Stanley Thomas Rouse

Lancaster PA214 (Flt. Lt. MW Bell), 227 Squadron, took off from RAF Balderton at 1705 hrs, to bomb the Wintershall Synthetic Oil Plant. The aircraft was intercepted and shot down at 23.15 by a Ju 88 night fighter piloted by Hptm Gerhard Friedrich NJG6, killing all eight crew.

Most of the crew had been involved in a serious landing accident on return from Sassnitz a week previously.

Stanley Thomas was buried in Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany (Coll. Grave 9.F.5-7).

The other seven members of the crew were also buried in Durnbach War Cemetery:
143283 Flt. Lieut. Matthew William Bell, RAFVR (Grave ref. 9.F.4)
190988 P/O Peter Thomas Edwards, RAFVR (Coll. Grave 9.F.5-7)
153497 F/O Gerald Francis Orry, RAFVR (Coll. Grave 9.F.5-7)
160198 F/O Leonard Sidney Smith, RAFVR (Grave ref. 9.F.1)
1802383 Flt. Sgt. George Forster Constable Stephenson, RAFVR (Grave ref. 9.F.1)
161024 F/O Henry Albert Thomas, RAFVR (Coll. Grave 9.F.5-7)
1805639 Flt. Sgt. Raymond Cecil Stanley Wells, RAFVR (Grave 9.F.2)

Stanley's brother, Geoffrey Walter Rouse, served in the RAFVR from about March 1939, joining as an airman (under training as a pilot), and was called up on 1 September when he completed his training. Geoffrey joined the reformed 272 Squadron on 21 November 1940. He was awarded the DFC (gazetted 5 December 1944) while serving with 235 Squadron (Flight Lieutenant). He left the RAF in 1946.

The other members of the Lancaster crew are commemorated on the RAF Balderton Memorial and also this Roll of Honour.

CWGC Additional information: Son of Thomas Charles and Ada Louisa Rouse; husband of Doris Marjorie Rouse, of Cliftonville, Margate.

CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'A smile for all, a heart of gold, one of the best this world did hold'

Gerhard Freidrich (Nachtjagdgeschwader 6) b. 1917 k. 16 March 1945). Claimed 30 air victories, including three Lancasters on the night 14/15 March 1945. He was awarded the Knights Cross (15 March 1945). Freidrich was flying a Junkers Ju88 (G-6) over the area of Stuttgart on 16/17 March 1945 when he fired at a Lancaster (PB785, 576 Sqdn); his aircraft was destroyed in the explosion when the Lancaster’s bomb load detonated. Freidrich, his two crew and the seven crew of the Lancaster were all killed. (forum.axishistory.com and other sources)

Additional research/record updated (RF, Oct. 2026)