Operation: Rheine, Westphalia, Germany

Date: 21st March 1945 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 51 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: MZ348

Code: MH:D

Base: RAF Snaith, Pollington, Yorkshire

Location: Bevergern, Westphalia, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. John Edwin Paradise 426148 RAAF Age 22. Murdered (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Richard Francis Gunn 1721922 RAFVR Age 19. Murdered (1)

Nav: Plt Off. Bruce Frederick Greenwood 424584 RAAF Age 22. Murdered (1)

Bom Aimer: Flt Sgt. Alexander Armstrong 1567638 RAFVR Age 22. Murdered (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Keith William Berick 424950 RAAF Age 25. PoW No.108751 * (1 & 2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Leslie Hart 1594114 RAFVR Age 21. PoW ** (3)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Walter ‘Val’ Hood 1592286 RAFVR Age? PoW ** (4)

* Stalag 10B Sandbostel, Schleswig.

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

Above left to right: Fg Off. John E. Paradise, Plt Off. Bruce F. Greenwood, Fg Off. Keith W. Berick (from their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 21st March 1945, nineteen (19) aircraft from 51 Squadron were tasked with a bombing mission over Rheine in Westphalia, Germany.

Fg Off. Berick reported that after dropping their bombs and leaving the target area at 10,000 ft, their Halifax were struck by bombs from a higher-flying aircraft. One bomb went through the port wing just aft of an engine nacelle and the port vertical fin was knocked off, severing the rudder controls. This caused the aircraft to rapidly lose height and crash near the village of Bevergern at 16:30 hrs. All seven (7) of the crew successfully bailed out at about 9,000 ft.

(1) The fate of Flt Sgt. Armstrong, Plt Off. Greenwood, Fg Off. Paradise and Sgt. Gunn were unknown until the 1st of the two (2) British Military Courts was held at Wuppertal on the 18th February 1946.

1st Trial

Seven (7) German nationals were charged on three (3) counts that they at the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome on or about the 22nd March, 24th March and the 25th March 1945 in violation of the laws and usages of war were concerned in the killing of four (4) named Allied airmen and eight (8) unnamed Allied airmen, all PoWs.

Note: Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) “Afrika”, a fighter wing, was also based at Hopsten/Dreierwalde erodrome but it was stressed that the officers and staff from this unit had nothing whatsoever to do with the command of Maj. Rauer and nothing to do with this case.

The seven accused were:

Major (Maj) Karl Rauer who was the former Commandant of Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome;

Hauptmann (Hptm) Wilhelm Scharschmidt who was the former Adjutant to Maj. Rauer;

Major (Maj) Otto Bopf who was the former Commanding Officer (CO) of the Horst (Aerodrome) Company, a German Army unit at the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome;

Hauptmann (Hptm) Bruno Böttcher who was the former CO of the Flight Control unit at the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome;

Oberfeldwebel (Ofw) Hermann Lommes was a former NCO of the Horst Company;

Feldwebel (Fw) Lunwig Lang was a former NCO in the Horst Company;

Unteroffizier (Uffz) Emil Günther was a former NCO in the Horst Company.

Note: The procedure when any captured Allied aircrew was brought to the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome was that they were normally either taken to the Adjutant or Commandant, interrogated and searched and their details recorded. The Adjutant was responsible for the arrangements of the PoW disposal from the Aerodrome, including detailing escorts, and any interim arrangements such as guardroom custody, rationing etc.

On the 1st count of the charge Maj. Rauer and Hptm. Scharschmidt were charged in the killing of Plt Off. Greenwood, Fg Off. Paradise, both of the RAAF, Flt Sgt. Armstrong and Sgt. Gunn both of the RAF and all Allied PoWs.

On the 2nd count of the charge all seven (7) of the accused were charged in the killing of seven (7) unknown Allied aircrew, all PoWs.

On the 3rd count of the charge six (6) of the accused except for Uffz. Günther were charged in the killing of one (1) unknown Allied aircrew PoW.

1st Count of the Charge

The court heard that on the night of the 21st March 1945 there was a severe raid on the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome. On this day a captured Australian airman, Fg Off. Paradise, was brought to the aerodrome. He was initially interrogated and then locked up in a cell at the guardroom.

Later the same day a further four (4) Allied aircrew PoWs were brought in from the local village. Two (2) were Australian, Fg Off. Berick and Plt Off. Greenwood. The other two (2) were both NCOs from the RAF, Flt Sgt. Armstrong and Flt Sgt. Gunn. There were interrogated by Scharschmidt in the presence of Rauer and his wife in the Commandant’s office. They were then taken away and locked up in the same guardroom as Fg Off. Paradise.

They remained there overnight without food or water until the following day, the 22nd March. They were taken out of their cell for one short period and made to lay in the fields during a severe air raid.

