STIMPSON, MAURICE CECIL Rank: Flight Lieutenant Service No: 155249 Date of Death: 15/02/1944 Age: 22 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 156 Sqdn. Awards: D F C Panel Reference Panel 203. Memorial RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of Harry and Nellie Louisa Stimpson, of Headstone Lane, Harrow, Middlesex. 156 Squadron RAF
Flight Lieutenant MAURICE CECIL STIMPSON D F C 155249, 156 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 22 on 15 February 1944 Son of Harry and Nellie Louisa Stimpson, of Headstone Lane, Hertfordshire. Remembered with honour RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL 156 Squadron RAF Details of the above loss. Taken from Bomber Command Losses. Vol.5 - W R. Chorley....... 15-16 February 1944 156 Squadron Lancaster III ND504 GT- Op. Berlin The aircraft took off from Warboys at 1711 hrs and was lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. F/S. Gurton's DFM was not published until 21 December 1945. Crew F/L. M C. Stimpson DFC + F/S. W J. Catchpole + P/O. H N. Jackson DFC RCAF + F/S. J L. Gurton DFM + F/O. J H. Wright DFC + F/S. W H. Smith + F/S. T R. Dutton + ............................. The Berlin raid of 15/16 February 1944 After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - were dispatched to Berlin. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target, exceeding the previous record of 826 aircraft (which included Stirlings and Wellingtons) sent to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters. The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin, leaving the target area free for the flak, but many fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city. The diversion to Frankfurt-on-Oder failed to draw any fighters. 43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes -were lost, 4.8 per cent of the force. Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the centre and south-western districts and some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Siemensstadt area. This was really the end of the true 'Battle of Berlin'; only one more raid took place on the city in this period and that was not for more than a month. 'The Bomber Command War Diaries' - M. Middlebrook / C. Everitt.
Do you have any info re the crew other than that below . My cousin-- John Gurton was a member . I do have a photograph of the crew and have provided it to 156 Sqn web site Okey QUOTE=Peter Clare;394804]Details of the above loss. Taken from Bomber Command Losses. Vol.5 - W R. Chorley....... 15-16 February 1944 156 Squadron Lancaster III ND504 GT- Op. Berlin The aircraft took off from Warboys at 1711 hrs and was lost without trace. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. F/S. Gurton's DFM was not published until 21 December 1945. Crew F/L. M C. Stimpson DFC + F/S. W J. Catchpole + P/O. H N. Jackson DFC RCAF + F/S. J L. Gurton DFM + F/O. J H. Wright DFC + F/S. W H. Smith + F/S. T R. Dutton + ............................. The Berlin raid of 15/16 February 1944 After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - were dispatched to Berlin. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target, exceeding the previous record of 826 aircraft (which included Stirlings and Wellingtons) sent to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters. The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin, leaving the target area free for the flak, but many fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city. The diversion to Frankfurt-on-Oder failed to draw any fighters. 43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes -were lost, 4.8 per cent of the force. Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the centre and south-western districts and some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Siemensstadt area. This was really the end of the true 'Battle of Berlin'; only one more raid took place on the city in this period and that was not for more than a month. 'The Bomber Command War Diaries' - M. Middlebrook / C. Everitt.[/QUOTE]
Maurice was my uncle and I have all his log books, photo's and documents. I am currently working with the Lincoln Bomber Command Museum and all of this information is likely to be digitised for anyone to access. There are some crew photos and also quite a lot of photos of Maurice's training journey across Canada and America. Maurice's name along with the majority of all lost aircrew are now recorded in steel at the Lincoln War Memorial. It is an incredibly friendly and interesting museum and is a must to visit.Tony France
1939 REGISTER Parkfield Lodge, Harrow U.D., Middlesex Name - DOB - Occupation - Marital status Harry - Stimpson - 13 Oct 1886 - Housekeeper & Sheperd On Farm, Heavy Worker - Married Nellie L Stimpson - 03 Jun 1887 - Unpaid Domestic Duties - Married Eileen Vera Bayley (Stimpson) - 18 Feb 1913 - Fruit Greengrocers Shop Assistant - Single Nellie L R France (Stimpson) - ? Mar 1915 - Retail Dairy Book Keeper - Single Maurice C Stimpson - 08 Sep 1921 - Electrical Supply Co's Storekeeper - Single
