Last man standing
A pilot who saved his six crew – but lost his own life – in an Allied bombing mission will be eternally remembered at a memorial unveiled next month. Robert Chester-Smith, the only crew member still alive, recalled the mission to Phil Smith.

Robert Chester-Master today.

“U” for Uncle, Avro Lancaster Mark II.

Back row: SGT George Durland, FSGT Tom Young, FSGT John Lawrie, FSGT Reg Orth, and SGT Martin Carter. Front row: FSGT Sam Burford and FSGT Robert Chester-Master.

Photo from Robert Chester-Master

On August 12, Robert Chester-Master will travel from Sydney to Bavegem, Belgium, 60 years after he first arrived there by parachute. Like five of his mates who were part of a seven-man Commonwealth crew with No. 514 Squadron, the former tail gunner owes his life to Flight Sergeant John Lawrie, of the RNZAF, who was killed in the crash of their Lancaster bomber but ensured the safety of his crew as they bailed out over occupied Europe.

The engineer, Flight Sergeant Tom Young, bomb aimer Sergeant Martin Carter and wireless operator Sergeant George Durland were in the RAF. The navigator, Flight Sergeant Reg Orth, mid-upper gunner Flight Sergeant Sam Burford and Flight Sergeant Chester-Master were members of the RAAF.

They were tasked for bombing missions in support of the Allied push from the Normandy beachhead toward Caen. In the mess on August 12, 1944, their hopes of a day training were dashed. The board listed a “maximum effort” for that night, with all available crews and aircraft. FSGT Lawrie’s crew were further disappointed when they checked on their pride and joy, a Mark 2 Lancaster, “U” for Uncle. Shrapnel damage was much worse than thought.

A Merlin-powered Mark 1 had replaced their plane. “None of us was particularly superstitious,” said Mr Chester-Master. “But we weren’t too impressed to be flying a less capable aircraft, whose tail letter ‘G’ for George had been taken from another bomber that had been destroyed on a previous mission.” FSGT Lawrie’s crew would be one of 2000 operating that night.

The target was Russelheim in south-west Germany, and the Opel factory manufacturing wings for the V1 Buzz Bomb. “G” for George was bombed up with one 5000lb Cookie, four 2000lb high explosive bombs and fire bomb canisters.

There was little cloud to hide them and even as they crossed the English Channel, those in the cockpit commented on the searchlight and flak over France as diversionary attacks drew the attention of the German’s sophisticated radar and early warning systems.

Mass attacks inevitably lead to mid-air collisions and from the darkness loomed the belly of another Lancaster. “Dive, dive, dive!” The crew cursed the chair-borne planners, waited for their hearts to slow and settled back to their fearful routine.

Searchlights jumped up and locked onto a number of the bombers. Black puffs of AAA appeared and FSGT Lawrie began to jink and weave, eventually breaking out of the glare as the ground fire died.

The flak batteries ceased fire as their fighters arrived. FSGT Chester- Master could almost feel the impact as rounds from an ME109 punched into a nearby Halifax.

He didn’t fire; there was little point attracting the attention. The Halifax began to burn, peeled away from the bomber stream and “G” for George’s tail gunner could only hope the crew was able to bail out. The navigator called 15 minutes to the target before the crew up front saw more intense searchlight activity.

FSGT Lawrie kept them in the dark but many others were caught in the beams. “Pathfinder flares ahead, Skipper, turn two degrees to port.” The bomb aimer was now in charge of the aircraft. “Steady on course.” He called minute variations left and right – “Bomb doors open. Master switch on.

Bombs fused and selected.” The crew could hear metallic pattering on their plane as the run in continued through heavier flak. “Left, steady, left – bombs gone!” The Lancaster rocketed up, FSGT Lawrie holding course for 30 more heartstopping seconds as they waited for a photographic flare to illuminate their bomb damage camera.

“How does it look, tail gunner?” FSGT Chester-Master reported heavy explosions and fires. SGT Martin Carter said there were no hang-ups.

FSGT Lawrie put the nose down to gather speed and turned for home. AS THEY left, FSGT Chester-Master saw Russelheim lit in orange and partially covered in smoke. He had seen it before, in London. The navigator informed the crew they had crossed the Luxembourg/Belgium border. That was where the JU88 attacked. Green tracer poured in from the starboard quarter. FSGT Chester-Master called for a corkscrew.

