Frank William McDowell Stout

Born 2 Dec 1917 - Died 18 Jun 1944

Service number: NZ429376 AWMM
WWII 429376 AWMM
Also known as: —
Armed force / branch: Air Force AWMM
Last rank: Flying Officer (Pilot)/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 547 Squadron AWMM
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

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Biography for Frank William McDowell Stout. RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Sm- Ty. Archives New Zealand (R17845616-0274). CC-BY 2.0.

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Biographical information

Son of William Anderson Stout and Margaret Stout, of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Attended Christchurch Boys' High School 1932 - 1934

The grave of Flying Officer Stout, of Christchurch, is the only services grave in the cemetery of Roscoff, Brittany, France. It was located by Mr. Samuel Cardy, an ex-serviceman from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland, who was on holiday in Britany at the time. The story, reported in the RSA Review of April 1999, notes: "his grave is beautifully tended and cared for by the local community."

Attended Christchurch Boys' High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845616))

311 hours as Pilot Descripton of funeral in France (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845616)) AWMM
Frank Stout had completed four flights with 547 Squadron (Coastal Command), three of them familiarisation flights. With his aircraft captain, Flying Officer Hemiston of the Canadian Air Force, he was about to embark on his second operation. The bomber soon thundered down the runway at St. Eval, Cornwall and ventured out over the Atlantic. They turned to fly almost directly south toward s their patrol area off the Brittany coast. The Channel was abuzz with a myriad of ships and aircraft supporting the recent landings in France.

The roar of aircraft and the sound of gunfire were not unusual but the villagers of Roscoff did stop, however, to look out into the bay on 18th June, 1944 to witness a drama unfolding. A large four-engined bomber approached, trailing black smoke and engines aflame, spiralling downward and obviously mortally wounded. It circled the church in Roscoff then flew back out into the bay. Aboard the aircraft the lives of ten men, Englishmen, Canadians and a New Zealander, hung in the balance as the villagers saw the stricken plane plunge into the sea near the Ile de Batz. The Consolidated Liberator bomber had been on anti-submarine patrol to protect the shipping supporting the recent landings when she had been damaged by German anti aircraft fire. An American built plane operated by the Royal Air Force, the Liberator was equipped to hunt out and destroy German U-Boats which were such a risk to Allied shipping.

The Germans based at Roscoff immediately sent a fast launch to look for survivors from the bomber, but they could find only two, the RAF Flight Engineer and the Royal Canadian Air Force Wireless Operator. They also retrieved the body of New Zealander Second Pilot Frank Stout. The villagers stood silently watching as the airmen were brought ashore and Frank Stout’s body was lifted onto the quay.

Word quickly spread around Roscoff and outlying villages that the dead pilot was to be buried by the Germans one mile from the town the following day. The Catholic reector of the town, Abbe Louis Besonnec, protested and asked the Germans for permission to hold a burial service for the airman. The Germans refused.

The German burial party duly formed up at the hospital morgue on June 19th and prepared to move to the place of burial. The German burial party became agitated as villagers began to gather, not only from Roscoff but also surrounding villages. The throng soon numbered 4000 people, including 100 children carrying bouquets. Each one of the villagers knew that they risked being shot or imprisoned for their defiance. The German funeral party stopped at the top of the hill, outside the Hotel Angleterre, and announced that the burial would not go ahead that day and that the rector was to tell the crowd to disperse. In return they made an agreement with the rector that that they would bury the airman the following morning and hold a service.

The huge and determined crowd of mourners had greatly worried the German authorities and to avoid repetition of the procession they awaited the curfew, which took effect at 9 p.m., and buried Frank Stout an hour later.

The Abbe was aware of what the Germans had done and where Frank Stout’s body lay buried. At great risk, again in defiance of the Germans, the rector rang out the church bells the next day as a signal to gather the people once more. The procession of around 4000 was quickly formed, many villagers with flowers, and they filed to the local graveyard. The Germans did not stop the villagers but watched for any sign of trouble. The Abbe led a fitting burial service for “their airman”, preaching in the banned Breton language and criticising the German authorities. The young New Zealand airman was fareweled with the greatest greatest of honour.

The Germans were furious and agitated. After the crowd had dispersed they summoned the Abbe to appear before them. He was threatened and verbally abused but eventually they let the Abbe go.
Public - John - Researcher - 30 December 2022 - Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, www.cwgc.org.
Peter Duffield, Four Thousand Bretons Risked Death to Honour Him, the Unknown Airman of Roscoff , published in the London Evening Standard newspaper, 26 August 1944.
Errol Martyn, For Your Tomorrow, Vol2, Pg 240-241. Volplane Press, 1999.
New Zealand Defence Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel file
Report of Frank Stout’s death and burial Roscoff Office de Tourisme

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Frank William McDowell Stout

Frank William McDowell Stout

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