NZ421849 Flight Officer George Stewart, 1922(?)-7/3/1945.

George Stewart grew up in the village of Pukehiki, on the Otago Peninsula.  He volunteered for the Royal Air Force in the second World War and was one of the many pilots trained in Canada, his training being done in Dunnville, Ontario. He passed his course in June, 1943.




Cabled advice has been received by Mrs A. Stewart, of Pukehiki, that her son, Flight-sergeant George Stewart, has received his commission in England.  -Evening Star, 5/10/1944.

That is all that I have found of his record with the RAF until after the war.  He was with 214 Squadron at Oulton, a satellite airbase in Norfolk, and flying the Boeing B-17.  214 was one of the few RAF squadrons to fly the B-17, which was appreciated by them for its deep bomb bay which was suitable for the installation of large items of radio equipment for the Squadron's very closely guarded role in the air.

214 Squadron operated radio counter-measures design to confuse the German defences when the main force of RAF Bomber Command was raiding over Europe.  In early 1945 Stewart was sent over Germany on a "Jostle" patrol - using an airborne transmitter in the B-17 to jam German air-to-ground communications between night fighting planes and their controllers. "Jostle" gear needed the B-17 as it was housed in a high-pressure cylinder to prevent parts of it arcing at high altitude.  I am greatly indebted to the RAF 214 Squadron website for the following account of George Stewart's last flight:

On 7 March 1945 Fortress KJ106 coded BU-G lifted off the runway at Oulton at 18:14hrs en-route to Germany. On board the Fortress was pilot Fg/Off George Stewart at the controls, and the usual crew of nine. This was a very cosmopolitan crew aboard KJ106 with members representing four nations. The night’s operation was Jostle Patrol in support of a bombing raid on Hamburg. While there is some dispute as to what happened on arrival over Germany, it is known that KJ106 crashed near Pippensen, 3 km's from Buxtehude, Germany between 22:17 and 22:30 hrs. The official MRES Report states that cause was flak and another source states the cause was night fighter and yet another, that they were shot down by one of their own. Of the 10 crew members 5 were killed and five were taken as Prisoners of War. According to Sgt Ken Phelan the crew's starboard waist gunner, and, based on comments made by Rear Gunner W/O Harry Henderson, they were shot down by a Lancaster.

In one of the books by Theo Boiten, "Night Airwar", Ken Phelan recalls the last moments of KJ106: "Following on from a combat with a night fighter Harry, the rear gunner, came on the intercom: ‘Lancaster dead astern. My God, he's firing at us.’ There was the noise like the sound of pebbles on a tin roof as the .303 bullets tore through the fuselage. One grazed my ankle. The port wing burst into flames. We veered to starboard and started to dive out of control" .... On exiting the plane, Phelan bashed against the starboard tailplane, breaking his left leg and jaw, and dislocating his shoulder. He was taken prisoner but when he returned to the UK at the end of the war he had to go back into an RAF hospital for further treatment or recuperation.

In the spring of 2005, Dieter Pintatis of Neu Wulmstorf Germany located a document in his local church in Elstorf which contained details of four airmen who had been buried in the churchyard cemetery. Elstorf is near Buxtehude, the distance (bee-line) between Elstorf and the crash site near Pippensen is 5 miles. According to Dieter there were about 15 aircraft that crashed around Pippensen during the war. This document Dieter found, dated 9th March 1945, is a record of burial titled "Special Graves" and lists four deceased airmen that were buried in the churchyard the day after the crash. The four are Peters, Stewart, McClymont and an unknown. Together with the names there is recorded various bits of information on each man suggesting that it was extracted from identification found on the bodies.

Personal

An R.N.Z.A.F. casualty list records as presumed dead Flying-officer George Stewart, Dunedin, who was earlier reported missing.   -Evening Star, 14/12/1945.

In Memoriam

For the Empire's Cause.

STEWART. 421849 Flying-officer George Stewart. In loving memory of my dear son and brother, missing on air operations March 7, 1945. 

Sunshine passes, shadows fall, 

But love and memory outlive all; 

Not just to-day, but every day. 

In silence we remember. 

— Ever remembered by his loving mother and brothers.

STEWART. — In loving memory of my dear brother George, who went missing on March 7, 1945. 

Not a day do I forget you, 

In my heart you are always near; 

I who loved you sadly miss you, 

As it dawns a year. 

— Inserted by his loving sister Mavis. 

STEWART. — In loving memory of George, who went missing over Hamburg on March 7, 1945. "Ever remembered." — Inserted by his brother Len and sister-in-law Grace.  -Evening Star, 7/3/1946.

IN MEMORIAM.

STEWART. — In loving memory of my dear son, Flying-officer George Stewart, presumed killed, March 7, 1945, over Hamburg.

To have, to love, and then to part, 

Is the saddest story of the human heart. 

A silent thought brings many a tear, 

Of one we loved and now have lost.

— Inserted by his loving mother. 

STEWART. — In loving memory of our brother, Flying-officer George Stewart, presumed killed March 7, 1945. “In silence we remember.”

— Inserted by his loving brother and sister-in-law, Grace and, Len.

STEWART. — In loving memory of our dear brother, George, presumed killed. March 7, 1945.

A day of remembrance, sad to recall, 

Of the dear one missed by us all. 

Beautiful memories, fond and true, 

Will ever remain, dear George, of you. 

— Inserted by his loving sister and brother, Mavis and Allan.

STEWART. — In loving memory of dear George, presumed killed over Hamburg, March 7, 1945. “To memory ever dear.” — Inserted by, his loving sister-in-law and brother, Rona and Alb.  -Evening Star, 7/3/1947.

From my limited knowledge of the kind of operations in which George Stewart was involved, I would say his family might never have known of his specific part in the war.  Radio Counter-measures were as secret during the Cold War as they were in the "hot" war which preceded it.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin. DCC photo.