16 April, 1942

Avro Manchester Mk IA (L7485 - code ZN-D*)
Between Belle-Île and Batz-sur-Mer (44)
* letter D to be confirm
(contributors : Musée Aéronautique Presqu'île Côte d'Amour, France Crashes 39-45, International Bomber Command Center)

Avro Manchester Mk I
© Imperial War Museum (IWM CH3879)

Crew (No 106 Squadron RAF) :

- Pilot Officer (pilot) Charles SCATCHARD, RAF VR, (service number 48459), 25 years old, killed.
Husband of Frances Winifred Scatchard, Alverstole, Hampshire (England).
Section V, Row 8, Grave 4. Scarborough Cemetery (Manor Road).

- Sergeant (engineer) Thomas Henry POWER, RAF VR (service number 778440), killed.
Memorial Runnymede - Panel 91 (England).

- Sergeant (bombardier) Donald Neal STORER, RAF VR, (service number 931772), 20 years old, killed.
Son of Ernest Albert Aubry Storer and Rebecca Sheila Storer, Watford, Hertfordshire (England).
Memorial Runnymede - Panel 94 (England).

- Sergeant (observer) Robert ROBERTSON, RAF VR (service number 1006888), 21 years old, killed.
Son of James and Mary B. Robertson, Dunfermline, Fife (Scotland).
Military cemetery La Baule-Escoublac 2B Grave 21

- Sergeant (wireless operator - air gunner) Douglas WIGHTMAN, RAF VR (service number 982542), 22 years old, killed.
Son of John and Caroline Wightman, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Tyne and Wear (England).
Military cemetery La Baule-Escoublac 2D Grave 2

Source photo : International Bomber Command Center

- Sergeant (air gunner) William Valentine ROGERSON, RAF VR (service number 1382426), 27 years old, killed.
Son of William John and Violet Anne Rogerson, husband of Irene May Patricia Rogerson, Shepperton, Middlesex (England).
Pornic Military Cemetery 1. G. 11.

- Flying Officer (air gunner) George William WARD, RAF VR (service number 84909), 30 years old, killed
Son of George James Ward and Violet Ward (nee Snow), husband of Betty Mary Ward, Highgate, Middlesex (England).
Pornic Military Cemetery 1. G. 7.

THE STORY

We have little information about the circumstances of the crash of this aircraft, which fell into the sea between Belle-ïle-en-Mer and Batz-sur-Mer. The aircraft took off at 8:50 p.m. on April 16 from RAF Coningsby, in Lincolnshire (England), for a minelaying mission in the Bordeaux region (code name Deodars). It was the crew's first operation.

A PART FOUND 50 YEARS LATER

In the 1990s, a fishing boat hauled up a crankshaft from a Rolls Royce "Vulture" engine in its nets, off the coast of Saint-Nazaire. This type of engine powered relatively few aircraft during the war, but it did power the Manchester. This part is now on display at the "Presqu'île Côte d'Amour" Aeronautical Museum at La Baule-Escoublac airfield.

The crankshaft of a Rolls-Royce engine on display at the "Presqu'île Côte d'Amour Aeronautical Museum
Photo collection Benoît Paquet (ABSA 39-45)

After our historical researches, we know that five Avro Manchester Mk Is crashed in Brittany during World War II : two on land and three at sea. We have located them on the map below :

4 in the Finistère :
- the R5795 fallen on December 18, 1941 off Brest, 6 km from the coast.
- the L7322 fallen on January 9, 1942 off "l'Île Longue", 6 km northwest of Crozon
- the R5787 fallen on January 31, 1942 in Bélès, 25 km northwest of Brest
- the L7472 fallen on February 1^st, 1942 in Morgat, 2 km southwest of Crozon
1 in the Morbihan :
- the R5833 fallen on June 5, 1942 off the Quiberon peninsula.
1 in Loire-Inférieure (Loire-Atlantique) :
- the L7485 fallen on the night of April 16 to 17, 1942 between Belle-Île and Batz-sur-Mer

The Manchester Mk I L7485 crashed very close to the place where the crankshaft was found (area circled in green off the coast of Saint-Nazaire) : it makes us believe that it belonged to this aircraft.

APPENDICES
(source of documents : The National Archives)

♦ Operational Record Book of Squadron No 106 for the night of April 16 to 17, 1942

page 4 of ORB AIR-27-832-32

zoom on page 4 of ORB AIR-27-832-32

This document indicates that the aircraft off at 8:50 p.m. and failed to return. The other aircraft (R5796) reported that the weather was fine: no clouds, good visibility, and a light mist. German flak fired during the crossing of the French coast but was not very accurate. This second aircraft dropped 4 mines on the target.

page 3 of ORB AIR-27-832-31

zoom on page 3 of ORB AIR-27-832-31

This second document, which is difficult to read, indicates that two aircrafts were sent for a "gardening" mission (dropping mines) in the DEODARS area (Bordeaux) ; one completed its mission successfully but the other (Pilot Officer SCATCHARD) failed to return.

IN MEMORIAM

♦ "La Baule-Escoublac" military cemetery (Commonwealth)

The entrance of the cemetery
Photo collection Benoit Paquet (ABSA 39-45)