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246775 Sgt. Andrew John Kerr Steven Royal Air Force 78 Squadron from:South Biggart Farm, Lugton, Ayrshire (d.24th August 1943) The week before he died John Steven was on the raid of Peenemunde but his aircraft crash landed just after departure. All the crew survived with only the captain suffering any injuries. The captain remained in hospital for a short time and the rest of the crew, apart from my uncle, John, were sent to training units. He joined a new crew for the next raid, Berlin, on the night of the 23rd/24th of August 1943 as the navigator. For some reason that I have been unable to discover, he baled out just after completing the bombing of Berlin. Unfortunately, he drowned in a lake. You may say he was unlucky but I think he was fated to die as the crew of the aircraft died when they were shot down over France the following week. Additional Information: I have received the Red Cross report on John and he did not drown. His body was found at the edge of a lake near Doberitz and the germans did a post mortem on his body. He died of injuries he received on passing through the trees. The Germans buried him in the graveyard in Doberitz but, after the war when it was in East Germany, his body was moved to the Military graveyard on Heerenstrasse, Berlin. A possible reason for his bailing out was that his best friend, Dan Veness from Australia, had died in an aircraft accident a few months before. John was supposed to be part of that crew but, because he was not required to navigate in the circuit. he did not board the flight. I do not think he ever recovered from that loss. A John K Steven Reply

I received the Red Cross report on his death and he did not drown. The Germans did an autopsy on his body and discovered he died of injuries from falling through the trees. He was found a few days after his death by a local near Doberitz. He was buried in the Doberitz military cemetery but had to be moved after the end of the war as it was in East Germany. He had several narrow escapes before that fateful night and the death of his best friend, Daniel Edward Veness, in May 1943 was probably the final straw. He should have been on the flight but, as it was a training flight, the navigator was not needed. Andrew John Kerr Steven Reply

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