LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Stanley Kevin BLACK
Service No: 418790
Born: North Fitzroy VIC, 12 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 June 1942
Unit: No. 106 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Metheringham
Died: Ground Operations: (following the loss of No. 106 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NE150 on 7 June 1944), France, 11 June 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George and Lillian Eliza Black, of North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0025 hours on the morning of 7 June 1944 Lancaster NE150 took off from Metheringham detailed to bomb a bridge in the Caen area at Constances to prevent the enemy bringing up reinforcements. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after takeoff and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team reported “the aircraft crashed about 10 miles from the village of St-Jean-De-Daye, in the vicinity of Calvados, Normandy. Five of the crew were killed and both Flying Officer Doylie and Flight Sergeant Black evaded capture.” Flight Sergeant Black made contact with American parachutists in the area and was with them for four days. However he was killed on 11 June 1944 when the group were attacked by the Germans.
The crew members of NE150 were:
Flight Sergeant Stanley Kevin Black (418790) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Frank Leonard Corner (222039) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer J Doylie (140868) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Evaded capture
Sergeant Ralph Lionel Puckett (1853943) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Norman Charles Vezey Rooker (1324354) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Merrick George Munday Warren (174942) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Maurice Hardy Wigham (1593975) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Doylie later reported “Our aircraft was badly hit by flak and the bomb aimer and I had time to bale out. Cannot say re the others as I was completely on my own when I reached the ground. Warren was not wounded and would have had a fair chance of getting out.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/559