FSGT Lawrie turned into the attack and dived. The tail gunner rotated the turret and opened fire on a dark shape less than 300 yards out. The German had come up from below and FSGT Chester-Master could hear cannon rounds hitting the fuselage just behind his back. The Junkers broke off, climbing to the port quarter.

Now the situation was reversed, with the night fighter exposing the length of his belly to the cone of FSGT Chester-Master’s fire. The JU88 took a long, raking burst, rolled over and dived as flames appeared. A victory was later confirmed, but damage to the Lancaster was also mortal.

Losing height and speed, it became clear they would never reach the Channel, let alone England. Fire was followed by engine failure. The corkscrew evasion had already cost them altitude and the order was given to bail out.

For a tail gunner, cramped in his turret and swathed in bulky flying gear, the struggle to get into the fuselage crawl space and locate his parachute must have been a nightmare. FSGT Chester- Master wrestled into his harness and made his way to the hatch. FSGT Lawrie was held in the pilot’s seat by his duty to keep control of the aircraft until the others were clear.

Researcher John Burford says FSGT Tom Young offered to help FSGT Lawrie into his parachute. With the control yoke pulled back into his chest, fighting to slow the plane’s descent, the pilot ignored him. To let go of the controls for even a moment would have dropped the nose into an uncontrollable dive.

FSGT Chester-Master guessed the heavy bomber was very low – perhaps 3000 feet. The parachute had barely opened and filled when he hit the ground, breaking a bone in his ankle and injuring his knee. His escape and evasion – riding a bicycle and guided by the Belgian resistance – is another story.

He was promoted to Flying Officer on return to England and was eventually shipped home to Australia via the USA. IN 1975, he returned to Europe and made contact with the escape group that helped save FSGT Tom Young, SGT Martin Carter and FSGT Reg Orth.

FSGT Sam Burford also made it back to England. SGT George Durland broke his leg during his landing and was captured. He escaped from the train taking him to Germany.

They have all since died. In 1992 he learned the bomber had crashed about 100 yards from the back fence of Nestor van Heyden, in the village of Bavegem. A parachute was tangled in the fence, so the shoemaker guessed at least one crew member had not been able to get out. He waited for the wreckage to cool and retrieved John Lawrie’s remains.

In a makeshift coffin, he buried the pilot in his own yard so the Germans would not find Lawrie and take him away. After the war, he advised the authorities. John Lawrie’s remains were reburied, with full military honours, in Antwerp’s military cemetery.

In 1994, Mr Chester-Master was given a tin containing a piece of the fuselage, painted with part of the red and blue roundel and pieces of iron from a fused engine block.

He was taken to the spot where he had landed. Soon, another decade on, government officials from Australia, Britain and Belgium, will gather in Bavegem. They will unveil a memorial to FSGT Lawrie, who was posthumously promoted to Pilot Officer. Robert Chester-Master – the last man standing – intends to stand there on August 12.

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The Short Answer

This feature will appear monthly in Air Force News. Send your questions on Air Force history to raafnews@defence.gov.au. Answers provided by David Wilson, Executive Officer, RAAF Historical, Air Power Development Centre.

What was the first jet aircraft that the Air Force operated?

It was a Meteor F-3 , A77-1 (EE427) – pictured right – and delivered to No. 1 Aircraft Depot during May 1946. The aircraft undertook tropical trials at Darwin, where it suffered a heavy landing and was scrapped during Febru ary 1947.

What is the origin of the “A” number?

The “A” (for Australia) designation, followed by a number that denoted the aircraft type, followed by another number signifying separate aircraft of the type, was proposed by Squadron Leader Percy McBain, and accepted by the Air Board on August 12, 1921. There have been three “A” Series.

The first ranged from A1 (De Havilland DH9A) to A12 (Bristol Bulldog), the second began in 1935 and ranged from A-1 (Hawker Demon) to A100 (De Havilland Canada Otter), and the third started in 1961 with A1 (Bell Sioux) to the latest A37 (Challenger). Numbers have been allocated for administrative purposes.

 

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