LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Lloyd Russell STUBBINGS
Service No: 420715
Born: Sydney NSW, 19 June 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 101 Squadron, RAF Station Ludford Magna
Died: Air Operations: (No. 101 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED659), Germany, 4 September 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Eileen Gladys Stubbings, of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED659 took off from Ludford Magna at 1936 hours on the night of 3/4 September 1943, detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team report stated “the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and exploded in mid-air over the Gatow airfield, approximately 24 miles south west of Stettin,
Germany.” All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of ED659 were:
Sergeant George Cheadle (1128782) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant James Clark (R/175980) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer James Samuel Kevin Dalziel (414339) (Observer)
Sergeant Lionel Hobson (576564) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Daniel Hopkins (1317702) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant John Lloyd Russell Stubbings (420715) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Dennis Arthur Tucker (1332550) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/268