Operation: Karlsruhe, Germany

Date: 24/25th April 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 424 (Tiger) Squadron, RCAF, 6 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: HX318

Code: QB:O ‘Oscar’

Base: RAF Skipton-on-Swale, Yorkshire

Location: Waldalgesheim, Germany

Pilot: Plt Off. William Paul Hugli J12224 RCAF Age 24. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. William Docherty 1562816 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Fg Off. George Stephen Coleman J22862 RCAF Age 27. PoW No: 4458 * (1)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Harold Edward May R156717 RCAF Age 27. PoW No: 55413 * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. George Albert Alexander Pound 1510041 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr: (Mid Upp) Sgt. George William ‘Red’ Mayor R210290 RCAF Age 19. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Robert Scott Chapman R164478 RCAF Age 21. KiA

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

Above: Plt Off. William P. Hugli from his Service Record, ID Card

Above: Sgt. George A.A. Pound, Sgt. George W. ‘Red’ Mayor (Courtesy of David Champion)

Above: Sgt. Robert S. Chapman from his Service Record

REASON FOR LOSS:

Note: We have removed the two photographs of a Halifax which we have incorrectly labelled as HX318 - It is thought that they refer to Halifax LW119 QB:O. With thanks to Peter Richter who contacted us in August 2019 advising us of this error.

The Sqn was detailed to provide all available aircraft for operations on the night of the 24th/25th April 1944. HX318 was one of fourteen (14) aircraft that took off from RAF Skipton-on-Swale at the appointed time. They joined a force of six-hundred and thirty-seven (637) bombers tasked with bombing the city of Karlsruhe in Germany.

Two (2) aircraft returned early, one with an oxygen leak and the other with engine failure. Two (2) aircraft from the Sqn failed to return.

HX318 was Flak west of Frankfurt, exploded and crashed at Waldalgesheim. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 March 1944 - 11 May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

The two (2) survivors were ejected from the aircraft in the blast.

A report dated 27th November 1946 from the No.2 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (MREU) determined from the Burgermaster of Waldalgesheim that a 4 motor bomber exploded in mid-air over the village of Waldalgesheim. Then wreckage of the aircraft was spread over an area of 3 miles (5 km). Five (5) bodies were recovered by the Wehrmacht and buried in the Civilian Cemetery at Waldalgesheim.

The grave were visited on the 22nd November and found to be marked with a plain white cross. The graves were not registered but were maintained in a tidy condition.

The second aircraft was Halifax III LV962 QB:X flown by Fg Off. Douglas A. Crosbie. He and four (4) of his crew were KiA and two (2) became PoWs. The aircraft was claimed by Oblt Werner Baake 2./NJG1 - near Werkendam West of Gorinchem (Bazi): 6,500m at 02:18 hrs Crashed Nieuwe Polder Werkendam (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 March 1944 - 11 May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

(1) Fg Off. Coleman was captured near Karlsruhe, with slight injuries suffered from being ejected from the exploding aircraft.

He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel for the statutory interrogation before being transported to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia in during May 1944.

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms and in military barracks. There they were provided with warm soup and bread.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages.

On the 2nd February 1945 Fg Off. Coleman was amongst the PoWs who were transported to Marlag und Milag Nord at Westertimke in Lower Saxony.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (Navy PoW camp), Milag is short for Marine-Interniertenlager (Marine internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men and marched them out, heading east. It is believed that Fg Off. Coleman was amongst the men marched out of the camp. The next day, at around at 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed.

Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945. Fg Off. Coleman was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

George Stephen Coleman was born on the 23rd March 1917 in Calgary, Alberta. He was a student prior to enlisting in the RCAF on the 2nd February 1942. George passed away on the 3rd July 1999 in Miami, Florida, USA.

Above Courtesy of the Calgary Herald, Dated 13th August 1999

(2) It is believed Flt Sgt. May was badly hurt as there is a medical record for him at Dulag Luft, Oberursel. It is thought that he was repatriated in September 1944.

Harold Edward May was born on the 12th August 1917 in Cayuga, Ontario, Canada. Harold passed away on the 4th January 1990 in Hagersville, Ontario.

Above Courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator, dated 6th January 1990

Burial Details:

Those who perished were initially buried in Waldalgesheim Cemetery. They were finally laid to rest at the Rheinberg War Cemetery on the 14th May 1948.

Above: The Rheinberg War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission)

Plt Off. William Paul Hugli. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave B.C.9. Born on the 3rd June 1923 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Son of Frederick Jacob and Anna Elmira (née Brock) Hugli of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Sgt. William Docherty. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave B.C.11. All that is known is that he was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

William Docherty is also remembered on the Roll of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial.

Sgt. George Albert Alexander Pound. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave B.C.10. Grave Inscription: “DEATH ONLY HIDES, IT CANNOT DIVIDE; HE IS ONLY ON CHRIST'S OTHER SIDE”. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1921 in Lewisham, London. Son of George and Jessie (née Shand) Pound of the Durham Ox Hotel, Six Hills, Nottingham, England.

Above: Grave marker for Plt Off. George William ‘Red’ Mayor (Courtesy of David Champion)

Plt Off. George William ‘Red’ Mayor. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave B.C.8. Grave Inscription: “GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN”. Born on the 27th September 1924 in Gladstone, Manitoba. Son of Harry Joseph and Ida Violet (née Mord) Mayor of Crawford Park, Manitoba, Canada.

Sgt. Major was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J91171 Plt Off. with effect 22nd April 1944.

Mayor Lake - West of Southern India Lake renamed after Plt Off. George William Mayor in 1979

Plt Off. Robert Scott Chapman. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave B.C.7. Born on the 14th September 1922 in Kingsville, Ontario. Son of Herbert Edward and Jennie May (née Sherman) Chapman of Kingsville, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Chapman was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J88411 Plt Off. with effect 22nd April 1944.

With thanks for additional details to L.A.C. Ottawa via David Champion (Mar 2016). Thanks to John Jones for the MREU report information (May 2020). Reviewed, corrected updated and reorganised by Aircrew Remembered (Mar 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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