Turner, Donald Stuart Died

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Personal Information

Rank F/O
Forename(s) Donald Stuart
Surname Turner
Gender M
Age 20
Date of Death 23-09-1943
Next of Kin Son of Hubert and Edith Turner, of Mapplewell, Yorkshire.
TURNER DS

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Avro Lancaster III
Serial Number JA977
Markings SR-J

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country France
Burial/Memorial Place Choloy War Cemetery
Grave Reference 2A. A. 17.
Epitaph GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 109
TURNER DS

Location

Row -
Panel 109
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 1
Panel Number 109

Enlistment Information

Service Number 131600
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 1
Squadron 101
Squadron Motto Mens agitat molem (Mind over matter)
Trade Pilot
Country of Origin United Kingdom

Other Memorials

Location St. Mary & St. Peter's Church, Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Sqn Standard & Roll of Honour in wooden bookcase
Memorial Text In memory of 101 Squadron 1943-45 based at RAF Ludford Magna
Location Village Centre, Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Stone Pillar & Brass plaque on adjacent bench
Memorial Text In memory of 101 Squadron 1943-45 based at RAF Ludford Magna
Location The White Hart PH, Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal on external wall of PH
Memorial Text In memory of the men and women of 101 Squadron 1943-45
Location The National Aboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Stone Monument
Memorial Text This memorial is dedicated to all those who served on 101 Squadron, and honours those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We will remember you.
Location In front of the mess esplanade, Mailly-le-Camp, 10 - Aube Prefecture
Country France
Memorial Type Stone memorial sculpture, inscribed marble tablets and inscribed metal plaque
Memorial Text En souvenir des heros de la RAF. Qui ont participe au bombardment du camp de Mailly. Unites de la RAF engagees dans le raid sur Mailly-le-Camp, la nuit du 3 au 4 May 1944. N° 9-12-44-49-50-57 61-83-97-100-101 Special Duties Flight-103-105-106-166- 169-192-207-460 (RAAF)-463 (RAAF)-467 (RAAF)-550-576-617- 619-625-626-627-640
Translation "In memory of the RAF heroes who took part in the bombing of Mailly Camp. RAF units engaged in the raid on Mailly-le-Camp, the night of 3-4 May 1944. Squadrons that took part: N° 9-12-44-49-50-57 61-83-97-100-101 Special Duties Flight-103-105-106-166- 169-192-207-460 (RAAF)-463 (RAAF)-467 (RAAF)-550-576-617-619-625-626-627-640"
Location Bawtry Hall, Bawtry, South Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Marble Tablet
Memorial Text In memory of those who did not return 1939 - 1945

Miscellaneous Information

Donald was a young apprentice electrician at North Gawber Colliery near Barnsley at the start of World War II. He lived with his parents at Spark Lane, Mapplewell and dreamt of flying. As soon as he could, Donald left this job at the pit to train as a pilot in Canada and eventually join 101 Squadron Bomber Command at RAF Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire. At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Donald had been as physically ill-suited for work down a mine as he was for service in the confines of an aircraft. He could of course have sat out the war in relative peace as a colliery worker, a reserved occupation, but he had always wanted to fly. On his 13th mission, on 23 September 1943, Donald’s aircraft was hit by flak during a raid on Mannheim. He managed to get the aircraft back over the German-French border to Metz in France. Donald nursed the aircraft away from the densely-populated town but it eventually crashed in open ground. Two of the crew survived but the remainder, Donald included, were killed. The dead were quickly buried in secret by the French Resistance and after the war were re-interred together at Choloy War Cemetery near Toul in France.
Donald was just 20 when he died. Donald left behind grieving parents Hubert and Edith, and sisters, Eileen and Gloria. Donald was engaged to be married at the time of his death. Donald had written a letter to be given to his parents in the event of him being captured or killed. Written when he was just 19 and in training in Canada, he explained with amazing clarity his preparedness for whatever lay ahead: “It is a life of my own choosing and I have no regrets. The risks I run, I run cheerfully. I bear no malice and I look forward to everlasting peace. In the event of my being unfortunate, then that is too bad. I hope that I did not die in vain......I am now a Pilot Officer with Wings, serious work ahead. Waiting patiently for a boat to take me back to the land and people I love.” Donald closes the letter with the wish: “If no news is heard of me for two months, please consider me dead and do not mourn for me. I would hate that. Just carry on your normal life. Bear up...show the world you can take it. Do your utmost to win the war. Your Loving and Devoted Son and Brother and Friend, Donald.” People in the French village of Queuleu-Plantieres, where Donald’s aircraft crashed, had recovered bits of the mangled Lancaster. Some of this metal was fashioned into a badge which was eventually given to Donald’s family where it is kept as a reminder of Donald and his crew’s courage and sacrifice. The inscription reads “In homage to the British heroes. 23/09/1943.”

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/802/42
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/802/42

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Name Outcome
Clothier R A (Sgt) Died
Cooper E J (F/S) Died
Haworth J R (Sgt) Died
Rays R J (F/S) Died
Stafford A O (F/O) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 23-09-1943
End Date 24-09-1943
Takeoff Station Ludford Magna
Day/Night Raid Night (25% moon)
Operation Mannheim
Reason for Aircraft Loss Damaged by enemy action and later exploded, crashing at Metz, France
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.