Operation: Oberhausen, Germany

Date: 1st/2nd November 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 426 (Thunderbird) Squadron, RCAF, 6 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax VII

Serial: NP771

Code: OW:J

Base: RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire

Location: Eikelenbosch, between Teinray and Melderslo, Holland

Pilot: Plt Off. Rodney Shand Goreham J88475 RCAF Age 22. PoW * (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Ronald Charlton 1594899 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Ernest Edward Courtis R169968 RCAF Age 23. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Allister Currie McLeod R205150 RCAF Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. James Frederick Gladstone Weedon R196990 RCAF Age 28. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Ward Edward Morrison R188162 RCAF PoW (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Andrew George Balfour R103358 RCAF Age 24. KiA

* Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang, today situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Above: Plt Off. Ernest Edward Courtis, Plt Off. Allister Currie McLeod, Plt Off. James Frederick Gladstone Weedon and Plt Off. Andrew George Balfour from their Service Records

March 2025 - An updated comprehensive report on Stalag 3A: To read the report on conditions and evacuation of Stalag 3A during the period of liberation from April - May 1945 click here

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire at 17:23 hrs to bomb Oberhausen under a full moon - bombing taking place between 20:26 hrs and 20:39 hrs - 288 aircraft on this operation.

Bombing was scattered as the target area was covered in cloud. 36 houses were destroyed with 4 people on the ground killed in Oberhausen - other areas may well have also been hit.

The allies lost 5 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters with 16 crew taken PoW, 20 other crew lost their lives.

Luftwaffe control plotted them as they were flying over Namur and Verdun as early as 19:53 hrs. But the night fighters arrived too late to prevent the bombing with interceptions made during the homebound flights of the bombers. Seven were lost - all claimed by night fighters, although flak units made claims also for several of these aircraft.

During the return trip the pilot described that they had been hit several times. The first hit the tail section which placed the Halifax into a dive, and he yelled into the intercom for the crew to bale out. He managed to straighten the aircraft out but they were then hit two or three more times - once in the mid section and another below the cockpit where Sgt. Weedon was located. Fire came up the control column burning the pilot. He described that he was sure 2 or 3 of the crew went past him to the escape hatch. The aircraft took another direct hit in that area.

NP771 was one of two Halifaxes, the second being 434 (Bluenose) Sqn Halifax NR114 claimed by three German Pilots:

Lt. Martin Tschiersch, his 9th Abschuss, from 6./NJG2, SW of Duisburg at 20:32 hrs;
Probably Oblt. Lothar Jarsch, his 6th Abschuss, from 4./NJG2, in the Venlo-Goch area at 20:40 hrs;
Lt. Kurt Matzak, his 9th Abschuss, from 6./NJG2 in the Goch-Wesel- Duisburg-Venlo area at 20:46 hrs.

The aircraft crashed at Horst , 2 km SW of Swogen. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 October 1944 - 31 December 1944) Part 5 - Theo Boiten)

(1) Plt Off. Goreham believed that only he and Flt Sgt. Morrison escaped the aircraft alive and the others had been killed or badly wounded from being directly hit when they were over the escape hatch prior to baling out. He suffered from burns and cuts to his neck, face and hands in baling out.

P/O. Goreham and Fl/Sgt. Morrison PoW interview (Courtesy John Jones - August 2024)

He attempted to evade westward through the Siegfried Line, the German North/South defensive line. He was captured but managed to escape, only to caught again by a German patrol shortly afterwards.

Whilst in a German hospital he provided blood for a transfusion to a Flt Lt. Boddington when he was brought in with severe injuries losing an arm and a leg which had to be amputated. He pulled through but was still very weak when Plt Off. Goreham left after 2 weeks for Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 23rd November.

Flt Lt. Charles Wesley Boddington J12391 was the pilot from 426 (Thunderbird) Sqn RCAF, Halifax VII LW199 OW:C, which was hit by flak on a mission to Düsseldorf on the night of the 2nd/3rd November 1944 (3 KiA, 4 PoWs).

He was at Dulag Luft, Oberursel until the 30th November and then at Wetzlar, the transit camp for Dulag Luft until the 5th December when he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the 8th December 1944.

On the 30th April 1945, the prisoners were ordered to evacuate the camp in the face of the advancing Soviet Red Army, but the Senior American Officer (SAO), Col. Hubert Zemke, refused to give the order. After negotiations between Zemke and Commandant Oberst (Col) Gustav Warnstedt, it was agreed that to avoid useless bloodshed the guards would go, leaving the PoWs behind. The next day, the first Soviet troops arrived.

