Pilot Officer S. M. Futcher
106 Squadron RAFVR

Early Life

Stanley Montague Futcher was born in Churchill, Somerset in 1923, the eldest son of Montague (from Exeter) and Catherine Futcher (nee Grove) who later lived in Bullbeggars Lane, Horsell. He was educated at Franklin House School in Palmers Green and Wood Green County School in London before the family moved to Woking where he then attended the County School from 1936.

He left school in 1940 to work as a junior clerk in the Woking branch of Barclays Bank.

World War 2

In 1941 Stanley enlisted with the RAFVR (sn 177861) and recieved his flight training in Canada. He was gazetted as Pilot Officer in June 1944 and was posted to 106 Squadron Bomber Command based at RAF Metteringham in Lincolnshire. Guy Gibson, leader of the famous Dam Busters raid had earlier been base commander.

In June 1944 the Germans launched a new terror. weapon on southern England, the V-1 rocket or doodlebug. An unmanned flying rocket fired from 'ski' launch sites along the French and Dutch coasts. It was capable of mass and somewhat random destruction in populated areas.

Saint-Leu-d'Esserent in Northern France was built on the chalk of Picardy. Near the town was an underground cave system which in the peaceful pre-war years had served to grow mushrooms. The Germans had adapted it as a hidden storage site for V-1 rockets.

News of the rocket depot was soon passed to British Intelligence by the French Resistance. On the evening of 4 July M. and Mme. Bonnaventure of St. Leu were going about their business as crossing keepers on the railway outside the depot gates. Had they been secretly listening to BBC Radio that night they would have heard their names broadcast. Their surname had been chosen as a code to warn the local population of the impending bombing raid - 'Ce soir nous irons a la bonne aventure'.

Back at Metheringham Lancaster ME832 took to the air at 2325. The massed formation of 231 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitos formed in the bright moonlit sky over England and headed out over the channel. 'Bombs away' was scheduled for 0145.

Once over France the Luftwaffe began to harass the formation in the clear skies. This was to be no 'milk run'. Two Lancasters (of 463 and 57 Squadrons) were lost. At 0130 ME832 became the third bomber lost that night. It was shot down and crashed into woodland 2 km SW of the village of St. Germaine-le-Poterie.* Only one of the crew of seven survived. A total of 13 Lancasters were lost that night including two from 103 Squadron.

The crew of ME832 that night were:

Pilot Officer Stanley Futcher - Aged 21 from Woking. KIA.

Sgt. (Flt. Eng.) Ronald Bentley - Aged 21 from Ossett, Yorkshire. KIA.

Flt. Sgt. (Nav.) Francis Stokeld - KIA.

Flt. Sgt. O. J. McNaughton (RCAF) - Survived and evaded capture.

Sgt. James Kearney - Aged 20 from Ireland. KIA.

Flying Officer (Air Gunner) William Ramsey - Aged 23 from Edinburgh. Married. KIA.

Sgt. (Air Gunner) Arthur Bradley - Aged 21 from Hartlepool. KIA.

*In 1993 family members of the crew erected a memorial to the men of ME832 at the site of the crash.

Stanley Futcher has no known grave and is remembered on the Air Force Memorial at Runnymede (panel 211).

If you have any corrections or further information please contact me.