[David Layne]

Taken from my father's Red Cross P.O.W. "Wartime Log" this attachment shows the crew of 97 Squadron Lancaster JA 708 that was shot down September 23rd 1943 by Ullrich Veh two minutes after bombing Mannheim.

This crew was on the last trip of their tour. Their usual mid upper gunner James White was already tour expired, his place being taken by the Squadron Gunnery Officer S/L "Red" McKinna.

The Fletcher crews regular navigator was F/Lt. Sgt. J. Dunn. He did not go on this trip, I presume he too had tour expired as his name does not appear in the Squadron Orbs after a September 22nd trip to Hanover. Dunn's place was taken by S/L K. Foster the squadrons navigation officer.

Pilot Fletcher, Bomb Aimer Beasley, Wireless Operator Layne, and Flight Engineer Nelson all survived the shootdown. S/Ldrs. McKinna and Foster were killed as was rear gunner Harry Page.

I am curious to know more about these men, especially McKinna and Foster, any further information and photographs would be appreciated.

Fletcher, Beasley, Layne and Nelson were together as P.O.W.'s for a time. Beasley was something of an artist having made a couple of sketches in my father's P.O.W. log.

My father kept in contact after the war with pilot Bob Fletcher. Both my father and Bob Fletcher are now deceased.

James White is alive. I keep in contact with him in matters regarding 97 Squadron.

I have no knowledge of Dunn beyond 22 September 1943 and of Beasley and Nelson beyond their time as P.O.W.'s. Any help here would also be appreciated.