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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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576
26/27th August 1944 576 Squadron Lancaster III PB400 F/O/ Linklater

Operation: Kiel, Germany

Date: 26/27th August 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: No. 576 Squadron (motto: Carpe Diem - 'Seize the opportunity'). 1 Group

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB400

Code: UL-J2

Base: RAF Elsham Wolds

Location: Borgwedel

Pilot: F/O. Jack Allan Linklater J/86650 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Edwin Houghton Farrington 1819957 RAFVR PoW No: 703 Camp: Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7)

Nav: Sgt. Joseph Edmund Edwin O’Farrell R/178953 RCAF PoW No: 716 Camp: Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7) Stalag Luft Luckenwalde (3A )

Air/Bmr: F/O. Kenneth Milton Tucker J/29710 RCAF PoW No: 5305S Camp: Stalag Luft Bart Vogelsang (L1) Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O 2. Keith Tate R/124433 RCAF PoW No: 759 Camp: Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7)

Air/Gnr: P/O. Russell Earl Rogers J/85312 RCAF PoW No: 716 Camp: Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7) Stalag Luft Luckenwalde (3A )

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Leslie Howard Stevenson R/171883 RCAF Age 20. PoW No: 757 Camp: Stalag Luft Bankau near Kreulberg Upper Silesia (L7)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from Elsham Wolds at 19:44 hrs to bomb Kiel - 372 Lancaster and 10 Mosquitos taking part. At around 22:50 hrs they crossed the coast of Denmark, the Luftwaffe were prevented of an early warning by the operation of a Mandrel screen (jamming of radar). Another force of 174 were sent at the same time to bombtfe port town of Königsberg, Gdansk anD Gdynia, preference to attacking Luftwaffe pilots were given to the Kiel raid because of the threat to Hamburg.

Assessment of attack:

'Bombing followed the markers in the town, though some undershooting was observed late in the attack. Photographic Reconnaissance Unit report severe destruction to Naval Arsenal and Munitions Depot at Monkeberg was gutted. The Pathfinder marking was hampered by smoke-screens but the local report tells of a very serious raid with heavy bombing in the town centre and surrounding districts and widespread fires fanned by a strong wind. The Rathaus was completely burnt out and many other public buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged'.

PB400 was intercepted by Uffz. Hans Schadowski 3/NJG3 in the Schleswig-Kappeln area at 23:24 hrs with the Lancaster coming down in the lake near Borgwedel. Six of the crew were immediately picked up and taken PoW but no trace of there pilot was found.

On the 27th December 1944 Fl/Sgt. Stevenson was shot in the chest by a prison guard named as 'Dollesal' (from Dortmund). This happened after the 'all clear' siren following an allied air raid. The Germans rendered treatment in the sick quarters but he died some 30 minutes later. He was attended by a priest at the time and Leslie Stevenson last words were: 'I send my love to mother, father and brothers and sisters. Tell her I love her'.

The doctors report stated that he was shot through the right breast, left epigastrium (upper central region of the abdomen) with injuries to the liver, stomach, spleen and diaphragm. He was, it is reported, given a proper funeral.

The missing research investigators post war (1948) reported that Kreusberg Cemetery had been completely wrecked by Russian or Polish with all grave markings removed and buried records destroyed.

Burial details:

F/O. Linklater was initially buried at Schleswig Military Cemetery, Plot C Row 15 Grave 17. but later reinterred at Kiel.

Fl/Sgt. was buried at Kreusberg Cemetery. Field 10, Grave 68.

F/O. Jack Allan Linklater. Kiel War Cemetery. Plot 1 Row D Grave 21. Son of Donald Alexander (born 22nd November 1894 - died 21st October 1964, age 69) and Florence Myrtle Linklater (née McLellan - born 28th January 1898 - died 19th February 1988, age 90), of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada. Brother of Donald James (born 17th January 1921 - died 20th April 2016, age 95 - shown below) He also served in the RCAF, Fl/Lt. J/22978 DFC 433 squadron. Also brother to Anne Moran, Donna Walker and Dora Turner. Grave inscription: 'Thy Will Be Done'.

Fl/Sgt. Leslie Howard Stevenson.(shown left) Runnymede Memorial. Panel 255. Son of Homer Brown (born 22nd August 1902 - died 05th October 1973, age 71) and Ruby Evelyn Stevenson (née Tyler - born 11th June 1906 - died 07th May 1980, age 73. Both parents buried at Dawson Creek cemetery), of of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to John Jones, Theo Boiten - 'Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Part 4', other sources as quoted below:

KTY/JJ 06-10-2021

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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