Remembering Today 18 November 1944. The crew of Liberator GR.VI EV895

Saturday, 18 November 1944

53 Squadron
Liberator GR.VI EV895. 'H'
Op. U-boat Search.


F/L W G Payne and crew in EV895/H set off at 0110 hrs to search for a U-boat suspected to be lurking off Gardskagi but nothing further was heard from them. F/L Potier and crew in Liberator GR.VI EW297/O were on the same patrol and at 0247 hrs reported that they were circling a fierce fire burning on the sea. The fire was so intense that the heat could be felt at 1,000 feet. This crew was convinced that a vessel was ablaze in the middle of the conflagration and reported seeing it founder at 0350 hrs. The fire was still burning when they left the scene at 0627 hrs.
F/O Dumbell and F/O Poulter in Anson I LT199/D made a search later in the day for survivors. At 1300 hrs they found a Liberator nose-wheel floating in the sea at 6405N 2207W and directed a surface vessel to retrieve it. One theory given at the time was that EV895/H had struck the target being investigated, but no vessel was reported as missing.

Crew.

F/L. W G. Payne +
F/S. L A. Windress +
F/O J C McIver RCAF +
F/S. A. Palmer +
W/O. R A. Scott +
W/O. J G. Chamberlin RCAF +
W/O. H A. Stephen RCAF +
F/S. K J. Spackman +
Sgt. J. Bassett +
F/S. G H. Cockburn +

Source – United In Effort – J. Manson


Movement history of Liberator GR.VI EV895

Ex. 42-64302
Delivered Dorval 1 February 1944
Departed Dorval 17 February 1944
Arrived Prestwick 18 February 1944
To Scottish Aviation Ltd 18 February 1944
To 311 Squadron 24 February 1944
To 51 Maintenance Unit 31 March 1944
To 53 Squadron 8 May 1944
Crashed off the Stagi Peninsula, Iceland 18 November 1944.