Date of Birth: 15th of May 1921, at Cambridge
Personal Details: The son of Harold Stott and Frances Huia Stott (nee Edgcumbe), Frank was a shop Assistant in Cambridge before joining the RNZAF. His mothers address on enlistment was 43 Leslie Ave, Kingsland, Auckland.

While in Canada he married a Canadian  WAAF  W305437 Marjorie Edith Norman on December 30th, 1942. Frank and Marjorie Stott had three daughters who are nowadays Judy Collings, Barbara Good (Gold Cost, Australia) and Margaret Schlueter (in the USA).

Service Details: After Initial Training and learning to fly with an Elementary Flying Training School in New Zealand, Frank embarked aboard a troopship for Canada, where he would continue his taining under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. He continued pilot training at No 2 Service Flying Training Scholl, at Uplands, and then progressed to No. 4 Bombing & Gunnery School, at Fingal.

Frank graduated on the 8th of January 1943 as a Pilot and he was then transported to England where he would have attended an Operational Training Unit course, and at that point he was assigned a crew. The crew consited of Sgt R. Ede (Navigator, RAF), F/O D. Archer (Air Bomber, RCAF), F/Sgt R. Barker (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, RNZAF), Sgt R. Trapnell (Flight Engineer, RAF), F/Sgt James (Mid-Upper Gunner, RAF), and Sgt F. Jinks (Rear Gunner, RAF).

No. 75 (NZ) Squadron: Following the OTU course Frank and his crew joined No. 75 (NZ) Squadron on the 21st of March 1944, to fly Short Stirling bombers. Their first operational mission with the squadron was aboard Stirling EF233 on the night of the 25/26th of March 1944, during a raid on the marshalling yards at Aulnoye.

On the 2nd of April 1944, Frank and his crew proceeded on detachment to No. 33 Base, Waterbeach for conversion to the Avro Lancaster aircraft. Their course ended on the 8th of April and they returned to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. By now Frank had also been promoted to Pilot Officer.

Frank's first operation in a Lancaster was on the night of the 26/27th ofApril 1944. He flew as the Second Pilot on operations on an attack against the German city of Essen. The rest of the crew of Lancaster III ND911 (coded JN-V) were Flight Lieutenant S. Clark (Captain, RNZAF), Flying Officer N. Bawden (Navigator, RNZAF), Pilot Officer T. Bradley (Air Bomber, RAAF), Flight Sergeant L. Halden (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, RAF), Sergeant R. Otway (Flight Engineer, RAF), Sergeant E. Gleave (Mid-Upper Gunner, RAF) and Flight Sergeant N. Trott (Rear Gunner, RAF). The Lancaster took off at 23:20hrs and landed back at base at 03:35hrs.

With this experience under his belt, Frank's next trip was on the night of the 1st/2nd of May 1944, back with his own crew. On this op he had the same crew as the previous Stirling operation except the Mid-Upper Gunner this trip was a Sgt F. Crome in place of F/Sgt James.

Subsequent operations that Frank flew as Captain included the following:
7th of May 1944. Operations. Attack on Chateau Bougon Aerodrome.
Lancaster I R5692 Up 00:30 Down 05:50

9th of May 1944. Operations. Attack on Cap Griz Nez.
Lancaster III ND801 Up 03:00 Down 05:15

11/12th of May 1944. Operations. Attack against Louvain
Lancaster I LL888 Up 22:45 Down 01:35

Date of Death : Frank died on the 23rd of February 1988, at Southport, Australia
Cremated: Purewa Cemetary, Auckland. He is commemorated by a plaque at that cemetary, and also by another at Southport, Gold Coast, Australia where he died.

Connection with Cambridge: Frank Stott was born in Cambridge and he lived and worked in Cambridge before joining the RNZAF

Thanks To: Ivan Lindsey for kindly passing on information about Frank Stott to me, and to Judy Collings for additional information on her father. Also thanks to Wayne M. for details from the No. 75 Squadron Operations Record Book.