Robert Bertram Douglas Palmer, Charles Victor King, Ramesh Chandra Datta, William Stephens, Alan Raymond Harris, Dennis Charles Herbert Holding, Douglas Cameron



The Pathfinder Year - 97 Squadron at Bourn
CAPTAIN: PALMER

LANCASTER - ED923-V
Shot down by a night fighter on 9th July 1943; the entire crew was killed.

CREW
Pilot:  F/O Robert Bertram Douglas Palmer
Flight Engineer: Sgt Charles Victor King
Navigator: F/O Ramesh Chandra Datta
Bomb Aimer: Sgt William Stephens
W/Op: Sgt Alan Raymond Harris
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sgt Dennis Charles Herbert Holding
Rear gunner: Sgt Douglas Cameron

DETAILS

ORB 21.2.44
8/9 July 1943 Cologne - Bomb Load 4 x TI, 1 X 4000lb, 5 X 1000lb

ED923Y  F/O R.B.D.Palmer, Sgt C.V.King, F/O R.C.Datta, Sgts W.R.Stephens, A.R.Harris, D.C.Holding, D.Cameron.  1 x 4000lb 15 SBC.  Up 2316 - aircraft and crew missing.


Extract from Bomber Command Losses - 8/9.7.43
Lancaster III  ED923  OF - V.  Op Cologne.  T/O 2316 Bourn.  Shot down by a night fighter (Lt Friedrich Erlinghagen 5/NJG1) and crashed at Bassenge (Liege) on the Geer, 14km NNE of Liege.  All were taken to St-Truiden for burial on 10 July, since when their remains have been brought to Heverlee War Cemetery.  F/O Datta of Calcutta was an associate of the Royal College of Science.

The crew: (L-R) unknown, unknown, Harris, Palmer, Datta, unknown, King
Left: the flight engineer, Charles King
Below: the w/op, Alan Harris
Left: Datta, the navigator, and below with Princess Elizabeth and the Queen Mother