No photograph currently available of the pilot, Cyril Wakley
LANCASTER – ND351 K-King (possible error in ORB?), shot down 20/21 January 1944, the crew were killed with the exception of Taylor, Alexander, and Lowe, who became PoWs.
CREW
Pilot: P/O Cyril Arthur Wakley
Flight Engineer: Sgt C Taylor
Navigator: Sgt A Alexander
Bomb Aimer: Sgt Rendle George William Climo
W/Op: Sgt H Lowe
Mid-Upper Gunner: Sgt Jack Tye
Rear gunner: Tech Sgt B H Stedman

1594010 Sgt J.Tye AG
1089013 Sgt J.Roberts AG
The crew was very much above the usual squadron age range of 19-24 years of age. Wakley was 27, Climo was 29, and Tye was 32. The rear gunner, John Roberts, was quite possibly the oldest man on the squadron at this point, being 38 years of age.John Roberts was married to Jessica Morfydd Roberts of Maesteg, Glamorgan, and below is a photograph of their wedding, which took place only a few months before his death.

14/15 January 1944 – Brunswick – JB353L F/L C.T.Wilson, P/O C.A.Wakley (2nd Pilot), Sgt T.W.Smith, F/L G.W.Borthwick, F/L R.M.Nelson, F/Sgt L.G.Jones, F/Sgt G.Harper, F/Sgt H.J.Pleydell. Up 1701 Down 2213. 4 flares, 4 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb. Brunswick bombed from 19,500′. Target identified by Wanganui flares and bombs dropped in center of concentration. Green TIs seen through cloud.
It was on his first trip in charge of his own aircraft that Wakley was killed, along with four of his crew.
His replacement rear gunner was Technical Sergeant B H Stedman, who was from the USAAF, a most unusual posting. Stedman had been posted to 97 Sqn from No 12 US Replacement Control Depot on 1st January 1944. Could this unusual posting have been part of a drive to replace the losses of Black Thursday very quickly? Did Stedman volunteer for service with the RAF?
Stedman’s flight with Wakley was his first and last with 97 Squadron.
20/21 January 1944 – Berlin
21 Lancaster IIIs are detailed to attack Berlin. One aircraft returned early, also one bombed Brunsbuttin, oxygen failure. The remaining nineteen bombed the primary. Weather was 9/10th to 10/10th thin cloud at the commencement of the attack with good visibility. A fair concentration was achieved with early arrivals reporting incendiary bombs in built up area. Cloud thickened and no further results were observed although aircraft reported seeing glow of fires 100 miles from target. P/O Wakley and crew failed to return, no news since leaving base.
Lancaster III ND367 OF – K. Op Berlin. T/O 1750 Bourn. Believed crashed at Zahrensdorf some 6km ENE of Boizenburg, a largish town on the N bank of the Elbe, roughly 50km SE of Hamburg. Three rest in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, but the remains of T/S Stedman could not be found, despite an extensive search of Zahrensdorf Friedhof, where he was initially buried. He is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten US Military Cemetery, near Maastricht, Holland.
P/O C.A.Wakley(+), Sgts G.Taylor(pow), A.J.Alexander(pow), E.Lowe(pow), R.G.W.Climo(+), J.Tye(+), T/S B.H.Stedman USAAF(+).