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About
206360F/Lt. Donald Alexander Ross
Royal Canadian Air Force 424 Sqd.
from:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(d.5th Mar 1945)
Donald Ross was the pilot of Lancaster NG458 during Operation Chemnitz on the night of the 5/6 March 1945. We think he was involved in a collision with another friendly aircraft. Two Parachutes were seen from the Lancaster, one airman, a S/Sgt was taken to Berlin and released after the war. The other we think was Don. He was taken to Frankenberg and held by Police but when being transferred to Berlin 5 "civilians" attacked the two police and kicked and beat this airman to death.The odds are that it was F/Lt Donald Ross, my Dad's good friend, my Dad, F/L H.C. Manly, searched for him for many years and died without finding any information. Details from "The Mystery of Frankenberg's Canadian Airman", by Peter Hessel page 66.
Additional Information:
What a sad tale. My father-in-law flew with F/Lt Ross on two occasions in April 1944; he is named in his flight log book. Sgt. Keith Rowe 1830835, was then with unit 1659. Keith survived the war and never spoke of his experiences freely. I recall him breaking down once when we played for him an album of wartime songs. When asked, he said he could still picture the times when he had to empty the lockers and remove the contents of those who never came back. Keith died this week the 23rd of July 2015, 71 years after his first sorties with his courageous colleagues. We will always be so proud of him, as no doubt you are of your father.John Nelson
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