Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 23/24th November 1943 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 166 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA865

Code: AS:A

Base: RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire

Location: Lehnin and Emstal, Germany

Pilot: WO. Eric Frank Grove 1263038 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No: 263586 * (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Albert Rossi 1676863 RAFVR Age 27. PoW * (2)

Nav: Sgt. Alan Crompton Smith 1459147 RAFVR Age 20. PoW * (3)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Edward William Darragh Hunt 421057 RNZAF Age 23. PoW No: 263687 * (4)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Stanley Gregson Paterson 1349656 RAFVR Age 21. PoW No: 263613 * (5)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. John Francis Mathew Davies 1682448 RAFVR Age 22. MiA (6)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. James Edward William Iverson 1876512 RAFVR Age 19. KiA (7)

* Stalag 4B Mühlberg, Sachsen, Germany.

Above left to right: Sgt. Alan C. Smith (courtesy of Clive Smith), Sgt. James E.W. Iverson (Courtesy of Bob Page)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 17:02 hrs and joined a bomber force of some 383 Lancasters on an operation to bomb Berlin, Germany

The raid was set up with a diversion in an attempt to keep the Luftwaffe controllers guessing what would be the target. This failed somewhat, with the first of 167 twin engine night fighters being sent up as soon as the bomber stream crossed the Dutch coast. Interceptions taking place both on the outward and homeward bound heavy bombers.

Flak was very light during the raids as priority was given to the Luftwaffe.

Bombing was hampered by low cloud cover and the pathfinders carried out sky marking. The main force aimed their bombs through the cloud at the glow of major fires still burning from the previous nights raid.

Enormous damage had been inflicted on Berlin, but reports were recorded together with other attacks, but, it is thought that a further 2,000 houses, 94 wooden barracks and 8 industrial buildings were destroyed, with many more buildings damaged. Around 1,500 people were killed in the city.

The raid cost Bomber command 27 aircraft with 128 crew members killed, 21 being made PoW and a further 14 injured on return as a result of aircraft damage.

JA865 was claimed by Ofw. Heinrich Säwert, his 6th Abschuss, from 4./NJG5, SW of Berlin at 5.500 m at 20:22 hrs (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 September - 31 December) 1943 Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Ofw. Heinrich Säwert was KiA on the night of the 22nd/23rd August 1944 at Parndorf airfield during a strafing attack. He was credited with twelve (12) confirmed Abschüsse with three (3) awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

(1) WO. Grove was captured on the 24th November SW of Berlin and held at the German Airbase, Werder/Havel ,which is some 36 km WSW of Berlin, for one day. He was then transferred to the German Airbase at Berlin-Staaken, which is some 16 km WNW of Berlin, for another day.

He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel and Wetzlar arriving there on the 26th November. On the 1st December 1943 he was transferred to Stalag 4B Mühlberg, Sachsen in Germany arriving there on the 5th December 1943.

Stalag 4B Mühlberg was liberated by the Soviet Army arrived on the 23rd April 1945. The camp held some 30,000 and of these 7,250 were British. The Soviet’s held the British and American prisoners in the camp for over a month. Individual soldiers "escaped" from the camp and made their way on foot to the American lines.

WO. Grove was interviewed on the 14th June 1945.

Eric Frank Grove was born on the 22nd December 1920 in Greenwich, Greater London. He was training as an Architect prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in May 1940. Eric passed away on the 26th May 2008.

Above: Courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator, dated 26th May 2008

(2) Sgt. Rossi was captured near Berlin on 24th November and transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel and Wetzlar arriving there on the 26th November. His transfer from here was the same as for WO. Grove above.

Flt Sgt. Rossi was interviewed on the 19th May 1945.

Albert Rossi was born on the 25th November 1915 in Manchester, Lancashire. He was a General Metal Engineer prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in September 1942. Albert passed away in September 2004 in Blackpool, Lancashire.

(3) Sgt. Smith’s recollections in his diary notes provide a different perspective on the events that night. However, NJG4 were flying the Ju 88 night fighter which at that time were equipped with two "Schräge-Musik" upward-firing 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20 cannons which during an attack would have appeared to the crew that it was Flak hitting the aircraft.

“As we were approaching Berlin the plane was hit by two bursts of Flak, the first of which came between my legs which were apart due to the fact that I had my parachute on the floor between my feet because the Wireless operator had put his rations bag in my parachute stowage container.

