Frank Garrett with Crew of his aircraft LM342
LM 342 – crew photograph and information from Barrie Carter nephew of Pilot Officer Carter.
This picture was taken early morning on 23rd May 1943, just after they had returned from a raid on Dresden. They were being interviewed by a Daily Sketch reporter (the guy with the cigarette dangling from his lips). I don't know which one is Frank Garrett. I think he is one of the two guys on the left. The pilot, Alfred Raphael, is on the extreme right and my uncle who was the navigator, Ron Carter, a Canadian, is third from the right. The crew came together in March/April 1943 and were involved in 19 major, highly dangerous operations during that summer. They were all to meet their fate at Peenemunde on the night of 16/17 August. In fact Raphael had a very strong premonition that they wouldn't make it back on that night.
Several of their bodies were recovered from a lake at Peenemunde, although the body of Adam Brand the other air gunner aboard, was washed up on the shores of Poland, 20 miles away.
Last November I came across 'Deddington on Line', whilst doing some family history research. In it was an article about names on your war memorial and in particular I was interested in an article which mentioned Flt/Sgt Francis Garrett. He was in the same Lancaster bomber crew as an uncle of mine when it was shot down whilst attacking the Nazi V1 and VII Rocket base at Peenemunde in 1943. All the crew was killed.
For a number of years I have been attempting to trace family members of the crew, but without success. I have built up quite a dossier on the crew and on the hectic operations they were on in the months before their last raid. Although the Squadron they were in, which was 467 Royal Australian Air Force, has long since been disbanded, there is still a very active Squadron Association.
I am based down in Somerset, so if you have any queries please either contact me via e-mail at bcart@talktalk.net or ring me on 01963 220608.
This picture was taken early morning on 23rd May 1943, just after they had returned from a raid on Dresden. They were being interviewed by a Daily Sketch reporter (the guy with the cigarette dangling from his lips). I don't know which one is Frank Garrett. I think he is one of the two guys on the left. The pilot, Alfred Raphael, is on the extreme right and my uncle who was the navigator, Ron Carter, a Canadian, is third from the right. The crew came together in March/April 1943 and were involved in 19 major, highly dangerous operations during that summer. They were all to meet their fate at Peenemunde on the night of 16/17 August. In fact Raphael had a very strong premonition that they wouldn't make it back on that night.
Several of their bodies were recovered from a lake at Peenemunde, although the body of Adam Brand the other air gunner aboard, was washed up on the shores of Poland, 20 miles away.
Last November I came across 'Deddington on Line', whilst doing some family history research. In it was an article about names on your war memorial and in particular I was interested in an article which mentioned Flt/Sgt Francis Garrett. He was in the same Lancaster bomber crew as an uncle of mine when it was shot down whilst attacking the Nazi V1 and VII Rocket base at Peenemunde in 1943. All the crew was killed.
For a number of years I have been attempting to trace family members of the crew, but without success. I have built up quite a dossier on the crew and on the hectic operations they were on in the months before their last raid. Although the Squadron they were in, which was 467 Royal Australian Air Force, has long since been disbanded, there is still a very active Squadron Association.
I am based down in Somerset, so if you have any queries please either contact me via e-mail at bcart@talktalk.net or ring me on 01963 220608.