Laon (St. Just) Communal Cemetery 

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

The graves of nine airmen who fell during the 1939-1945 war are at the bottom of the slope, near the western corner of the cemetery. Seven of them belonged to the Royal Air Force, and one each to the Royal Canadian and Royal New Zealand Air Forces.

 

Served in

  • Canadian (1)
  • New Zealand (1)
  • United Kingdom (7)

Served with

  • Air Force (9)

Stirling I N6124 – 149 Sqdn – 5 May 1942

Crashed at Agincourt, France during an operational flight to Stuttgart, Germany.

Crew

Flight Sergeant Victor CARRILINE (630417) Wireless Operator RAF

Pilot Officer Arnold Foster CHEETHAM (103550) Pilot RAF

Flight Sergeant Francis Derek JAGO (742695) Air Gunner RAF

Flying Officer Kenneth William Byron MOODIE (J/1211) Air Observer RCAF

Sergeant Frederick Bertram POMEROY (1152526) Wireless Operator RAF

Flight Sergeant James Arthur SHAW (968972) Air Gunner RAF

Sergeant Basil Ernest SMITH (569626) Flight Engineer RAF

 

Stirling III EF162 – 90 Sqdn – 13 April 1944

Took off 2308 12 April 1944 from Tuddenham for France in a pre-invasion supply drop to the French Resistance.

Crew

Flight Sergeant Edward Arthur HARRISON (1129675) Wireless Operator RAF

Flight Sergeant Leonard Sidney QUELCH (1389820) Navigator RAF Fourdrain Communal Cemetery

Flight Sergeant Colin Baxter BOWLING (421011) Pilot NZAF Fourdrain Communal Cemetery

Flight Sergeant Thomas Douglas DUGGAN (1439832) Air Bomber RAF Fourdrain Communal Cemetery

Sergeant John JEFFERSON (1590889) Flight Engineer RAF Fourdrain Communal Cemetery

Prisoners of War for Stirling EF162

W/O1 George Beverley HOWARD (R/96243) Stalag Luft L6 Heydekrug

Flt Sgt Alexander George Clifford NICOL (1572739) Dulag DL Wetzlar

 

Wellington III X3466 – 115 Sqdn – 7 May 1942

Took off 2130 6 May 1942 from Marham. Crashed in the vicinity of Laon (Aisne) France.

Crew

Pilot Officer Patrick Henry Francis William LELAND (403965) Observer RNZAF           

Warrant Officer Edward CALLANDER (1061420) RAF Runnymede Memorial: Panel 213.

Flight Lieutenant Nathaniel PATERSON (36261) RAF Runnymede Memorial: Panel 66.

Prisoners of War for Wellington III X3466

Sgt Bernard Arthur RAMSBOTTOM (1165659) Stalag 357 Kopernikus

Sgt Arthur Edward SMITH (1184107) Stalag 357 Kopernikus