 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
16/08/1944 – Stettin – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF – FTR - Crashed at Hoor, Sweden.
This crew flew unchanged apart from F/O Mills. After he was wounded he was replaced by Sgt J S Pym from Macdonald's crew for 2 operations and Sgt R Baillie for the last.
Badly damaged and headed for the safety of Sweden. All the crew baled out bu Watts was tragically killed when he was strangled by his parachute shrouds when he landed in a tree. The other 6 crew members survived and were interned in Sweden
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F/O Frederick Hubert Watts RCAF ( See picture above and newspaper cutting at the foot of the page ) - Pilot - 20 - 576 Sqn - Son of Maurice Bertram and Kathleen Edith Watts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada Malmo Eastern Municipal Cemetery, Sweden.
Sgt G Douglas RAFVR - Flight Engineer – 576 Sqn – Interned.
Sgt R Baillie RAFVR – Air Bomber – 576 Sqn – Interned.
F/O R Hughes-Games RCAF - Navigator – 576 Sqn – Interned.
Sgt M R Swallow RAFVR - Wireless Operator – 576 Sqn – Interned.
Sgt W S Clatworthy RCAF – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn – Interned.
Sgt D H Laing RCAF - Air Gunner - 576 Sqn – Interned.
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16 August 44 - Pomeranian Bay – Sea Mining – Night. 5 aircraft detailed. 4 to 5/10ths cloud over England which dispersed over the sea. Weather cloudless in target area. But some slight haze. Small amounts of cloud on the return route.
Mines dropped with the aid of “Y” ( H2S ) equipment.
No opposition was encountered in the target area.
F/O Wearmouth in V2 had a combat with a single engined fighter just before crossing the Danish coast on return and Sgt Graham, the rear gunner reported that the fighter hit the ground and exploded.
All aircraft returned safely to base.
Also on 16 August 44 – Stettin – Germany – Port and industrial area – Night. 9 aircraft detailed. Clear weather as far as enemy coast then 4/10ths cloud to target.
Marking was carried out by PFF who dropped mixed red and green TIs. Bombing appeared somewhat scattered.
Moderate flak and searchlights were encountered in the target area. Night fighters were also active. F/O Stewart in W2 was forced to jettison 20 mins short of the target owing to engine trouble.
F/O Watts did not return from this operation.
3 cross country flights were also carried out.
( 461 aircraft. This was a good attack against a distant target. Much damage in the port and factory area. 5 ships sunk and 8 ships damaged. 1150 people killed. )
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Lancaster LM133
This machine completed 15 operations and being lost on its 16th.
On 2 occasions the Air Bomber was wounded and it was also badly damaged in a night fighter attack.
02/06/1944 – Calais – LM133 – F/O V Moss
03/06/1944 – Wimereux – LM133 – F/O V Moss - P/O Mallard, Air Bomber, hit by flak rather seriously. Returned to base.
16/06/1944 – Sterkrade – LM133 – P/O WR Ireland
22/06/1944 – Mimoyecques – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
23/06/1944 – Saintes – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
24/06/1944 – Flers – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
27/06/1944 - Chateau Benapre – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
29/06/1944 – Domleger – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
30/06/1944 - Oisemont Neuville Au Bois – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF
02/07/1944 – Domleger – LM133 – FltO C Sawyer USAAF
04/07/1944 – Orleans – LM133 – P/O C Hart
07/07/1944 – Caen – LM133 – P/O EA Cartwright
12/07/1944 – Revigny – LM133 – P/O EJ Mann RCAF - Severely damaged by night fighter and landed away from base.
10/08/1944 – Dugny – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF - F/O Mills, Air Bomber, severely injured by flak on bombing run. Landed at Deanland in South of England.
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF
16/08/1944 – Stettin – LM133 – F/O FH Watts RCAF – FTR - Crashed at Hoor, Sweden.
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Frederick H Watts
F/O R Hughes-Games RCAF
Landed by parachute 5miles south of Hoor near Kristianstad Sweden at 0110 on 17 Aug 44. Hid parachute, harness and mae west and spent the rest of the night in a haystack. At 0600 approached a farmhouse where I received first aid for a sprained ankle.
Police were informed and came for me at 0900 and took me to Hoor
Here I met F/S Clatworthy and Sgt Swallow.
Sgt Baillie, Sgt Douglas and Sgt Laing arrived later. Taken to Sjobo near Ystad where stayed till 20 Aug.
Then to Falum where we were interned. Attended funeral of F/O Watts next day at Malmo.
Returned to Falum on 26 Aug till 3 sept then to Stcokholm. Worked for BOAC till 14 Nov.
Return to UK by Air 23 Nov
Sgt G Douglas RAFVR
Landed 5 miles south west of Hoor at 0115 17 Aug.
Slept wrapped in parachute..
At 0630 met a school master who took me to his home. Militaryauthorities arrived at 0715.
Took me by car to a camp and briefly interrogated.
At 1400 taken by car to Hoor and reunited with F/O Hughes Games.
Remained at Falum until 5 Sept then to Stockholm whereI worked for BOAC until 14 Nov.
Compiled and written by David Fell with photo from C G Olofsson and newspaper cutting from the Canadian On Line War Memorial.
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