As I bent down to look under the navigation table, the second burst of Flak came and the blast caught me in the eyes, face, under the chin and on the back of the left hand, resulting in superfluous cordite burns and cuts. The intercom and hydraulic systems were rendered u/s so therefore the bomb doors could not be opened or the bombs released. The two port engines were on fire and the incendiary bombs were ignited. I was ordered to bale out three times by the flight engineer on the instructions of the pilot, but I had seen that the Wireless Operator was in a state of shock and as he wasn't wearing his parachute harness I stayed behind to fit it on him which was a bit of a struggle as his legs were rigid and I had to force them apart to get the harness straps to the front. Meanwhile the plane had lost height from 21,500ft to 13,000ft. and kept veering and tipping over to port trying to go into a spin.

By this time the Wireless Operator had come round so I gave him his parachute to put on and I went to the pilot who had now put the plane on automatic pilot. I wanted to open the bomb doors manually and for him to put the plane in a dive to try and extinguish the flames, but he said there wasn't time and told me bale out and stop arguing otherwise we would all get killed.

I then said I would go down the aircraft and see if the mid-upper gunner and rear gunner were out and I would then bale out of the rear exit, but he ordered me to get out the front exit and said that he was going out the rear exit and he would see if they had gone on his way down.

Later when I saw him in Berlin he told me he couldn't get down the aircraft because of the flames, so he had helped the Wireless Operator to clip his chute on and they baled out of the front exit. The two gunners were never seen again

During this period my parachute which had caught some of the flak and flames from the incendiary bombs was smouldering a little, so that when I jumped, quite a bit of the chute was burnt and torn, so I dropped faster than normal and made a very heavy landing, which resulted in a severe pain from the right ankle, along the leg to the small of my back. Next day when I had been captured a German officer asked me if I was wounded as he could see I was having trouble walking. Thinking I would be sent to hospital and have to face the wrath of the civilians of which we had previously been warned about in England, I told him that had just bruised my leg.”

Sgt. Smith on extreme left during his time at Dulag Luft, Wetzlar (courtesy of Clive Smith) Do you recognise any of the others?

Above: Stalag Luft Muhlberg-Elbe (archives)

Sgt. Smith was captured along with Sgt. Rossi and his story is the same as that for Sgt. Rossi and WO. Grove after being transferred to Stalag 4B Mühlberg..

Flt Sgt. Smith was interviewed on the 19th May 1945

Alan Crompton Smith was born on the 22nd August 1923 in Pontefract, Yorkshire. He was employed as a wood turner prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 3rd September 1941. Alan passed away on the 10th March 1982 in Coventry, Warwickshire.

Above Courtesy of the Coventry Evening Telegraph, dated 11th March 1988

(4) Flt Sgt. Hunt evaded capture until the 29th November when he was arrested near Magdeburg. He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel and Wetzlar and then transferred to Stalag 4B Mühlberg, Sachsen in Germany arriving there on the 12th December 1943.

His transfer from here to after being transferred to Stalag 4B Mühlberg was the same as for WO. Grove, Flt Sgt. Rossi and Sgt. Smith above.

The then WO. Hunt was interviewed on the 14th May 1945.

Edward William Darragh Hunt was born on the 20th March 1920 in Rongatea, New Zealand. He was a farmer prior to enlisting in the RNAF on the 3rd November 1940. Edward passed away on the 17th December 1996 in Wahangarei, North Island, New Zealand.

(5) Sgt. Paterson was captured along with Sgt. Rossi and Sgt. Smith and his story is the same as that for Sgt. Rossi, Sgt. Smith and WO. Grove after being transferred to Stalag 4B Mühlberg.

Flt Sgt. Paterson was interviewed on the 19th May 1945

Stanley Gregson Paterson was born on the 12th March 1922 in Banffshire, Scotland. He was employed as a Joiner prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 3rd May 1941. Stanley passed away on the 28th August 2016 in Macduff, Banffshire, Scotland.

(6) The body of Sgt. Davies was never recovered and as a consequence his is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

(7) Sgt. Iverson successfully baled out but did not survive the decent. His body was found in a wooded area between village of Lehnin and Emstal which is some 30 mls (49 km) WSW of Berlin.

Burial details:

Sgt. John Francis Mathew Davies. Runnymede Memorial Panel 147. Born on the 27th July 1921 in Cheshire. Son of Frank and Elizabeth Ann Davies of Upton, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. James Edward William Iverson. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Grave 7.L.13. Born on the 8th September 1924 in Leyton, Greater London. Son of James John (deceased in July 1927) and Isobel Ellen Neal (née Knight) Iverson of West Ham, Essex, England

Researched for Clive Smith, son of Sgt. Smith, with some information he supplied and dedicated to all the relatives of this crew. Thanks to Bob Page for Next of Kin and Date of birth details for Sgt. Iverson (Sep 2019). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with new information and corrections (Jan 2026)

Other sources listed below:

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