CAPTAIN: ROBERTS
LANCASTER (Black Thursday) - JB299 OF-W
CREW
Pilot: F/L Frank Roberts
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Flight Engineer: P/O SR Arter - left the crew after Black Thursday
Navigator: F/S Ronald Dudley
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Bomb Aimer: F/S George Young
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
W/Op: F/S HJ Blower - left the crew after Black Thursday
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sgt Peter Andrew Marsh
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Rear Gunner: FS William Alfred Parsley, known as Bill
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Blower and Arter had been replaced by Devine and Martin by the time the Roberts crew were shot down and all killed. Thanks to Henry Pedersen in Denmark for pointing this out.
LANCASTER (Black Thursday) - JB299 OF-W
CREW
Pilot: F/L Frank Roberts
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Flight Engineer: P/O SR Arter - left the crew after Black Thursday
Navigator: F/S Ronald Dudley
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Bomb Aimer: F/S George Young
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
W/Op: F/S HJ Blower - left the crew after Black Thursday
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sgt Peter Andrew Marsh
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Rear Gunner: FS William Alfred Parsley, known as Bill
Killed 21-Jan-44, Berlin, buried in Berlin 1939-45 Cemetery
Blower and Arter had been replaced by Devine and Martin by the time the Roberts crew were shot down and all killed. Thanks to Henry Pedersen in Denmark for pointing this out.
CREW Frank Roberts, SR Arter, Ronald Dudley, George Young, HJ Blower, Peter Andrew Marsh, William Alfred Parsley
Below: Bill Parsley, rear gunner
Above right: Peter Marsh, mid-upper gunner
The lefthand chap is almost certainly the pilot, Roberts, as he is wearing
pilot's wings and the stripes on his and Peter's sleeves indicate it is
around the right period. It is clearly summer in the picture, but the crew were together from 1943 onwards according to Peter's logbook, so it all
seems very feasible. The clincher is the heartbreaking letter from Mrs Roberts, written to Peter's family in Australia after the crew disappeared, which speaks of Peter making his home with the Roberts' family when on leave; this informal snap was probably taken on just such a visit.
For all the contemporary documents and photos associated with Peter Marsh, please click on the following link: Peter Marsh page
The lefthand chap is almost certainly the pilot, Roberts, as he is wearing
pilot's wings and the stripes on his and Peter's sleeves indicate it is
around the right period. It is clearly summer in the picture, but the crew were together from 1943 onwards according to Peter's logbook, so it all
seems very feasible. The clincher is the heartbreaking letter from Mrs Roberts, written to Peter's family in Australia after the crew disappeared, which speaks of Peter making his home with the Roberts' family when on leave; this informal snap was probably taken on just such a visit.
For all the contemporary documents and photos associated with Peter Marsh, please click on the following link: Peter Marsh page
Thought to be Roberts
Aircrew on Berlin op - December 16/17 1943
Extract from Bomber Command Losses - 21/22.1.44
Lancaster III JB299 OF - W. Op Magdeburg. T/O Bourn. All rest in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. The two DFM recipients had their awards gazetted on 11 and 15 February 1944 respectively.
F/L F.J.Roberts DFC(+), Sgt E,J,Devine(+), F/S R.Dudley DFM(+), F/S G.Young DFM(+), Sgt F.Martin(+), F/S P.A.Marsh RAAF(+), WO2 W.A.Parsley RCAF(+).
Arter, the previous flight engineer, had left 97 Squadron for 24 OTU on 7th January; Blower, the previous w/op, went to 84 OTU on 22nd January, on the very day it became obvious that his skipper Roberts would not return.
Lancaster III JB299 OF - W. Op Magdeburg. T/O Bourn. All rest in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. The two DFM recipients had their awards gazetted on 11 and 15 February 1944 respectively.
F/L F.J.Roberts DFC(+), Sgt E,J,Devine(+), F/S R.Dudley DFM(+), F/S G.Young DFM(+), Sgt F.Martin(+), F/S P.A.Marsh RAAF(+), WO2 W.A.Parsley RCAF(+).
Arter, the previous flight engineer, had left 97 Squadron for 24 OTU on 7th January; Blower, the previous w/op, went to 84 OTU on 22nd January, on the very day it became obvious that his skipper Roberts would not return.