Date: 28/29th July 1944
Unit: No. 90 Squadron
Type: Lancaster III
Serial: PB198
Code: WP-M
Base: Tuddenham, Suffolk
Location: Saulxures-les-Bulgneville
Pilot: P/O. John Donald Morton J/88266 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. Dennis James Ingram 1711742 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Nav: P/O. Myron Fetchison J/88486 R.C.A.F. Age 23. Killed
Air/Bmr: W/O II Joseph Wilfred Jean Paul Huot R/159901 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Walter Charles Pomfret 1392396 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Hugh Donald Hilts R/256204 R.C.A.F. Age 18. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Edward Laverne Eitel R/191621 R.C.A.F. Age 19. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 21.50 hrs from R.A.F. Tuddenham in Suffolk to attack the city of Stuttgart. A total of 494 Lancaster's joined this operation together with 2 Mosquitoes. German night-fighters engaged the bomber stream on the outward flight over France and as there was a bright moon huge losses were incurred. Such was the ferocity of the engagement very few positive claims by the German fighters were made.
40 Lancaster's were lost during the raid and 203 aircrew killed with a further 50 made P.O.W's. 24 evaded capture.
No certain details regarding the loss of Lancaster PB198 can be ascertained but it would seem that it was another victim of the German night-fighter force.
Fl/Sgt. Edward Eitel received his wings from No.3 B and GS McDonald, Manitoba on August 20th 1943.
Graves of the 7 crewmen (Courtesy Stephane Muret)
Original memorial and the current day version (Courtesy Stephane Muret)
Crash site today (Courtesy Stephane Muret)
Burial details:
All buried at the Cemetery listed below - the only Commonwealth graves in the Cemetery.
P/O. John Donald Morton. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 6.
Son of Mr and Mrs J.G. Morton of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt. Dennis James Ingram. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5.
Son of Robert and Katherine Ingram, of Redhill, Surrey.
P/O. Myron Fetchison. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5.
Son of Michael and Josephine Fetchison, Oshawa, Canada.
W/O II Joseph Wilfred Jean Paul Huot. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 7.
Son of Wilfrid and Marguerite Huot, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Sgt. Walter Charles Pomfret. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 2.
Son of James George and Florence Mary Ann Pomfret; husband of Joyce Gladys Pomfret, of Camberwell, London.
Fl/Sgt. Hugh Donald Hilts. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Collective Grave 3-5.
Son of James E. Hilts and Millie Saunders Hilts of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Fl/Sgt. Edward Laverne Eitel. Saulxures-les-Bulgneville Communal Cemetery Grave 1.
Son of G.E. Eitel, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada.
Researched by: Kelvin T. Youngs and David King (A.R. Society) For the nephew of the navigator Mr. Jim Fetchison and all the relatives of the crew.
Acknowledgments: With thanks to the following: Stephane Muret for visiting the crash site and showing respect by sending these photographs, Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". . The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
