Page 4 - Douglas Dallaway

This information and photographs were supplied by Kristina Miles whose Great Uncle was a
49 Squadron rear gunner stationed at Fiskerton in late 1943 to early 1944.

He is Sergeant Douglas Demus Russell Dallaway, (Nibs) born in 1923 in Sedlescombe, Sussex.
Douglas and his crew flying in Lancaster JB727, S – Sugar and failed to return from operations
against the German capital of Berlin on 3 January 1944. This Lancaster is strongly believed to
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have suffered a mid-air collision with another 49 Squadron Lancaster, the details of which can be
found on this website on Ted Cachart's Flipbook.

There were no survivors from the crew of S - Sugar.

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2 /3 January, 1944; Target - BERLIN

Every available person on the station gave a hand in clearing the snow ready for the evening's
operation. Take-offs were able to begin 15 minutes before midnight with Fiskerton managing to get
12 aircraft airborne from the 13 detailed.

Just 311 bombers struggled to reach a cloud-covered Berlin where the bombing was spread, with
no concentrated fires developing. The German controllers had realised the bombers target in
advance and instructed the night-fighters accordingly; most of the 27 Lancasters lost,
fell into the Berlin area.
The reason for the total loss of Flight Lieutenant Johnny Palmer (JB727 EA-S) and crew has never
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been established; the pilot, who had recently celebrated his 21 birthday is remembered along
with his crew on the Runnymede Memorial; their mid upper gunner, Sergeant Derek Prusher, was
just 18 years old.
It is possible that Flight Lieutenant Palmer’s S - Sugar was the aircraft that was in collision with
another Fiskerton Lancaster that night as it would have been in the same wave, and if slightly
ahead of N-Nan it would have changed course and be heading back across the track of the
oncoming tail-enders. The crash site of the crew’s Lancaster is not known but it cannot be far from
the crew’s final resting place. Only six of the crew are accounted for and of that number two
identified. One crewman is missing and his identity and the location of his grave is not known.

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The crew were on their 11 operation. Sergeant Dallaway is remembered on two memorials in his
home village of Nutley, East Sussex.

The Webmasters would like to thank 49 Squadron Association for allowing use of their extensive
Squadron files.

49 Squadron Association