The Western Allied prisoners took over the camp into self-administration on the 1st May 1945. After protracted negotiations between the Western Allies and the Soviet leadership, the evacuation of the 8,498 inmates of Stalag Luft 1 finally took place between the 12th and 14th May 1945. The former PoWs had repaired a runway at the Barth Air Base and aircraft of the 8th Air Force undertook a massive airlift called "Operation Revival". Hundreds of PoWs had meanwhile made their own way west.

RAF PoWs were flown back to England and the American PoWs were flown to Camp Lucky Strike in Le Havre, France, where they were processed and waited for a liberty ship to return to the United States.

Following the war, he was employed as a flight instructor in Massachusetts for over 50 years. He later retired to Windermere where he was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Ortona Branch No. 69, Berwick.

Rodney Shand Goreham was born on the 6th March 1922 in Nova Scotia, Canada. He enlisted in the RCAF on the 3rd October 1939 (He was initially in the Canadian Army Standing Forces (CASF)). He passed away aged 88, on Sunday 15th August 2010. He now rests at the Greenwood Cemetery, Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada .

(2) Sgt. Morrison was wounded in the leg and his face was scorched. On the 3rd November he was transferred to Stalag 6J at Dorston, which is some 50 km (31 mls) north of Düsseldorf, where he remained until the 12th December 1944.

He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg arriving there on the 26th December. On the 19th January 1945, 1,500 prisoners marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oderon the 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train.

Sgt. Morrison was amongst the PoWs that were transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia arriving there on the 29th January 1945. From his reported timeline it appears that he was amongst the 500 PoWs who were too ill to travel remained at the camp and were looked after by medical staff. On the 6th February these PoWs were also evacuated over the next few days. He was transferred to Stalag 3A at Luckenwalde arriving there on the 8th February 1945.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated. Sgt. Morrison was evacuated on the 20th May 1945.

Ward Edward Morrison was born on the 31st October 1922 in Toronto, Ontario. He enlisted in the RCAF on the 20th August 1942.

Burial details:

Sgt. Ronald Charlton. Venray War Cemetery. Grave VI.F.10. Grave Inscription: ‘GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR A BROTHER’. Son of Arthur Edward and Charlotte Langrill Charlton, of Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England.

Plt Off. Ernest Edward Courtis. Venray War Cemetery. Grave VI.F.13. Grave Inscription: ‘WE THINK OF HIM LIVING ON, AS DEAR IN THE LOVE OF THERE AS IN THE LOVE OF HERE’. Born on the 6th June 1921 in Wallaceburg, Ontario. Son of Son of Richard Harry and Mary Capitola (née Richardson) Courtis. Husband of Jean V. (née Mowers) Courtis, of Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Courtis was appointed to a commission and promoted to J92724 Plt Off. effective 27th October 1944.

Plt Off. Allister Currie McLeod. Venray War Cemetery. Grave VI.F.11. Born on the 25th October 1922 in Balmoral, Manitoba. Son of William and Mary Elizabeth (née Rodway) McLeod of Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada.

Flt Sgt. McLeod was appointed to a commission and promoted to J95367 Plt Off. effective 27th October 1944.

McLeod Peninsula on Gaur Lake, Manitoba was named after Plt Off. Allister Currie McLeod in 1979.

Plt Off. James Frederick Gladstone Weedon. Venray War Cemetery. Grave VI.F.9. Grave Inscription: ‘THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HATH TAKEN AWAY; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD’. Born on the 7th June 1916 in Kisbey, Saskatchewan. Son of James Frederick and Ellen (née Thompson) Weedon of Paddockwood, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sgt. Weedon was appointed to a commission and promoted to J95498 Plt Off. effective 27th October 1944.

Plt Off. Andrew George Balfour. Venray War Cemetery. Grave VI.F.12. Grave Inscription: ‘REST IN PEACE’. Born on the 25th September 1920 in Hamilton, Ontario. Son of Andrew James and Edna (née Porter) Balfour of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His sister Edna Balfour was his nominated Next of Kin.

Sgt. Balfour was appointed to a commission and promoted to J95200 Plt Off. effective 27th October 1944.

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered (May 2017). With thanks to Fred for grave photographs, also to Frank Bramble for photo of Plt Off. Weedon, others from the collection of Michel Beckers. With thanks also to the White Family Funeral Home for details on Plt Off. Goreham. Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with new information (Aug 2024).

Other sources Listed below:

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