Tasmanian War Casualties

World War 11 Casualties

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Thank you from Gravesites of Tasmania.

Butterworth, John

FLIGHT SERGEANT

JOHN BUTTERWORTH

16^thAugust 1921-16 December 1943

We would like to thank Stevin Oudshoorn for permission to use material from his site

http://www.basher82.nl/searchAUS.htm

John Butterworth was born 10^th August 1921 in New Norfolk Tasmania, son of Charles

O’Neil and Frances Eleanor Butterworth.

He was a baker before he enlisted in the RAAF in Hobart on the 9^th October 1941.

F/S Butterworth was a wireless operator on a Lancaster bomber. He and his crew were very experienced. Before they transferred to 7 Squadron, they had completed a tour with 460 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force.

His crew consisted of W/O W.A Watson (pilot) W/O W.M Waterman (navigator) F/S J. Butterworth (Wireless Operator)F/S C. L. Robinson (Bomb Aimer) Sgt. J. Hurst (Mid Upper Gunner)F/S R.D. McWha (Rear Gunner) F/S R.E. Hedges (Flt Engineer)

“The five Aussies” Back Row L to R W/O William Maitland Waterman (Nav) W/O Wallace Arthur Watson (Pilot) F/S Charles Lloyd Robinson (BA) Front Row L to R F/S John Butterworth (W/0p) and F/S Reginald McWha (rear gunner)

Photo Courtesy of Mr. Dave Cheetham.

Hurst and Hedges were English, the rest of the crew were all Australian. On December 16^th 1943 they took off from their base at Oakingdon in Cambridgeshire in Lancaster MG-L. The target was Berlin and this was the sixth mission in what was called the Battle for Berlin . Bomber command paid repeated visits to the German capital late 1943 through early 1944.

Their Lancaster was claimed by Oblt. Schnaufer at 18.01 north east of Lemmer at a height of 5800 metres. Their plane crashed a few minutes later near the town of Follega , in a field opposite the farm belonging to the Bangma family. The son and his mother were in the kitchen when they heard a terrific explosion. One of the engines flew over the top of the farm in a ball of fire and landed in a ditch behind the farm. Only five bodies were recovered. W/O Waterman was found six weeks later in the same ditch.

The other two W/O Watson and F/S Butterworth are listed on the RAF Memorial at Runnymede .

At practically the same time another Lancaster of 7 Squadron, captained by F/O Francis Rush was shot down near the city of Alkmaar , crashing near Stompetoren, killing all but one of the crew.

In 1996 a watch belonging to F/S Butterworth was found. Representatives of the Dutch branch of the Bomber Command Association, Cristel and Ger Boogmans, in cooperation with Dave Cheetham, tried to trace his family. After a lengthy search his brother was found and the watch was returned to him

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Tasmanian War Casualties, Honouring the past, building understanding.