Roland Scott RUTTER

1922 - 1980  (58 years)

• Name	Roland Scott RUTTER
  Birth	11 Jun 1922	7 Hartington Terrace, South Shields
  Gender	Male
  Occupation	27 Mar 1942
  	Enlisted with RAF
  		RAF Service Record: Movements
  		RAF Service Record: Muster
  		RAF Service Record: Promotions
  		RAF Service Record: Front Page
  		Interpretation of Service Record, by AJR Robson of 428 Squadron Association
  Occupation	1945	Middleton St. George, Co. Durham
  	428 Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron
  Event	05 Jan 1945	76 Base, Bomber Command
  	Stationed to No. 76 Base: Topcliffe, Dalton, Dishforth, Wombleton, Gamston. Formed 9 November 1944 by renaming No 61 Base. Disbanded, 1 September 1945
  Occupation	05 Jan 1945	1666 Heavy Conversion Unit, Wombleton, North Yorkshire
  	Posted to unit where he was trained to fly 4-engined bombers.
  Occupation	28 Mar 1945	Leeming, Yorkshire
  	427 Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron, Bomber Command
  Event	10 Apr 1945	Leipzig, Germany
  	Mission recorded in Squadron log book.
  		Colditz, Leipzig, Germany, Sortie 106G_5270 Just three days before US forces over-ran the area, this aerial reconnaissance mission was flown by 541 Squadron, Royal Air Force, on 10 April 1945. [Note this was not Roland's squadron, but this is of interest being a mission flown in the same area on the same day]. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Colditz castle was converted into a high-security prisoner of war (POW) camp – known as Oflag IV-C. With its location on a rocky outcrop above the Mulde river the Germans believed it to be an ideal location for a high-security prison. When viewed in 3D the challenge of escaping is better appreciated - people can even be seen in the inner, or prisoners, courtyard. In May 1945, the Soviet occupation of Colditz began and it remained a prison. Following the Yalta Conference Colditz became part of East Germany.
  Event	25 Apr 1945	Wangerooge, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
  	Notes taken from RAF Squadron Log Book: Sgt. Rutter R.S. 1673465 - F/E [Flight Engineer] from 76 Base 28/3/1945 25/4/1945 Wangerooge. Up 15:07 Down 19:40 Lancaster X WKB794. Primary 1722.5, 10800, 112, 205, nil cloud but haze & smoke, map read to island, pinpointed town, MB [?] heard 1722.5. Bombed undershoot on centre of town. No marking seen, island east of town cratered, smoke covering island. Fairly successful attack. Gaggle OK [?]. [This was the squadron's last operational mission of World War II, when 15 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on the island of Wangerooge.] Other missions: 16/4 Schwandorf, 13/4 Kiel, 10/4 Leipzig, 8/4 Hamburg aborted, 4/4 Merseburg.
  		Lancaster bombers in action over Wangerooge, 25th April 1945 National Archives Catalogue ref: AIR 14/3647 Description from http://www.raf.mod.uk/: Wangerooge: 482 aircraft - 308 Halifaxes, 158 Lancasters, 16 Mosquitos - of Nos 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters lost. The raid was intended to knock out the coastal batteries on this Frisian island which controlled the approaches to the ports of Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. No doubt the experience of Antwerp, when guns on the approaches had prevented the port being used for several weeks, prompted this raid. The weather was clear and bombing was accurate until smoke and dust obscured the target area. The areas around the batteries were pitted with craters but the concreted gun positions were 'hardly damaged'; they were all capable of firing within a few hours. Part of the bombing hit a camp for forced workers and the holiday resort and many buildings were destroyed, including several hotels and guest houses, the Catholic church and two children's holiday homes, although these do not appear to have been occupied at the time of the bombing. 6 of the 7 bombers lost were involved in collisions - 2 Halifaxes of 7No 6 Squadron, 2 Lancasters of No 431 Squadron and 2 Halifaxes of Nos 408 and 426 Squadrons (both from Leeming airfield). There was only 1 survivor, from one of the No 76 Squadron aircraft. 28 Canadian and 13 British airmen were killed in the collisions. The seventh aircraft lost was a Halifax of No 347 (Free French) Squadron, whose crew were all killed.
  		Geschützstellungen auf Wangerooge im 2. Weltkrieg
  Residence	Bef 1949	98 Horsley Hill Road, South Shields
  Immigration	Oct 1949	Toronto, Canada
  	Emigrated with cousin Billy PICKERING, who remained there as a refrigeration engineer. Roland returned after 2 months, unable to find work.
  Occupation	Electrical Engineer
  Death	28 Oct 1980	Southampton, Hants.
  Notes	Contact Squadron Association (also 427 & 97 Sqdns): 428 Sqdn A J R Robson, 7 Camberley Close, Hucclecote, Gloucestershire, GL3 3PQ
  Person ID	I543	Gadd
  Last Modified	30 Apr 2011

  
  

  Father	Roland RUTTER,   b. 4 Jun 1894, South Shields, Co. Durham d. 4 Oct 1963, South Shields General Hospital (Age 69 years)
  Mother	Ellen\Eleanor (Nelly) CHEETHAM,   b. 9 May 1891, Pick Yard, South Burns,Chester-le-Street d. 9 Jul 1955, South Shields, Co. Durham (Age 64 years)
  Marriage	7 Sep 1921	St. Hilda's, South Shields
  Family ID	F191	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Doreen GRAHAM
  Children	+ 1. Alan Graham RUTTER + 2. Lawrence Scott RUTTER,   b. 27 Aug 1952, Princess Mary's Hospital, Newcastle d. 14 Sep 1998, Romsey Hospital, Hants. (Age 46 years) + 3. Paul Roland RUTTER + 4. Claire Hazel RUTTER
  Family ID	F192	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart