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Squadron Leader Walter Geoffrey WATSON (61983) DFC
B Flight, 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force Date of birth: 18th March 1920 Date of death: 6th June 1944 Killed in action aged 24 Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 201
Walter Geoffrey Watson was born on the 18th of March 1920 the younger son of Herbert Edward Watson, a company director, and Ellen Mary (nee Scollick) Watson of 5 Winchester Park, Bromley in Kent. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Fields House from September 1923 to July 1938. He gained his School Certificate in 1937. He was a Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps achieving Certificate A in 1936 and was appointed as a House Captain in 1937. On leaving school he went to work for the London Midland and Scottish Railways locomotive and carriage works at Derby. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation in the Royal Air Force Voluteer Reserve on the 6th of March 1941. On the 6th of March 1942 he was confirmed in the rank of Pilot Officer and was promoted to Flying Officer on the same day. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving with 38 Squadron which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 18th of September 1942: - “For gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations." He was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 6th of March 1943 and was mentioned in despatches on the 14th of January 1944. On the night of the 5th/6th of June 1944 Bomber Command despatched 1,012 aircraft in a variety of roles to support ground and naval forces in the invasion of France. 578 Squadron were tasked with bombing a coastal defence battery at Mont Fleury which was defending what would be "Gold Beach" the following morning. The crews were briefed for their mission at 1am but, although they were not told that the invasion was about to begin, the men of the squadron suspected that it was. Walter Watson, who was commanding B Flight, and his crew took off at 2.31am on the morning of the 6th of June 1944 from RAF Burn in Halifax Mk III MZ513 LK-K for the operation. Watson was undertaking his 51st operation and all of his very experienced crew were on their second tour of operations. Some of the crews reported seeing ships and landing craft although cloud cover made visibility poor as they crossed the coast. Watson’s aircraft made a good bombing run at 10,000 feet and dropped their bombs on the red and green target markers at 4.37am. They were leaving the target area when there was a blinding flash just off their port wing. Shrapnel peppered the Halifax, puncturing its fuselage and wounding the mid upper gunner, Flight Sergeant Goode. Watson informed the crew that his controls were still functioning and when the flight engineer, Middleton, checked the fuel gauges he confirmed that there was no drop in fuel levels but shortly after he noticed a "blow lamp like fire" developing in the port wing. Watson cut and feathered the port engine and the flames reduced. A short while later the situation again deteriorated when sparks flew from the trailing edge of the same wing and a large fire broke out between the engines. Watson cut the other port engine but the fire continued to grow. He managed to fly on using the two starboard engines but then an explosion on the port side shook the aircraft. Watson spoke to the crew informing them that he was unable to continue flying the aircraft on two engines with the damage they had sustained and he instructed them to bail out. The navigator went out first with a push from the bomb aimer who quickly followed him but he too became stuck in the escape hatch due to the dingy pack he was carrying in addition to his parachute. He was pushed by the navigator who went out shortly after him. Meanwhile Middleton was trying to put Watson's chest parachute on him but after two failed attempts Watson ordered him to jump alone, an order he had to give twice. Walter Watson had ensured that his crew had all escaped but not allowed himself enough time to get out and he died when the aircraft hit the sea moments later. In the event three of the crew who had jumped did not survive but of those that did, Middleton was picked up by a United States Navy Tank Landing Craft, which was participating in the landings while Heffernan and Onions were picked up by a French destroyer. Those that died were: - Squadron Leader Walter Geoffrey Watson DFC (Pilot) Flying Officer James Arthur Hall DFC (Navigator) Flight Sergeant Cyril Arthur Goode (Mid Upper Gunner) Flying Officer Sidney George Turner (Rear Gunner) Those who survived were; - Flying Officer William Oliver Heffernan (Air Bomber) Flying Officer Ernest Onions (Wireless Operator) Flight Sergeant W.L. Middleton (Flight Engineer) Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, commanding the US First Army, was on board the USS "Augusta" and his diary records the loss of Watson's aircraft: - "It was 3.35am when the clanking bell outside my cabin called the crew to battle stations......The moon hung misted in an overcast sky and the wind still lashed the Channel....A faraway roar echoed across the Channel and off to our starboard bow orange fires ignited the sky as.... RAF bombers swarmed over the French coast line from the Seine to Cherbourg. An enemy AA battery stabbed blindly through the night. A shower of sparks splintered the darkness and a ribbon of fire peeled out of the sky as a stricken bomber plunged towards the "Augusta". It levelled off, banked around our stern and exploded into the Channel." Ernest Onions was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, in part for his actions that night, which was announced in the London Gazette of the 22nd of December 1944. The citation read: - “As wireless operator (Air). Flying Officer Onions has participated in a large number of operational missions. He has proved himself to be a most capable and resolute member of aircraft crew and throughout has set a fine example of devotion to duty. One day in June, 1944, he was a crew member of an aircraft engaged on a bombing mission. During the operation the aircraft was very badly damaged. The pilot made determined efforts to reach this country but the aircraft had to be abandoned whilst over the sea. Flying Officer Onions displayed great devotion to duty, remaining at his wireless apparatus to transmit distress signals until the last moment when it became imperative to leave by parachute. In spite of this trying experience his keenness for operations remained undiminished and within a few weeks, he resumed operational flying.”

Fields House