‘Collie Boys’ in Bomber Command
‘Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Times’
U.K. Bomber Command Losses during WW2
Casualty rates among Aircrew serving in Bomber Command during WW2 were extremely high. There were 110,000 British and Commonwealth aircrew who flew on operations in Bomber Command during WW2. 51percent (55,564) were killed, many of them with no known graves. Australian Aircrew serving in Bomber Command totalled around 10,000 of which 3486 were killed in Action. This figure amounted to nearly 20 per cent of all Australian's killed during WW2. Initially Australian Aircrew were attached to the Royal AirForce (RAF) bomber squadrons, however as the War progressed Australia provided its own squadrons, most notably, 460 and 467 Squadrons.
Ten "Collie Boys" enlisted into the RAAF during WW2 and went on to serve in the UK Bomber Command. Sadly, nine of these brave young men would not return to their beloved Collie. As Aircrew in bomber aircraft, they were killed in Air Operations Flying Battles over Europe.
Extracts from the History of 460 Squadron RAAF
460 Squadron suffered higher casualties than any other unit of the Australian Army, Navy or Air Force in WW2. Its record during three and a half years of war was extraordinary.
- Total number of sorties: 6,264
- Tonnage of bombs dropped: 24,856 (most in bomber command)
- Number of operational hours flown: 30,526
- Number of enemy aircraft destroyed: 7
- Number of enemy aircraft damaged: 34
- Number of enemy aircraft probably destroyed: 6
- Number of Sqn aircraft lost on operations: 169
- Number of Sqn aircraft lost in crashes: 31
- Number of Sqn aircrew killed or died of wounds: 1,018
45 ‘Collie Boys’ made the supreme sacrifice during WW2. Nine (9) of these brave young men were RAAF Aircrew serving in U.K Bomber Command. Two of the ‘Collie Boys’ flew together on an operation in February 1944 sadly their Aircraft was shot down over Germany with no survivors.
Collie Boys who died on Air Operations with U.K. Bomber Command
- 415222 Flt/Sgt, Ralph Trenham BILSBY -142 Sqn RAF
- 406344 Pilot Officer, Clifford Henry BURGESS - 460 Sqn RAAF
- 415923 Flying Officer, Anthony Carlyle CAMERON -102 Sqn RAF
- 415079 Pilot Officer, Herbert Leonard FUHRMANN DFM - 460 Sqn RAAF
- 427322 Pilot Officer, George Alan HALLIDAY - 466 Sqn RAAF
- 415527 Pilot Officer, George Alfred HAMPTON - 57 Sqn RAF
- 415482 Flt/Sgt, John Russell MOULSDALE - 514 Sqn RAF
- 415672 Flt/Sgt, James McLEOD - 467 Sqn RAAF
- 415488 Pilot Officer, Herbert Ronald Houghton STUCHBURY - 467 Sqn RAAF
‘Collie Boys’ Together
At the outbreak of WW2, two ‘Collie Boys’ enlisted into the RAAF, eager to do their bit as their fathers had done before them during WW1. Herbert Ronald Houghton STUCHBURY, age 20 yrs,enlisted in November 1941 and was trained as a Pilot. His father, Herbert Houghton Henry Stuchbury had served in France with the 28th Bn during WW1, he had also enlisted for service during WW2, rank Captain. The family lived in Hawthorne Ave Collie.
James McLeod, age 28 yrs, enlisted in December 1941 and was trained as an Air Gunner.His father, James McLeod a private with the 11th Infantry battalion,had been killed in action in Belgium 1917. His mother, Rebecca Oswald had remarried and the family lived at the Federal Hotel Collie.
After training, the two ‘Collie Boys’ were posted to RAAF 467 Squadron. The Sqn was attached to Bomber Command, England.Pilot Officer Stuchbury was the pilot of a Lancaster Bomber aircraft and Flt/Sergeant James McLeod was one of his Air Gunners. The Sqn was flying dangerous bombing missions over Germany. During a mission in February 1944 their Aircraft was shot down over Germany, sadly there were no survivors.
From the History RAAF 467 Squadron
On 25/2/1944, 467 Squadron sent 12 aircraft (Lancaster bombers) to join a total of 594 bombers to attack AUGSBURG, Germany.
- Date of Death: 25 February 1944.
- Source: Commonwealth War Graves records W R Chorley: RAF Bomber Command
- Losses of the Second World War: Page 105, Volume 1944.
- Aircraft Type: Lancaster
- Serial number: LL 746
- Radio call sign: PO – M
- Unit: 467 Sqn RAAF
Summary:
Lancaster LL746 took off from RAF Waddington at 1828 hours on the night of 25/26th February 1944 to bomb Augsberg, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb, 92 x 30lb, 900 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after departure and it did not return to base. Twelve aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and one of these LL746 failed to return.
Crew:
RAAF 415488 PO Stuchbury, H R H Captain (Pilot), (Collie Boy)
RAAF 422467 FO Edginton, W T C (Navigator)
RAAF 410280 Flt Sgt J W Wood, (Bomb Aimer)
RAAF 415595 Flt Sgt E D Turpie, (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt E E Olive, (Flight Engineer)
RAF Flt Sgt A J Barnett, (Air Gunner)
RAAF 415672 Flt Sgt J McLeod, (Air Gunner), (Collie Boy)
From post war enquiries the aircraft was believed to have come down at Deufringen,10kms WSW Of Sundelfingen, Germany. All the crew were killed and they are interred in the Durnbach War Cemetery. Durnbach is a village 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich, Germany.
STUCHBURY Herbert Ronald Houghton, P/O Pilot 415488 RAAF Age 23, 467 Squadron. GERMANY BAVARIA DURNBACH CEM Grave 5-J-9/15
McLEOD James, FL/SGT 415672 RAAF Age 31, 467 Squadron. GERMANY BAVARIA DURNBACH CEM Grave 5-J-9/16
See Collie Boys Short Stories - "Collie Boys in Bomber Command" for the complete list of Collie Servicemen.