Meanwhile Scharschmidt instructed his Chief Clerk, Oberfeldwebel Werner Lauter, to provide an escort for the PoWs to take them to Dulag Luft, Oberursel. An Oberfeldwebel by the name of Amberger volunteered for the task and said he would bring two comrades with him.

What subsequently transpired is detailed in the 2nd Trial below which charged Amberger with the shooting and killing of four (4) of the PoWs. In summary, on the evening of the 22nd March 1945, Amberger and his two comrades set off to ostensibly march the five (5) PoWs to a railway station for transfer to Dulag Luft, Oberursel.

The party turned off the main road and the five (5) PoWs were ordered to march in line abreast. Without any warning, except for the sound of weapons being cocked, the German NCOs open fire from behind. Fg Off. Berick was on the extreme right of the group and immediately bolted into the woods but not before being hit by two bullets in the left thigh.

Amberger and his two comrades returned to the aerodrome and reported to Scharschmidt that the five (5) PoWs had attempted to escape and were shot but one (1) had escaped.

Scharschmidt detailed a group of SNCOs to conduct a search but failed to find the escaped PoW. The bodies of the four (4) airmen were recovered and buried without their uniforms in the aerodrome precincts. A written report was obtained from Amberger by Scharschmidt which was forwarded from the Aerodrome command to higher authorities. The report falsely stated that the PoWs had been shot whilst attempting to escape. No further action was taken by any officer or NCO on the aerodrome.

Fg Off. Berick evaded the subsequent search and escaped the area was arrested some time later and became a PoW for the rest of the war.

2nd Count of the Charge

This relates to the events on the evening of the 24th March 1945. That day there was another serious raid on the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome which severely damaged the runways which left them pock-marked with large craters.

That evening eight (8) captured airmen arrived at the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome, one (1) of whom had an injured foot and could not walk, and held in the guardroom.

Rauer gave orders to Scharschmidt that due to the shortage of personnel and because of the gravity of the situation PoWs were to take part in the work filling in the craters. Scharschmidt was to relay the orders to Maj. Bopf. However, it appears that Scharschmidt detailed Ofw. Lommes to gather some other NCOs, get the PoWs, get tools, go to the runway and get busy filling in the craters.

Lommes either under orders or on his own initiative gathered Fw. Lang and Uffz. Günther, and a fourth NCO from the Horst Company, a Fw. Zakowsky who was not before the court. The four (4) went to the Armoury and drew machine-pistols. However, they did not draw any tools at that time and arrived at the guardroom to collect the PoWs. Lommes made the decision to take them in two (2) groups and selected four (4) in the first group. The party, four (4) PoWs and the four (4) German NCOs set out from the guardroom and made their way over to the runways.

Evidence presented showed that the PoWs walked with their hands on their heads and were followed by the German NCOs. By this time it was midnight and it was a clear moonlight night. Without any warning the escorting Germans opened fire of the PoWs killing three (3) instantly and mortally wounding the fourth.

Shortly afterwards Hptm. Böttcher arrived with his driver arrived at the scene on a motor-cycle and sidecar. There were no Germans at the scene but found the bodies of the PoWs in a heap. Upon looking around and shouting out he found the four (4) German NCOs were found hiding behind a stationary truck. The emerged and confronted Böttcher in an agitated and nervous state.

After a short conversation Böttcher left and was driven to the Kommandanture and reported the incident to Scharschmidt. The four German NCOs decided that they hand better return and draw the required tools and fetch the remaining four (4) PoWs from the guardroom. However, as one (1) of the four (4) could not walk because of his injuries only three (3) were taken. The PoWs had their hands on their heads and set off in roughly the course to wear their comrades were lying. The three (3) PoWs were killed outright in the same manner as the previous four (4) PoWs. The German NCOs then loaded the bodies and took them to the Mortuary and Lang, whose job was to undertake the same task, removed their clothing and prepared them for burial.

Lang was a male nurse in civilian life and that is why he was detailed to undertake the burial and interment of those that were killed at the aerodrome.

No officer or NCO arrived at the scene of the shooting after Böttcher left and had reported the 1st incident to Scharschmidt. The next morning the four (4) German NCOs reported to the Kommandanture where they made out a written report to Scharschmidt about the shooting of the seven (7) PoWs. That was all that was done about the incident.

3rd Count of the Charge

This relates to the events on the afternoon of the 25th March. Lommes had a conversation Böttcher and asked for leave to borrow his motorcycle and sidecar to take the injured PoW to the local hospital at Odenburg. Böttcher agreed and Lommes collect Lang arrived at the guardroom and lifted the injured PoW into the sidecar. Lommes and Lang, riding pillion, the drove out of the aerodrome ostensibly to drive to the hospital. However, the made a detour and as Lommes slowed the motorcycle Lang fire two (2) shots from his sidearm in to the wounded airman’s neck killing him.

