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F/O Jack Allen Linklater RCAF and crew – 576 Sqn – RAF Elsham Wolds - 1944
Failed to Return – 26/27th August 1944 – Lancaster III - PB400 – Op Kiel.
Jack Linklater and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron from 11 Base in July 1944.
He flew his first operation with his crew on the 20th July 1944 to Wizernes V weapon site and they completed 16 operations being lost on the 17th.
Tour details below :-
20/07/1944 – Wizernes - V weapon – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
24/07/1944 – Stuttgart – NE115 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
24/07/1944 – Stuttgart – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
28/07/1944 – Stuttgart – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF - Inconclusive combat with unidentified night fighter
30/07/1944 – Cahagnes - Army support – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
01/08/1944 - Belle Croix Les Bruyeres - V weapon – ME800 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
03/08/1944 – Trossy-St-Maximin - V weapon – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
04/08/1944 – Pauillac – Oil – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
05/08/1944 – Blaye – Oil – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
07/08/1944 – Fontenaye - Army support – JA868 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
10/08/1944 – Dugny – Oil/fuel – PD400 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
12/08/1944 – Bordeaux - U boat base – PD400 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – Airfield – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
16/08/1944 – Stettin – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
18/08/1944 - Wemars Cappel - V weapon – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
26/08/1944 – Kiel – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF – FTR – Crew baled out and aircraft crashed into Kiel Bay, Germany. 6 were rescued. F/S Stevenson was killed 27 Dec 1944 at Luft 7 Bankau when he was shot by a guard for leaving his hut before the air raid all clear had sounded at the camp. He was mortally wounded and died a short while later attended by a doctor and priest.
The above aircraft was claimed by Uffz Hans Schadowski 3/NJG3 - Schleswig-Kappeln area (SU): 5,000m at 23:24.
Schadowski possibly shot down 576 Squadron Lancaster I ME792 F/O H D Murray and crew as it was claimed in the same area at 23:29. It was claimed as unidentified but it was recorded as a victory for him on 8th November 1944.
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F/O Jack Allan Linklater RCAF – Pilot - 21 – 576 Sqn - Son of Donald Alexander Linklater and Florence Myrtle Linklater, of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada – Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt EH Farrington RAFVR – 576 Sqn – POW - Camp L7 - POW No 703
F/O KM Tucker RCAF – 576 Sqn - POW – Camp L1 - POW No 5305
Sgt JEE O'Farrell RCAF – 576 Sqn – POW - Camp L7 - POW No 716
W/O K Tate RCAF – 576 Sqn - POW – Camp L7 - POW No 759
P/O RE Rogers RCAF – 576 Sqn – POW – Camp L3 - POW No 7745
F/S Leslie Howard Stevenson RCAF – 576 Sqn – 20 – POW – Died in Captivity. Shot and killed by guard 27th December 1944 when he left his hut after an air raid all clear sounded in the nearby town - Runnymede Memorial
F/S Leslie Howard Stevenson RCAF
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26 August 44 – Kiel – Germany – Area attack – Night. 15 aircraft detailed. Crews report clear weather at base but 10/10ths cloud over sea. Weather was clear at target but visibility impaired by smoke screen.
PFF opened the attack by dropping green TIs which appeared to fall south of the aiming point. The attack was recentred with reds and bombing appeared well concentrated. Dummy fires were observed to the south east and west of the target.
Considerable light flak was encountered in the target area together with some heavy flak. Some enemy fighters were active but no combats reported.
F/O Linklater and crew failed to return.
( 382 aircraft. Marking was hampered by smoke screens but local reports confirm a very serious attack with heavy bombing in the city centre and surrounding districts )
Also on 26 August 44 - Gdynia – Sea mining – Night. 4 aircraft detailed. Weather clear for take off but 10/10ths over the sea. This dispersed before target. Low stratus on return necessitated diversions to north of Scotland.
Mines were dropped with aid of “Y” (H2S).
No opposition was encountered.
P/O Murray and crew failed to return.
1 fighter affiliation was carried out.
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Lancaster PB400
This machine completed 8 operations and being lost on its 9th
0/08/1944 – Dugny – Oil/fuel – PD400 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
11/08/1944 – Douai - Railway yards – PD400 - F/L Bibby
12/08/1944 – Bordeaux - U boat base – PD400 – P/O JA Linklater RCAF
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – Airfield – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
16/08/1944 – Stettin – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
18/08/1944 - Wemars Cappel - V weapon – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF
25/08/1944 – Russelheim – Factory – PD400 – F/L PP Hague
26/08/1944 – Kiel – PD400 – F/O JA Linklater RCAF – FTR - Crashed into Kiel Bay, Germany.
Compiled and written by David Fell. Photo from Canadian War Memorial. Interesting background file and info from John Jones
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