16/17 December 1943 – 166 Squadron, RAF Kirmington – Avro Lancaster III – LM385 – F/S Stanley F Miller RAFVR – Op Berlin
Approximate Location – On high ground in the Caistor area.
Sgt S F Miller and crew crashed on return to Kirmington on high ground near Caistor in poor visibility and low cloud at 2359. These weather issues on return caused considerable difficulty for crews returning from this operation. Sgt A E Brown and crew, also of 166 Sqn, were lost in similar circumstances when they flew into rising ground near the village of Thornton Curtis on approach to RAF Kirmington airfield. Two 103 Squadron crews also encountered serious issues on return but survived.
All seven of Miller's crew were killed :-
F/S Stanley Frederick Miller RAFVR - Pilot – 22 – 166 Sqn - Son of Guy Herbert and Adela Miller; husband of Muriel Miller, of Scarborough - Scarborough Manor Road Cemetery, North Yorkshire.
Sgt Terence Rudden RAFVR – Flight Engineer – 19 - 166 Sqn – Son of John and Emily Rudden, of Lidget Green, Bradford, Yorkshire - Brigg Cemetery, North Lincolnshire.
F/S Bruce Wismer Haney RCAF ( pictured below ) - Air Bomber – 22 – 166 Sqn - Son of Frank Fletcher Haney and Mildred Irene Haney, of Dunnville Ontario, Canada - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.
Sgt Henry George Alfred Hine RAFVR – Navigator – 23 – 166 Sqn - Son of Mark and Rhoda Lydia Hine, of Gillingham, Kent - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.
F/S John Henry Murphy RAAF - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 25 – 166 Sqn - Son of Patrick Francis and Susan Eileen Murphy, of Tolga, Queensland, Australia - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.
Sgt Henry Edwin Miles RAFVR – Air Gunner – 21 – 166 Sqn - Son of Herbert and Emily Sarah Miles, of Wasperton - Wasperton St John the Baptist Churchyard
Sgt Ward William James Allen RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner – 25 – 166 Sqn - Son of Alfred R. Allen and Mabel Allen, of Hawick Province of Quebec, Canada - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.
F/S Bruce Wismer Haney RCAF
Sgt Ward William James Allen RCAF
Rudden grave
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Sgt Miller and his crew were posted to 166 Squadron Late October or early November. The crew is shown below.
Sgt S F Miller
Sgt T H Lee
Sgt B Haney
Sgt H G A Hine
Sgt J H Murphy
Sgt L M Baker
Sgt W W J Allen.
They completed the following three operations being lost on their 4th. For their 4th and last operation Sgt Lee was replaced by Sgt T Rudden and Sgt L M Baker was replaced by Sgt H R Miles for reasons unknown.
22/23rd November 1943 - Berlin - Sgt S F Miller - W4996 - 2 combats with multiple German NFs.
26/27th November 1943 - Berlin - Sgt S F Miller - LM385.
3/4th December 1943 - Leipzig - Sgt S F Miller - R5552.
Item compiled by David Fell with grave and Lancaster photos from my own archive and the Haney and Allen pics courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
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