On 6 April 1944, Lancaster ME685 (EM-C) of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Spilsby as part of a force of 144 Lancasters and one Mosquito tasked with bombing an aircraft factory in Toulouse.
ME685 was the only aircraft lost on the mission, with the tragic loss of all seven crew:
• WO John Raymond “Ray” Senior RAFVR (23)
• WO William John Waycott RAAF (21)
• Flt Sgt Stanley Walter Sayce RAFVR (25)
• Flt Sgt John Thornton Read RAFVR (21)
• Flt Sgt Frederick Thomas Robert Bruce RAAF (32)
• Sgt Arthur Frederick Woolley RAFVR (21)
• Sgt Henry Wilson RAFVR (33)
On 10 April 2026, the families of the crew along with two currently serving members of No. 207 Squadron and a representative of the Royal Australian Air Force attended a remembrance ceremony hosted by the school and local authorities.
As part of their studies, 23 Defence Studies students from Académie de Toulouse undertook the care and upkeep of the crew’s graves in the Commonwealth War Graves section of Cimetière de Lafourguette, while also researching the lives and backgrounds of each aviator.
It was a privilege to learn more about these men through the students’ research and through the personal stories, letters, and memories shared by their families, ensuring their service and sacrifice continue to be remembered.
Semper paratus.
We will remember them.
