From Liz Moran
liz@moranweb.co.uk
 
Dear 44 Squadron members,
 
My name is Liz Moran, and I have been a ‘quiet’ member of the 44 Squadron Association for many years. It is thanks to Henry Horscroft, and many of the members over the years  that my new book, ‘The Raid on Stuttgart’, in memory of fifteen men, who flew over Stuttgart, Germany on 15th March 1944 in Lancaster Bombers, ND576 & ME573, has finally come into being. My uncle, Ronnie Johnson, was one of those men. The book is based on facts, at the time of writing, and the events that transpired that night.
 
Yesterday, I went to the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln, and they have agreed in principle to sell the book, both in the shop, and also in their online shop. This should be confirmed next week in an email. The IBCC, will benefit from their share of the profit as my way of giving back and being grateful for the sacrifice of all those who served in Bomber Command, so members would be able to purchase the book from the IBCC very soon, or directly from me by emailing me.
 
Earlier this year, I met up with a person called Judith Hodge, a niece of Ronald Pead, who was one of the crew members from the Lancaster bomber ME573 involved in the mid-air collision, with whom my uncle’s remains ended up being mixed. Interestingly, her uncle Ronnie and my uncle Ronnie are both buried in the same communal grave! This is what she wrote to me in an email, when I posted the finished book to her earlier this week:
 
“Hi Liz,
 
Wow! Doesn’t it look amazing. I’m so thrilled for you that at long last the adventure has come to fruition and borne fruit in the form of this wonderful book; I, for one, am very proud of you for the wonderful job you’ve done in researching, writing and producing it. What a great tribute to those wonderful boys who gave their lives for us and I know for certain that my mother in particular would have been so happy to have seen this knowing the deep sense of loss she endured all those years after Ronnie’s death.
 
Of course, I devoured it from cover to cover over my lunchtime coffee and found the whole book riveting. I also marvelled once more at your astonishing research and what it will have meant to all the families of those courageous boys. I’m dying to show it to my Australian brother-in-law now; he was deeply moved by the stories at Bomber Command Centre when they visited, and has become curious now about the Australian connection he has (by marriage) to Jim Benzie and the other Ozzie crew. My sister and brother in law are now away in Derbyshire until Monday so I’ll have to keep him in suspense until his return.
 
Honestly, it’s an astonishing achievement Liz, and I do hope you can feel proud of what you have done for all of us connected to that fateful evening in 1943.
 
Do keep in touch.
With love 
Judith x”
 
I hope you don’t mind, but I am attaching some photos of the book, in case anyone is interested in it, and I
would be grateful if you would give my sincere thanks to the many members from 44 Squadron who kindly offered their advice and help ~ they know who they are.
 
Kind regards,
Liz