Grave site of Peter Carrol Fontaine

Captain Peter Carrol Fontaine 1921-1944
460 SQUADRON RAAF, WORLD WAR 2 FATALITIES

Date of Death : 19 October 1944
Source:
AWM 64 (1/295) AWM 64 (1/294) Appendix C64 AWM 237 (63) (64) NAA : A705, 166/14/281

Summary: Lancaster PB152 took off from RAF Binbrook at 1655 hours on 19 October 1944 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb and 1800 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Twenty eight aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid and two of these including PB152 failed to return.


Crew:
RAAF 415940 PO Fontaine, P Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 412879 WO Bain, R G (Navigator)
RAAF 437314 FO Middleton, C G (Bomb Aimer)
RAAF 427929 Flt Sgt Newman, G H (Wireless Operator Air)
RAF Sgt Chisman, A L (Flight Engineer)
RAAF 421870 WO Krutli, R A (Mid Upper Gunner)
RAAF 430890 Flt Sgt Kenealy, E J (Rear Gunner)


WO Bain (RAAF) who became a POW later reported ‘A night fighter shot us up setting fire to the starboard engine. The order to abandon was given. I acknowledged but did not hear any of the others do so. I was first to leave the aircraft at about 15,000 feet. The aircraft was in a steep dive but still seemed under control. Both the starboard engines were on fire. The aircraft was shot down and crashed approx 25 miles from Stuttgart. After parachuting I tried to make my way to France. I spent seven days walking through forests and along the roads at night. I was captured when breaking into a house for food. I was informed that all the crew were killed.’
The six remaining crew are buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany



Compilation Alan Storr 2006
The information appearing in this compilation is derived from the collections of the Australian War Memorial and the National Archives of Australia.