THE STORY OF                                                             
 AVRO LANCASTER LM658 

"just one of many"

LANCASTER LM658

On the evening of Saturday August 12th 1944 an Avro Lancaster (serial number LM658) took off from its base at RAF Waltham near Grimsby, Lincolnshire in Eastern England bearing the squadron code HW-W of RAF 100 Squadron, Bomber Command (1 group) as part of an airborne offensive of 379 heavy bombers heading for heart of the Nazi Reich. However, as dawn broke on Sunday morning only six of the seven 100 Squadron Lancs that took off the previous evening were to return to Waltham, LM658 and her crew were posted as missing.

Avro Lancaster LM 658 (HW-W)
Crew List and Summary of Established Personal Details
Age and status details as of 12/08/44

The following details are incomplete. Hopefully over time; additions, clarifications and most importantly photographs can be added if this site performs the intended function of forging contact links with relatives and descendants of the crew plus any other interested parties/historians. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel you can add anything to this research, we will only be too pleased to hear from you!

PILOT
Flight Lieutenant 83930 Harold (Bill) Paston-Williams (RAFVR)
Baled out & evaded (Hengelo) age 33
Died 25/12/76 Truro Cornwall
Son of Frederick and Hilda Paston Williams
Dorking Surrey
Husband of Janet
Father of Alan and Sheila (twins)
Brother to Sylvia and Guy Williams
Known Living Relatives; Alan (& family) and Sheila (& family)

SECOND PILOT
Flight Lieutenant 115325 Christopher Holland (RAFVR)
Killed in crash (on "second dickie" or operational familiarisation trip) age 21
Only son of Godfrey and Violet Housemayne Holland
Lower Beeding nr Horsham, Sussex
Unmarried 12/08/44
Headstone inscription at Hardenberg cemetry; "TO THE WORLD HE WAS BUT A PART, TO US HE WAS ALL THE WORLD, GH & VH"
Brother of Pat & Joanna
Uncle of Christopher Newton
Living relatives: Joanna Newton (Née Holland), Christopher Newton & Family, London

REAR GUNNER
Flying Officer J/26845 B.A. David (RCAF)
Baled out & captured, survived as P.O.W. (Stalag luft I, Barth) age; N/K
Died (N/K)
Son of Mrs N.G. Reuter
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Unmarried 12/08/44
Brother of Flying Officer J.M. David (RCAF)
Living relatives; Ontario?

NAVIGATOR
Pilot Officer 178869 Gerald Hood (RAFVR)
Baled out age 22 and evaded until capture 03/45
Executed 21/03/45 near Almelo age 23
Orphaned son of T/L Robert and T/L Emily Hood
Lewisham, S. London
Unmarried 12/08/44
Brother of Robert Hood (Essex)
Uncle of Mrs Sally Brown & Mrs Mary Williams
Headstone inscription at Almelo Cemetry; no additional inscription. Tablet by monument at execution site reads (In Dutch) " GERALD HOOD, RAF AIRMAN, EXECUTED BY THE INVADERS"
Living relatives; Mrs Sally Brown, Mrs Mary Williams, Mr & Mrs G Smales and family, Essex.

BOMB AIMER
Pilot Officer 55792 Benjamin Ramsden (RAF)
Killed in crash age 35
Son of Leonard and Annie Ramsden
Bradford, Yorkshire
Husband of Marjorie
Father of Anne
Headstone inscription at Hardenberg cemetry; refers to above listing of relatives.
Living relatives; West Yorkshire?

WIRELESS OPERATOR
Flight Sergeant 1316752 Laurence Roy Watts (RAFVR)
Killed in crash age 23
Son of Herbert and Florence Watts
Fawler, Oxfordshire
Unmarried 12/08/44
Brother of Denise Pilfold.
Headstone inscription at Hardenberg cemetry; "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS."
Known living relatives; Laurence Pilfold (nephew)

FLIGHT ENGINEER
Flight Sergeant 1367061 John A. Downie (RAFVR)
Baled out & evaded (Hengelo) age N/K
Died >2000 Kilmarnock Ayrshire
Son of (N/K)
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
Husband of Jean (no children)
Brother of Alex
Living relatives; Ayrshire?

MID-UPPER GUNNER
Flight Sergeant 1502966 Robert Stanley Williams (RAFVR)
Killed in crash age 25
Son of Mary Ethel Williams
Queensferry, Flintshire, North Wales
Unmarried 12/08/44
Headstone inscription at Hardenberg cemetry; "GOD'S GREATEST GIFT, REMEMBERANCE, YOUR LOVING MOTHER."
Living relatives; Merseyside/North Wales?

For a more detailed biography and photographs (where available) of each individual crew member click each name accordingly.

(NB: this feature is still under construction)