Operation: Frankfurt, Germany

Date: 12th/13th September 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 625 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM512

Serial: CF:H*

Base: RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire

Location: 1¼ mls (2 km) NE of Sessenheim, France

Pilot: Fg Off. Howard Norman Cornish 417807 RAAF Age 21. KiA

2nd Pilot: Plt Off. David Samuel Tointon 177849 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Charles Herbert Ross 1877036 RAFVR Age 37. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Richard Edward Leslie Askie 1399198 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Ronald George Evans 1581757 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. James Watkins Douglas 424566 RAAF Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Robert Grainger Barker 2220930 RAFVR Age? KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Arthur Bryant O'Connor 1629068 RAFVR Age? KiA

* Originally reported as CF:M, however this is a misinterpretation of the Loss card. The Squadron/aircraft code has been confirmed from the Flight Log Book of Stanley Beecroft who was a Gunner who has flown on LM512 on a number of missions.

Left pair: Plt Off. David Samuel Tointon (courtesy Tessa Sheridan); right pair: Sgt. Arthur Bryant O'Connor (courtesy of Anmacd and Michael Beckers)

Above: Sgt. Ronald George Evans on the right. Both airmen are wearing the Sidcot Flying Suit (Courtesy of Christine James)

Above left to right: Fg Off. Howard N. Cornish, Flt Sgt. James W. Douglas (Courtesy of their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 12th/13th September 1944 nineteen (19) aircraft from the squadron were detailed to join a force of three-hundred and seventy-eight (378) Lancasters and nine (9) Mosquitoes on the last major operation against Frankfurt in Germany. Instructions to the crews were made that they should fly low at around 3,000 ft. to avoid radar and also instructed to follow a strict radio silence during the run in.

Regarding the raid itself, which took place later that night, the rescue effort for the bombing of the city was hampered as the fire crews and rescue teams were away in Darmstadt - covering the city for the previous night's raid by the allies. The bombing caused severe damage and a troop train was also hit. 470 people were killed on the ground including over 170 people taking shelter in the Bockenheim district.

Of the seventeen (17) Lancasters that failed to return two (2) were from the Squadron.

LM512 or 622 Sqn Lancaster NF965 GI:S was claimed by Hptm. Gerhard Friedrich from Stab I./NJG6, his 15th Abschuss, NE of Strasbourg at 5.100 m. at 22:46 hrs. Both aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed at 22:50 hrs. The OKL reports for the 12th September 1944 recorded that the cause of the loss of NF965 was ‘Nachtjäger’. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten).

The second aircraft was Lancaster I LM103 CF:N flown by Flt Lt. Robert Banks who was KiA along with his crew.

It was found that the debris of both aircraft was removed by the Germans so it was not possible to locally identify the crash of the two bombers as Lancasters LM512 and NP965 as the two aircraft that collided in mid-air, caught fire and exploded.

Both aircraft crashed about 1¼ mls (2 km) NE of Sessenheim, 19 miles (30½ km) NE of Strasbourg, at about 20:00 hrs, killing the crews from both aircraft. Fourteen (14) bodies were recovered from the crash site and buried by the Germans in a single grave without coffins. There was a single cross bearing the following translated inscription:

AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN, SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS.
D.S. TEINTON. NO MLE 177489.
ASKIE. NO MLE 1399198.
C L. CORNISH.
H.N. METH 417807.
BREWETT WALTER ANDREW 1620820.
OFFICER SRGT. ROSS.
G.W. OWEN.157392.
E. EWANS.1581757.
CL. JAMIESON JOHN 424417.
SGT.STANLEY MINNIS. 1796309.
SGT. FORREST D.I. 1826053.

A fifteenth (15th) body was found six (6) months later on the right bank of the river Moder near Stattmatten and was subsequently buried in a small box in the same grave.

The river Moder near Stattmatten is about 1 mile (1½ km) due south of the crash site.

Records of the identity of the crews were apparently deposited at the Sessenheim City Hall by the Germans. Unfortunately all records were lost when the City Hall was destroyed by fire during the battle for the village some time later.

The identification of the remains proved to be challenging, however, eventually it was possible to register the identities of eleven (11) crew members and the remaining four (4) collectively. Although one of those registered was supposedly identified as that of Fg Off. Tofield, his remains were recovered from the Neuville en Condroz American Cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Hotton War Cemetery on the 16th April 1947.

At this time it has not been possible to resolve this mystery but it appears that his remains were exhumed by the American Graves Registration service and logically could only have been the remains in the separate box, however, no records have been found to confirm this premise.

Note: The Photograph that was at bottom of this report of Flt Sgt. Collier and crew of Lancaster NG237 has been deleted, as it was misplaced. See archive report for 625 Sqn 625 Sqn Lancaster I NG237 for this photo (Jul 2022).

Burial details:

Fg Off. Howard Norman Cornish. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 5. Grave inscription: ‘HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED’. Born on the 21st January 1923 in Gumeracha, South Australia. Son of Henry Denant Cornish and Esther Caroline Cornish, of Gumeracha, South Australia.

Plt Off. David Samuel Tointon. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 2. Grave inscription: ‘OUR DEARLY BELOVED SON AND BROTHER’ . Born in the 4th Qtr of 1922 in Spalding Lincolnshire. Son of Samuel John and Constance (née Plowman) Tointon from Spalding, Lincolnshire, England.

Sgt. Charles Herbert Ross. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 6. Born on the 4th June 1907 in Islington, Middlesex. Son of William James and Louisa Emily (née Pearce) Ross. Husband of Winifred Lilian May Ross, of Chelmsford, Essex, England.

Flt Sgt. Richard Edward Leslie Askie. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 10. Grave Inscription: ‘HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE’. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1923 in Edmonton, Essex. Son of Richard and Hilda (née James) Askie of Edmonton. Husband of Gladys Florence (née Walker) Askie of Edmonton, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Ronald George Evans. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave 12-14. Grave Inscription: ‘DEARLY LOVED SON & HUSBAND EVER IN OUR THOUGHTS. LOVED YOU TOO DEARLY FORGET'. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1922 in Walsall, Staffordshire. Son of George Henry and Maude Edith (née White) Evans of Walsall. Husband of Edna May (née Homer) Evans of Walsall, Staffordshire, England

Flt Sgt. James Watkins Douglas. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 3. Grave Inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER’. Born on the 14th July 1924 in Strathfield, New South Wales. Son of James Watkins and Sarah Elizabeth Douglas of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Robert Grainger Barker. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave 12-14. No further details as yet, are you able to assist?

Sgt. Arthur Bryant O'Connor. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave 12-14. No further details as yet, are you able to assist?

Originally researched by a volunteer (Anmacd - who has requested his correct name not be used) for Aircrew Remembered. Page dedicated to relatives of the crew with thanks also to Michel Beckers for additional photographs on Sgt. Arthur O'Connor. Thanks to Tony Smith who advised us of the correct squadron code letters for this aircraft (Apr 2016). Thanks to Mike Gould for confirmation of the Squadron/Aircraft code (Jun 2021). Correction to loss information by Aircrew Remembered (Jun 2021). Thanks to Christine James for the photograph of her uncle Sgt Ronald George Evans (Sep 2024). Reviewed, updated and corrected with new information, images and map (Mar 2026)

Other sources listed below:

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