LK 142 Stirling 24.09.44

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by TomTAS, Apr 24, 2013.

  1. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Gentlemen, have a glance at the museums website: http://olivier.housseaux.free.fr/VRAUX/amrstirling.htm


    It´s in French language but easily to translate with Google translator
    Hope this helps
     
  2. GKerton

    GKerton New Member

    Hi All,​
    I am the nephew of Sergeant Gerald Kerton who was killed when LK142 crashed in France. I am in possession of his Airman's Service and Pay Book and also his Observer's and Air Gunner's Flying Log Book. I heard about the Aircraft Museum at Vraux in 2011 and was able to visit there in 2013. The museum director Gerard was very helpful. I gave him further information ab0ut my uncle which is now on display at the museum. I live in Australia yet I was the only one of the crew of LK142 to contact the museum. All three of the casualties are buried together at the Choloy Military Cemetery. I have been able to contact families of the other two casualties. Flight Sergeant Williamson's son lives on the south coast of England while Sergeant Turreff's two sons and the families live on the south coast of France. If anyone has any information on the surviving member's or their families I would love to hear from them. I also have a number of photographs which I presume are of Squadron 196.

    Regards, ​Grenville Kerton
     
  3. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Last edited: Jan 27, 2022
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  4. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    From what I can ascertain, this Stirling aircraft was not involved in SOE operations in September 1944.(source Infiltrations into France.)

    However from March 1944,No 196 Squadron was involved in SOE operations until Overlord. No 299 Squadron arrived at Keevil on the same time date to train in preparation for D Day Horsa glider operations. Both squadrons had Stirlings beyond the establishment of 22 aircraft and at one time there were 130 Horsa gliders at Keevil. After Overload, No 196 Squadron resumed SOE operations and supply drops until called upon with No 299 Squadron for Operation Market Garden.

    Both Nos 196 and 299 Squadrons were involved in Operation Market Garden from 17 September 1944 towing Horsas carrying No 1 Airborne Division to Arnhem on the 17th and 18th. Stirling losses were quite high, the weather was adverse for ops. On the 22nd,flying could be not conducted for supply drops. On the 23rd, Flak was heavy and despite fighter escort, No 196 Squadron had 4 aircraft badly damaged out of 13 Stirlings put up.

    LK 142 must have been way off course and even in the late stage of the war, navigational errors, despite the advances in navigation techniques were not all that uncommon.

    The three dead aircrew must have been buried close to the crash site at Vraux initially. Choloy CWGC War Cemeterery is classed as a concentration cemetery. After the war, war dead going back to the start of the war were reinterred in the cemetery from isolated plots in Lorraine. Then in 1950 a start was made to re-inter RAF dead resulting in the dead being brought to Choloy from some distance to where they were killed....from the Marne Department in this case.

    In the case of the Stirling dead, the crash site was at Vraux which is south of Rheims and on the northern outskirts of Chalon en Champagne, just off the postwar Auto Route A26.(RN44 being the route south during the war.) Their final resting place, Choloy War Cemetery is about 70 kms to the east of Vraux in a SE by E direction.

    Further thoughts which eliminate the crash site as being Vraux

    Looking at the exhibits at the Musee du Terrain de Conde-Vraux, on one search against the Stirling fuselage was Spencourt another search threw up Spincourt which is a genuine location NE of Verdun and north of the Etain military airfield .From that it it looks as the museum has obtained the fuselage of LK 142 from the crash site at Spincourt.
     
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2022
  5. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    From Colin Cummings "Though without Anger : Losses of Transport and Special Duties Aircraft and Assault Gliders 1940 to 1945"

    Regards,

    Dave
     
  6. BFPO52

    BFPO52 New Member

    Evening all,
    I'm researching the flight engineer of this Stirling, Sgt James Turreff and was very interested to read this thread. However, I'm not sure that there is any consensus. Their fate is clear but was it Arnhem or an SOE drop? I was not aware of any night time supply drops to Arnhem, but then under all the circumstances prevailing there by 24th Sept, anything may have been possible. Nevertheless, night SOE drops were bread and butter. Anyone like to offer some guidance please?
    ATB, BFPO52
     
    BrianHall1963 likes this.

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