LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Keith Jacob SCHOTT

Service No: 419594
Born: Melbourne VIC, 18 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 September 1942
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB234), France, 19 July 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Brabant-Le-Roi Churchyard, Meuse, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Jacob and Bertha Branee Schott, of Elwood. Victoria. Australia.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 111, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Revigny, already the objective of two abortive raids by other groups on 12th-13th and 14th-15th July, was nominated as a target for No. 5 Group on 18th-19th July. This was an ill-fated attack as no fewer than 24 of the force of 110 bombers failed to return to base. It was a case of the elaborate nightly RAF tactical deception plan misfiring for once. The enemy ignored the raid against Scholven-Buer, being deceived into thinking it was a diversionary sweep. The Luftwaffe’s strength in Belgium was sent westward into France and ran headlong into the force attacking Revigny. Fighter attacks began over the target and the fighters then hung determinedly around the skirts of the retiring bombers until they crossed the coast. Few crews saw obvious signs of success because long-delay fuses were again used, but later evidence showed that after the attack only one through line remained open. One RAAF pilot criticised the chosen route, which crossed an active searchlight belt in the Pas de Calais. After seeing four Lancasters shot down over the target within two minutes he swung out of the stream and skirted this searchlight belt and reported that other aircraft which had kept to track were shot down. Australian losses were particularly severe. Aircraft piloted by Flying Officer Beverley Hudson Gifford (415220) and Flying Officer James Robert Worthington (406417) of No. 463, Flying Officer Thomas Edward William Davis (420173) and Flying Officer David Beharrie (418334) of No. 467, Flying Officer William David Appleyard (415716) of No. 49, Flying Officer Frank Francis Molinas (425454) of No. 619 and Flying Officer Peter Buck Dennett (418927), Flying Officer Gordon Edward Maxwell (425331) and Flying Officer Bruce William Brittain (414756) (Flight Sergeant Gordon Edwin Beckhouse (424354) (Wireless Air Gunner)) of No. 630 were all shot down.

Herington, J. (John) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 Pages 236-7

Lancaster PB234 took off from RAF Waddington at 2301 hours on the night of 18/19th July 1944 to destroy a railway junction at Revigny, France. Bomb load 11 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg), 3 x 500 lb (225 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Eight aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two including PB234 failed to return. Post war it was established that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter on its bombing run. The aircraft crashed in a field near Brabant-le-Roi (Meuse), 2 kms north of Revigny-Sur-Ornain.

The crew members of PB234 were:

Flying Officer David Beharrie (418334) (Pilot)
Sergeant E E Brownhall (1601501) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant T T Brown (1397912) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer) Evaded Capture
Sergeant W G Johnson (524728) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Evaded Capture
Flight Sergeant Frank Raymond Rogers (430298) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Keith Jacob Schott (419594) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Kingswood White (437607) (Air Gunner) Evaded Capture, Discharged from the RAAF: 19 June 1945

In an October 1944 report Flight Sergeant White stated “From July 19th until Revigny liberated I had little news re fellow crew members but presumed they were killed apart from the Bomb -aimer and Engineer. We were attacked by an enemy aircraft after leaving the target. Captain ordered abandon. Before I could reach the escape hatch an explosion occurred and I was thrown into the air at approximately 9,000 feet. Landed safely. Brown and Johnson were the only two others to abandon the aircraft which was out of control. All are now safe in the UK.”

No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster DV374 (Flying Officer James Robert Worthington (406417) (Pilot)) on 19 July 1944.

No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster LM551 (Flying Officer Beverley Hudson Gifford (415520) (Pilot)) on 19 July 1944.

No. 467 Squadron lost Lancaster R5485 (Flying Officer Thomas Edward William Davis (420173) (Pilot)) on 19 July 1944.

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/37/474

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