Geoffrey Stephenson Stout (1920-1944)

Second World War Roll of Honour

Geoffrey Stephenson Stout was born at Whitehaven in Cumberland on 18 November 1920, the son of Jacob Stephenson Stout, an architect, and Emma (née Nicholson) Stout of 3 Laurel Bank, Foxhouse Road, Whitehaven. He was educated at St Bees School before matriculating at Downing College in October 1939. He initially intended to study Medicine, but changed to Engineering after his first term and completed two years in College up to 1941 (making him eligible to receive his BA after subsequent military service). He played rugby and was Honorary Secretary of the Rugby Club in his second year, when the team reached the final of the Cuppers inter-collegiate tournament.

Geoffrey enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 2 September 1941 and served with 9 Squadron before joining 617 (Dambusters) Squadron on 28 September 1943. He was commissioned as a Flying Officer (on probation) on 30 September 1943 and later promoted to Flight Lieutenant. He and his crew were posted to 619 Squadron on 21 October, returning to 617 Squadron on 10 January 1944. On 21 July that year, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His citation read:

"As pilot and captain of aircraft, this officer has completed a very large number of sorties, including 6 attacks on the capital of the German Reich and many more on strongly defended targets in the Ruhr area. On a recent occasion he took part in an attack on the E boat pens at Le Havre. The operation called for a high degree of skill. Nevertheless, success was achieved, in which Flying Officer Stout played a worthy part. This officer has invariably displayed courage and determination of a high order."

On the night of 23/24 September 1944, Bomber Command dispatched 136 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos to attack two parallel branches of the Dortmund-Ems Canal near Ladbergen to the north of Munster. The canal ran along an embankment which was higher than the surrounding countryside. Although the raid was carried out in 7/10ths cloud, two of the Tallboy bombs dropped by 617 Squadron aircraft breached the canal walls, drained a six mile stretch of it, and flooded the local area.

Flight Lieutenant Stout and his crew took off from RAF Woodhall Spa at 7.18pm on 23 September 1944 in Lancaster Mk I NF923 KC-M for the operation. They were carrying one 12,000lb Tallboy bomb for the mission. When they arrived over the target area, Stout was instructed not to drop his bomb unless he had clear sight of the target. Having circled the target for some five minutes, the crew were unable to see it clearly and set course for home with their bomb still on board. While heading back to England, they were attacked by a night fighter which raked the wings with cannon fire and set fire to three of the engines as well as starting a fire in the bomb bay. The order was given to bale out and Geoffrey Stout, the pilot, was the only member of the crew not able to escape before the aircraft crashed at 11pm close to a house on the Vordense Binnenweg at Lochem in Holland. The last man to escape the plane told his parents that there was then no time for Geoffrey to get out and he owed his life to him. In addition to Geoffrey, who was killed in the crash, two other crew members died of wounds and the others became prisoners of war or evaded capture. (More details available on request.)

Flight Lieutenant Stout was killed in action on 23 September 1944, aged 23. He is buried at Lochem New General Cemetery and remembered on his parents’ grave at Whitehaven Cemetery, Cumbria. He is also commemorated on the memorial at St Bees School.

Image

Downing College Rugby XV, 1941 (DCPH/2/3/8/6, copyright Lafayette Photography Ltd). Geoffrey Stout (Hon. Sec.) is seated 3^rd from left. This photograph also includes Keith Cowie, seated 2^nd from right, who was killed in action in 1943.