• Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)

Date of birth:

September 24th, 1919 (Star City/Saskatchewan, Canada)

Date of death:

May 17th, 1943 (Waddenzee, The Netherlands)

Mentioned on:

Air Forces Memorial Runnymede

Service number:

J/17474

Nationality:

Canadian

Vernon William Byers was born on September 24, 1919, in Star City, Saskatchewan. During his school years, he showed great enthusiasm for sports. After he departed, he took on jobs at a farm, in construction, and later as a miner in the town of Flin Flon, Manitoba.

In March 1941, he joined the Canadian Army and was evaluated as 'a healthy-looking young man eager to shift to active duty with the RCAF'. On 8 May 1941, he successfully completed this transfer by joining the RCAF in Winnipeg. Determined to become a pilot, he earned his wings in March 1942.

In May 1942, he came to the UK and completed his training during the following months. He became part of the 1654 Conversion Unit at Wigsley on 8 December 1942. He was moved to 467 Squadron at RAF Bottesford on 5 February 1943 to start his active operational duties.

On the evening of 16 May 1943 at 21:30, the Avro Lancaster AJ-K took off from RAF Scampton on a mission to attack the German Sorpe dam (Operation Chastise). The Avro Lancaster was hit by German anti-aircraft fire near Texel and crashed in the Wadden Sea approximately 30 kilometres west of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.

The body of tail gunner F/S James McDowell was recovered on 22 June 1943, south of Terschelling, and buried the following day in this cemetery. The other six crew members are listed as missing and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

• - CWGC
  - Death of a Dambuster
  - Dambusters

Helaas geen map gevonden.