Operation: Nürnberg, Germany

Date: 16th/17th March 1945 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 12 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: RF181

Code: PH:G

Base: RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire

Location: East side of Frankenberg, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Daniel O’Rourke Dickey 150492 RAFVR Age 21. PoW * (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Walter James Charles 1665264 RAFVR Age 21 KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Colin Howe Irving 428714 RAAF Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Alan Henry 1324158 RAFVR Age 21. PoW * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: WO. William Arthur Neill 429615 RAAF Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Walter Gordon Brown R182952 RCAF Age 20. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John Thomas Nicholls 1176177 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

* Stalag 5A located on the southern outskirts of Ludwigsburg in Germany

Above left to right: Flt Sgt. Colin H. Irving (Service Record), WO. William A. Neill Service Record), Flt Sgt. Walter G. Brown

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off just after 17:15 hrs on the 16th March 1945 RF181 formed up with the bomber stream comprised of two-hundred and seventy-seven (277) Lancasters and sixteen (16) Mosquitos destined for Nürnberg.

Crossing the French coast in the area of Le Touquet, they proceeded across France in an east south easterly direction toward their target. The city, although it had been very heavily bombed in early January, was still a Nazi stronghold protected from the air by radar controlled night fighters. This raid, which proved to be the last aimed at the city, was to soften up the German defences in preparation for the Allied ground forces assault and ultimate capture which was to occur on the 21st April 1945.

Of the twenty-four (24) Lancasters that failed to return five (5) were from 12 Squadron.

The investigation conducted by No.3 MREU determined from eye-witnesses that RF181 was flying in a westerly direction when it was attacked by a German night-fighter, lost height and exploded over an area of some four (4) square kilometres. The bodies of the five (5) dead crew members were found suspended in trees in the crash area, three (3) having half opened parachutes. From the nature and extent of their injuries it was thought that it was almost certain that they perished when the aircraft exploded.

Although there were several German night-fighter claims encompassing the area the aircraft wreckage fell to earth, modern day research has as of yet not attributed the loss of RF181 to a specific German night-fighter (Ref 1. pp78-83).

The main portion of the wreckage crashed on the east side of Frankenberg with the remaining wreckage confirming that this was an English aircraft.

The other four aircraft from the Squadron were:

Lancaster I PD275 PH:K – Flown by Flt Lt. Keith W. Daymond J21582 RCAF. He and five (5) others from his crew were KiA, one (1) becoming a PoW;

Lancaster I RF188 PH:U – Fg Off. Keith W. Mabee J41812 RCAF. He and four (4) others form his crew were KiA, two (2) becoming PoWs;

Lancaster III ME526 PH:F – Flown by Fg Off. Ian L. Felgate DFC, 427079 RAAF. He and four (4) of his crew were KiA, two (2) becoming PoWs;

Lancaster I PD207 PH:W – Flown by Fg Off. J.L. Wallace J29015 RCAF. After bombing the aircraft diverted to Junvincourt airfield in France. Apparently none of the crew were wounded and the Squadron ORB has no explanation for the divert. However, the aircraft movement card, AM Form 78, records that the aircraft received irreparable battle damage.

(1) Fg Off. Dickey was wounded and was captured near Murrhardt, some 8 km (5 miles) SW of the crash site, on the 17th March 1945.

He was interrogated at a Castle near Frankfurt until the 26th March before being transferred to Stalag 5A located on the southern outskirts of Ludwigsburg in Germany arriving there on the 28th March 1945. The next day he was admitted to the Lazarett (hospital) at the camp .

On the 20th April 1945 he was amongst the PoWs who were evacuated from the camp Lazarett (hospital). After about four (4) days into the forced-march he managed to escape. He joined with two US Army Lieutenants but broke away from them and returned to the camp Lazarett (hospital) where he hid until the camp was liberated by French forces. Fg Off. Dickey was interviewed on the 26th April 1945.

Gary Pickard contacted us in June 2016 and supplied us with the following detail:

Sgt. John Thomas Nicholls first flew with Fg Off. Dickey whilst training on the 30th April 1944 on the Wellington bomber. He completed 13 missions with one aborted by the time he was killed. I have a letter from Fg Off. DIckey dated 1/6/45 detailing in his words what happened to the Lancaster:

"We were attacked by a fighter who shot us up from nearly dead astern and as Nick always has his intercom on I heard his guns going like hell from the start. I managed to turn a little to the right and avoid the tracer hitting the fuselage but not enough to prevent him hitting our port wing which caught fire almost at once and then a few seconds after the controls were shot away and the aircraft went into a vertical dive.

I gave the order to bale out when I could see the situation was hopeless and I got a reply from Nick that he was ok and was bailing out. We were then I suppose at about 10,000 feet up but in a vertical dive. I had great difficulty in getting out but I saw Wally Allen and Colin get out of the front. I landed very heavily in a wood and woke up all covered in blood from head and leg wounds and a very stiff back. I was very lucky to live.

I got captured after 15 hours walking, got into a hospital after 9 days solitary confinement when I nearly went mad, and after three and a half weeks escaped and hid up till the French came and liberated us near Stuttgart."

He states in this letter and others that he felt Sgt. Nicholls was alive and a PoW. There are other letters stating the same to his wife Bertha who was sadly to learn the truth some time later.

In December 2014 Aircrew Remembered were contacted by the grandson of Andrew Mathews who knew this crew and flew along side them. He sent us the following details on this operation.

