Nelson, Raymond Stuart
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Raymond Stuart |
Surname | Nelson |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 27-11-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Horatio Victor and Nancie Jean Nelson, of Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | JB459 |
Markings | OL-T |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 6. D. 2. |
Epitaph | MEMORY EVERGREEN |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 218 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 421667 |
Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 83 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Australia |
Other Memorials
Location | RAF Wyton Memorial Garden, Wyton, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the Pathfinder Sqns operating from RAF Wyton, 1942-1945 |
Location | RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating 83 Sqn Lancaster, one of the Pathfinder Sqn's operating from RAF Wyton 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Michaels's Church, Coningsby, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Wooden Plaque & 83 Sqn Badge |
Memorial Text | This Chapel was furnished by members and friends of 83 Pathfinder Sqn and is dedicated to the memory of those airmen who lost their lives on flying operations from RAF Coningsby in WWII |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/687/22 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/687/21 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 26-11-1943 |
End Date | 27-11-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Wyton |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 443 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes with a 178 aircraft diversionary raid on Stuttgart. Unlike previous raids that included a diversionary element, both forces flew together over France and separated close to Frankfurt. Consequently the German controller assumed that the raid was on Frankfurt alone. As a result, the Berlin force met with few night-fighters but heavy flak fire and the scattered nature of the force by this time led to significant losses- 28 Lancasters (6.2%) and a further 14 crashed on the return leg or on return to base, leading to a total loss rate of some 9.3%. PFF target marking was 6-7 miles from the intended city centre position and as a consequence, the industrial suburb of Reinickendorf bore the brunt with 38 war related factories being destroyed and many more damaged. Berlin Zoo was also badly damaged with the result that many dangerous animals had to be shot in the streets. Approximately 700-800 deaths and total bombed out in recent raids was increased to some 417665. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed NW of Oberreifenberg, Germany |