Operation: Culmont, France

Date: 12th/13th July 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 9 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM221

Code: WS:K

Base: RAF Bardney, Lincolnshire.

Location: Cour-I'Évêque, Haute-Marne, France

Pilot: Fg Off. William Alfred Martin Hallett J85794 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Allan Fleming Grieve 1822215 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. John Frederick Armstrong J24240 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Donald George Wentworth Brown 420436 RAAF Age 24. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Frank Everett ‘Midge’ Shaw 1332113 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Flt Sgt. Allen Douglas Tagget 421769 RAAF Age 26. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Malcolm Henry Payne 417512 RAAF Age 22. KiA

Above: Sgt. Allan Fleming Grieve on 21 Initial Training Wing (ITW) July 1943 (Flight Engineers) (Courtesy of Paul Markham)

The three Australian members of the crew and the Canadian pilot, Left to right: Flt Sgt. Tagget, Flt Sgt. Payne, Flt Sgt. Brown and standing, Fg Off. Hallett (courtesy Australian Archives)

Above left, Sgt. Frank 'Midge' Everett Shaw taken during training and right after joining the Squadron (courtesy Dian Bladwin and Pat Shaw)

Wonderful photographs sent in by relatives - taken on 23rd July 1946. The mothers of Sgt. Allan Grieve and Sgt. Shaw (courtesy Pat Shaw)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 12th/13th July 1944 9 Sqn detailed twelve (12) aircraft to join a force of three-hundred and seventy-eight (378) Lancasters and seven (7) Mosquitoes on an operation to bomb railway targets in Culmont, Revigny and Tours. Ten (10) Lancasters were lost on the Revigny raid and two (2) on the Culmont raid.

There are reports that surmised that LM221 was lost due to a mid-air collision. However, the two Lancasters that collided on this night were 44 Sqn Lancaster III LM638 (2 PoWs, 5 Evaders) and 576 Sqn Lancaster III ND859 (5 KiA, 2 PoWs).

Homebound from Revigny ND859 drifted south into the Culmont stream flown by LM638.

LM221 or 166 Sqn Lancaster III LM388 was claimed by two German night-fighters:

Fw. Ernst Reitmeyer from 1./NJG5, his 18th Abschuss and the third of the night over Rolampont, north of Langres at 2,500 m. 02:17 hrs;

Uffz. Hengstbach from 2./NJG5, his 3rd Abschuss over Rolampont, north of Langres at 2,500 m. 02:17 hrs.

Anecdotal evidence has been provided by Ray Toews who visited the scene of the crash and spoke with Jean Hourdais and Rico Pachino who were young boys on the night of the crash. The two remembered that the Lancaster fell near their community of Arc-en-Barrois and that the men from the village pulled the crew out and laid them on the ground and covered with them with blankets. They believed that the aircraft was shot down by a German night-fighter.

Burial details:

The memorial 1946 and as it is today, beautifully cared for by the people from the village.

The locals from the village all turned out on the day described as very touching indeed by the relatives who attended. This selection of photographs kindly submitted by Pat Shaw and Sandra Fincham (nee Shaw) of the Remembrance Service held on the 14th July 2012.

The graves of the crew showing how well the locals look after them both then and now!

Fg Off. William Alfred Martin Hallett. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH, AND IN THE LAST DAY I SHALL RISE OUT OF THE EARTH”. Born on the 24th January 1923 in Buffalo Prairie, Alberta. Son of William and of Marie Anna (née Kidd) Hallett of Fort Vermilion, Alberta, Canada.

Sgt. Allan Fleming Grieve. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “HIS THE SUPREME SACRIFICE OURS THE IMPERISHABLE MEMORY”. Son of William and Margaret Grieve, of Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland.

Fg Off. John Frederick Armstrong. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “ALIVE FOR EVER”. Born on the 16th February 1923 in Calgary, Alberta. Son of Guy Ontkes and Frances Ruth (née Irwin) Armstrong of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Donald George Wentworth Brown. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “HE DWELLETH IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOR EVER”. Born on the 30th June 1920 in Lane Cove, New South Wales. Son of George Wentworth and Elsie (Izzard) Brown of Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Frank Everett Shaw. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “LOVING SAVIOUR, NOW HE IS THINE, LOVE HIM AS I LOVED HIM WITH A LOVE DIVINE”. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Norwich, Norfolk. Son of Frederick and Sarah E. (née Brown) Shaw of Mile Cross, Norwich, Norfolk, England.

Flt Sgt. Allen Douglas Tagget. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “DEARLY LOVED BY WIFE, PARENTS, SISTERS AND BROTHERS”. Born on the 19th March 1918 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. Son of Mark and Eva (née Hatton)Tagget. Husband of Ethel Mildred (née Walker) Tagget of Felstead, Essex, England.

Flt Sgt. Malcolm Henry Payne. Cour-I'Évêque Churchyard, France. Grave Inscription: “SLEEP WELL, BELOVED”.Born on the 16th April 1922 in Mintaro, South Australia. Son of Frederick and Mabel Lillian (née Garrard) Payne of Karoonda, South Australia.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for Sandra Fincham and Pat Shaw, the relatives of the Wireless Operator/Gunner Sgt. Frank E. Shaw. With thanks to several members of the family for submitting photographs. Reviewed and updated with new information and thanks to Paul Markham for the image of Sgt. Grieve (Jul 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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