Plt Off. Walter Gordon Brown was in Charles Hann's crew, along with Gene Basso, Bert Campbell, Lindsay 'Jock' Carruthers, Johnny Galt, and Andrew Matthews. He was flying with Fg Off. Dickey and their crew on the trip to Nurnberg because he had missed two operations previously with a cold. My Grandfather is Andrew Matthews, and I have a copy of his WWII memoirs that contains the following excerpt:

"March 16, 1945: Tonight we were given a well-earned rest, but Brownie flew with F/O. Dickey's crew to make up for two trips he had missed with us because of a cold. They went to Nuremburg, and of eleven of our kites, six failed to return including F/O. Dickey, Fl/Lt. Daymond, F/O. Mabee, F/O. Felgate (an Australian, his 25th trip), Sq/Ldr. Hinds and F/O. Wallace. The last two landed in France with wounded gunners. F/O. Wallace lost an engine during a fighter attack about an hour before the target, pressed on and lost another engine to flak over the target. He continued to France and landed at an aerodrome, but ran off the end of the runway. The kite was a complete write-off. He was later awarded the DFC, a fine show."

Daniel O’Rourke Dickey was born on the 12th November 1923 in Cuckfield, West Sussex. He was a student prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 28th March 1942. Daniel passed away on the 23rd August 1991 in Bigglewade, Bedfordshire, England.

(2) Flt Sgt. Henry was captured near Schwäbisch Hall that night and was transferred to Stalag 5A located on the southern outskirts of Ludwigsburg in Germany arriving there on the 20th March 1945.

The camp was evacuated on the evening of Easter, 1st April 1945 and The prisoners were forced marched across southern Germany. No definitive information has been found as where and when the prisoners were liberated. However, Flt Sgt. Henry was interviewed on the 9th May 1945 some three (3) days after the German surrender.

Alan Henry was born on the 10th January 1924. He was employed as a Clerk prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 21st April 1942. He was living in Carshalton, Surrey prior to enlisting in the RAFVR. No further corroborated biographical information found.

(3) His brother Fg Off. Robert John Brown J36417 RCAF was an Air Gunner serving with 413 Sqn RCAF in Ceylon.

Above: Fg Off. Robert John Brown (From his Service Record)

Note: 413 Sqn RCAF was a Catalina squadron based in Ceylon and carried out Reconnaissance and Anti-Submarine patrols.

He was attending a Gunnery Leader’s Course in India and was admitted to No. 47 British General Hospital, Calcutta on the 13th September 1944. Tragically he died the next day at 04:00 hrs from haemorrhagic encephalopathy (Bleeding in the Brain resulting from Head Trauma or Viral infection).

He is buried at the Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery, Kolkata, Plot O, Row B, Grave 13.

BURIAL DETAILS:

Initially buried in the SW corner of the Woodland Cemetery at Frankenberg near Murrhardt and finally laid to rest at the Durnbach War Cemetery on the 14th May 1948.

Durnbach War Cemetery (courtesy David Franklin - David has kindly provided us with permission to release high definition copies to relatives)

Sgt. Walter James Charles. Durnbach War Cemetery, 9.E.17. Grave Inscription: “SLEEP PEACEFULLY WITH COMRADES NEAR. YOUR DUTY DONE, THE PRICE SO DEAR. MUM”. Born on the 7th February 1924 in Islington, Greater London. Son of Walter Albert and Frederica (née Dewen) Charles of Tufnell Park, London, England.

Flt Sgt. Colin Howe Irving. Durnbach War Cemetery, 9.E.19. Grave Inscription: “SON OF THE LATE E.D. & E.I. IRVING. REMEMBERED BY HIS BROTHERS”. Born on the 25th June 1923 in Haberfield, New South Wales, Australia. Son of Edward Douglas (deceased in December 1942) and Emma Ida (née Smith) Irvin of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

WO. William Arthur Neill. Durnbach War Cemetery, 9.E.20. Grave Inscription: “LOVED SON OF MR. AND MRS. A. NEILL OF RICHMOND, QUEENSLAND”. Born on the 16th December 1922 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Son of Arthur Ernest and Annie Aralinda (née Smail) Neill of Richmond, Queensland, Australia.

Plt Off. Walter Gordon Brown. Durnbach War Cemetery, 9.E.16. Grave Inscription: “HE LIVES FOR EVER IN OUR MEMORY AS ONE WHO DIED FOR HIS HOME AND COUNTRY”. Born on the 4th October 1924 in Langham, Saskatchewan. Son of Walter William and Violet Elizabeth (née McIntyre) Brown of Langham, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Brown was appointed to a commission and promoted to J94899 Plt Off. on the 15th March 1945.

Brown Island in Pinehouse Lake Saskatchewan is named after Plt Off. Brown.

Sgt. John Thomas Nicholls. Durnbach War Cemetery, 9.E.18. Grave Inscription: “ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY HIS LOVING WIFE AND MOTHER, ST.JUST, CORNWALL, ENGLAND”. Born on the 1st August 1922 in St. Just, Cornwall. Son of Thomas and Lydia Nicholls. Husband of Bertha (née Thomas) Nicholls of St. Just, Penzance, Cornwall, England.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and RCAF specialist Colin Bamford for relatives of this crew. With thanks to the grandson of Andrew Mathews who knew this crew and flew alongside them. Also to Gary Pickard for photographs of Sgt. Nicholls - May 2016 and further information - June 2016. Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with corrected map and new information (Oct 2026)

Other sources listed below:

References:

1. Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January 1945 - 3 May 1945) - Theo Boiten.

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