Pilot Officer Theophilus Dos Santos

J/26605 Pilot Officer Theophilus Dos Santos
Air gunner
426 Squadron, RCAF
Killed in action 18 August 1943

Pilot officr Dos Santos was from Trinidad, but had enlisted in the RCAF in Canada.

He was a member of 426 (Thunderbird) Squadron and on the night of 17/18 August 1943 was part of the crew of Wing Commander Leslie Crooks DFC, DSO, the squadron commander.

The squadron was assigned to take part in the attack on the German research centre at Peenemunde and nine of its Lancasters took off on time and headed east.

Crooks' aircraft, DS-681 coded OW-V, was attacked by a night fighter. According to Martin Middlebrook in his book The Peenemunde Raid, at least one RAF airman saw Crooks' Lancaster going down.

‘Report No19 Greifswald, 2 miles S of, 00.50. Aircraft seen falling on fire but managed to get down and make a forced landing, finally bursting into flames on the deck after what appeared to be the third bounce.'

Crooks and most of his crew were on the 6th or 8th operation of their second tour, hence presumably why Dos Santos had been promoted to Pilot Officer.

The air bomber, Sgt Reading, bailed out and survived, but the remainder of the crew were killed. Reading and flight engineer Sgt John Hislop were replacements and both on their first mission.

Pilot: W/Cdr Leslie Crooks, 33, Peterborough, Northants
Flight engineer: Sgt John Hislop, 21, of Glasgow
Air bomber: Sgt Reading
Navigator: F/Sgt Alfred Howes, 21, Shepherds Bush, London
Wireless operator: F/Lt Francis Marsh DFC, Toronto
Air gunner: P/O Theophilus Dos Santos, 21, Trinidad
Air gunner: P/O Henry Smith, 24, Toronto

The crew is buried at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery.

On 28 May 1943 Squadron Leader Crooks award of the DSO was published in the London Gazette.

It reads as follows:

'As a Squadron Leader took part in No.426 Squadron's third operation, 21 January 1943; date of award incident was 26 April 1943; Commanding Officer of unit, 15 February to 17 August 1943 (missing, Peenemunde raid).

'This officer's courage and skill were admirably demonstrated during a recent attack on Duisburg. When approaching the target his aircraft was raked by cannon fire from an enemy fighter. Wing Commander Crooks skilfully evaded the attacker but his aircraft had sustained much damage.

'Although one aileron and half the port tail plane had been shot away, while the hydraulic and electrical systems were rendered inoperative, Wing Commander Crooks flew the bomber back to this country.

'Unfortunately, it was impossible to effect a safe landing, but when the crew were forced to abandon aircraft, all descended safely. In the face of heavy odds, Wing Commander Crooks set an example worthy of high praise.'

Crooks was born in Bishop Aukland and had lived in York. He enlisted in the RAF as an apprentice in 1927 and served as a Sergeant pilot in Iraq from 1935-1937. He was commissioned 1940 and awarded the DFC in February 1941 for services with No.58 Squadron.

A visit to St Clement Danes church, Strand, London

A visit today to St Clement Danes Church on the Strand - the RAF church. In the crypt at the moment there is a small display looking at Bomber Command, with the likes of a flak map of Berlin on show.

The church itself was thick with incense, this being Easter weekend. Its floor is filled with squadron crests in Welsh Slate, there is a fine memorial to the Polish airforce of World War 2 and the books of remembrance listing all the RAF's casualties.

On a table near the entrance were some cards and Haig Fund crosses left by friends and relatives in memory of loved ones killed while serving in the RAF.

They made moving reading. One read, 'John Stephen Treseder... You are always in my heart... In loving memory, Son, Rod.'

F/O Treseder (29) was killed in July 1943 while flying a 613 Squadron Mustang fighter in an attack on a German convoy off the coast of Holland.

Another card read, in neat, slanting writing, 'Jimmy and crew, Berlin, 21.1.44. All my Love from Laura.'

That night the RAF lost 35 aircraft - 22 Halifaxes and 13 Lancasters. No 102 Squadron, from Pocklington, lost five of its 16 Halifaxes.

A third, written in a slightly shaky hand, said: 'John William Cummings. Died 29/9/1943. I remember seeing you with your brolly, my [f... illegible] in about 1943/3. I am looking forward to seeing you again. Love, Heather.'

A litle research has revealed that on 29/30 September 1943 the RAF raided Bochum and lost five Halifaxes and four Lancasters.

1334212 Sergeant Jack Cummings was 22 and serving as a mid-upper gunner on board a Lancaster Mk III (AS-Y ED904) of 166 Squadron. He was from Croydon in Surrey.

The other members of the crew were as follows.

Pilot: 1321868 W/O Brian Davidson, 21, of Beckenham, Kent.
Air bomber: 1395190 Sergeant Lionel Comer, 20, of King's Lynn, Norfolk.
Flight engineer: 1001372 Sergeant Leslie English, 31, of Pelton, Co Durham.
Navigator: 656183 Sergeant Henry Jones, 25, of Vroncysylite, Denbighshire.
Wireless operator: 1212477 Sergeant Laurence Gee, 22, of Birmingham.
Rear gunner: J18832 P/O Cyril Vincent Galavan (RCAF), of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

The squadron had converted from Wellingtons to Lancasters in September 1943 and was based at Kirmington, Lincolnshire.

Lancaster ED 904 was delivered to No103 Squadron on 19 May 1943 and transfered to 166 Squadron on 19 September 1943.

When lost this aircraft had a total of 195 hours, having taken part in three raids on Hamburg, as well as having flown to Berlin, Cologne and Hanover.

It was the first Lancaster to take off on 166 squadron's first Lancaster sortie.

On the night of 29 September 1943 AS-Y was airbourne at 18:22 hrs from Kirmington.

It crashed near Dortmund, perhaps a victim of flak over or near the target, and the crew were buried at the city's Hauptfried (Am Gottesacker) on 4 October.

They have subsequently been re-interred in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.