Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Henry Martin List and Mary List, of Childers, Queensland

LATE F/S. S. M. LIST
CHILDERS November 1.
Mr and Mrs. H. M. List, Main street, Childers, have received the following letter from Wing Commander B. G. Carfoot. of the Air Ministry in London, giving definite information as to the fate of their son, F Sgt. Stephen List, R.A.A.F.
'Your son's skipper was my brother, F Lt. Norman Carfoot. Ever since I returned from the Middle East I have been trying to piece the story together. I have seen Warrant Officer  Putnam, the bomb aimer, F Sgt. Church (navigator) and read Sgt. Mason's report— he was the engineer. 'Your son, the rear-gunner, Sgt Wood (wireless operator) and Sgt. Mason, the mid upper-gunner and my brother were killed. Your son, my brother and either Wood or Mason, were buried: the other member of the crew was never found.
'They set out on the evening of November 30, 1943, carrying 12,000 lbs. of bombs, which they dropped on Dusseldorf. They were stoodging around to take photographs of the  bomb bursts at 23.000 feet when an unseen German fighter set both the port engines of their Lancaster on fire. My brother told them to hold tight whilsl he tried to try and put  out the flames. When he realised it was hopeless and control difficult he told them to stand by to bale out. On the intercommunication, your son said at first he could not get out  of the rear turret as the hydraulics were gone. My brother immediately ordered two to go back and help him. He immediately said he was free and going forward to jump. After  trying to make my brother get his parachute, which he refused to do, and merely hastened them as the air-craft was getting unmanageable, they jumped in the order, Putnam Mason and Church. As Church left he said there was an explosion which was almost certainly a petrol tank. The three were taken prisoner and after many hardships are now  safely home. 'I sometimes wonder if your son was really free of his turret or gallantly volunteered so that the rest would jump in time. In any case they all went down together in  the comradeship that started so happily. Your son was certainly identified and is buried next to my brother in the North Military Cemetery, Dusseldorf, the grave number being  273.  ''They were supremely confident to the end not only in the cause, but in each other and they were great friends. Truly at the going down of the sun we will remember.' My  family and I join you in your grief and pride.' 

At 1701 hours on the night of 3 November 1943 Lancaster JB305 of No. 49 Squadron (RAF) took off from RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire to bomb Dusseldorf, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the target area. Four of the crew members were killed and three became Prisoners of War.

The crew members of JB305 were:

Flight Lieutenant Norman Henry Carfoot (64295) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant H D Church (1610171) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Flight Sergeant Stephen McCarthy List (425175) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Wilfred Henry Marson (1289368) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant J S Mason (1568212) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant S G Putman (R/116421) (RCAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant Henry Leonard Wood (1578075) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)

A PoW report by Sergeant Church stated “I cannot say whether List is alive or not. He reported himself free from his turret before I left the aircraft.” Sergeant Mason stated “I know that List was preparing to jump when I left the aircraft.”

Source: https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/list-stephen-mccarthy-425175/