They then took the body to the Dreierwalde cemetery and later that afternoon the body was buried with the other seven (7) victims who had arrived at the cemetery. Lommes then reported the incident to Böttcher. Again no further action was taken.

Pathologist Affidavit

The court then heard from the prosecutor that on the 20th, 24th and the 25th September 1945 Maj. William M. Davidson, a pathologist of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) of the Rhine Army exhumed a grave in the cemetery at Dreierwalde.

The grave was about 4 ft in depth in sandy soil and covered with Pine branches. This grave contained four (4) bodies, all without coffins. Maj. Davidson identified then remains as those of Fg Off. Paradise, Sgt. Gunn, Flt Sgt. Armstrong and Plt Off. Greenwood. He came to the conclusion from the examination and reconstruction that all four (4) had been killed by being shot through the head and that some of the bullets could not could not have fired whilst they were standing.

A fifth grave laying immediately adjacent to the grave described above contained a body whose remains were identified from his Identity Discs as 2nd Lt. June B. Stallings O-829773. His P-51D 44-15123 from the 38th Fighter Sqn, 55 Fighter Group had been shot down over the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome on the 21st March 1945 and had nothing to do with this case.

Additionally, he exhumed a further eight (8) bodies from a third grave which from his examination he concluded that they also had all died as a result of small calibre shots fired from close range. He determined that they were young males all dressed in clothing of American origin except in the case of one (1) whose flying overalls were American but his gloves were British.

The initial burial of the eight (8) unnamed airmen was in the civilian cemetery at Dreierwalde and marked by a cross bearing the statement in German “One English and seven American Airmen had died 23rd March 1945, but names unknown”. They were disinterred and reburied in the Dreierwalde cemetery by the British Military Authorities in separate coffins.

An American Graves Registration Company (AGRC) unit disinterred the coffins and reburied them at the American Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz in Belgium as “Unknown” X-1769 to X -1776 inclusive.

The eight (8) were later identified as:

1st Lt. Thomas C. Brock (X-1773) from 351st Fighter Squadron, 353rd Fighter Group P-51D Mustang 44-11698;

2nd Lt. Charles A. Schwab (X-1776), 2nd Lt. Billy G. Martin (X-1775), S/Sgt. Jerome S. Silverman (X-1774), S/Sgt. Raymond L. Berry (X-1771) and S/Sgt. Kenneth T. Herr (X-1769) from 527th Bombardment Sqn (H), 379th Bombardment Group, B-17G 43-38685;

Sgt. Mark R. Reynolds Jr. (X-1772) and Sgt. Milton S. Kenan (X-1769) from 524th Bombardment Sqn (H), 379th Bombardment Group, B-17G 43-38818.

Judge Advocate:

In his summing-up specifically on the 1st count of the charge, the Judge Advocate stated that there was no direct evidence that Maj. Rauer or Hptm. Scharschmidt gave orders to Oberfeldwebel Amberger (see 2nd Military Court below) and his companions to shoot the five (5) airmen. Furthermore, the Chief Clerk to Scharschmidt had advised him that Amberger was not the right man to be the escort of the PoWs and that he also attempted to have Amberger removed from the duty. However, the airmen did proceed under the care of Amberger and were shot.

The Judge Advocate reminded the court what an important person the Chief Clerk of a unit was because he always knows a great deal about what is happening in the unit.

The court heard testimony from a Dr. Richter about the previous conduct of Rauer and Scharschmidt. Scharschmidt frequently denied PoWs transit rations for the trip from Hopsten to Oberursel which usually took about three (3) days. He described the following two cases of ill-treatment of PoWs.

The first concerned a Plt Off. Gordon G. Harrison J36991 RCAF whose 411 Sqn, RCAF Spitfire IX PL433 was shot down in engagement with a Bf109 near Münster. He was captured on the 23rd January 1945 near Rheine and had sustained a bullet wound near his heart. He was initially treated by Dr. Richter at the dressing station at Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome. Whilst there Scharschmidt made Plt Off. Harrison remove his own boots which entailed bending forward at great risk. Dr. Richter gave Scharschmidt a definite warning against such an action. Plt Off. became a PoW and survived.

The second concerned the following five (5) PoWs:

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Harry D. Kinder O-781333; Eng: Sgt. Andrew J. Haechrel 37568278; Ball Turret Gnr: Sgt. George P. Weiner 33799179; Waist Gnr: Sgt. Joseph L. Marsico 33597804 and Tail Gnr: Sgt. John E. Ingram 36688530.

They were from the B-17G 43-38633 of the 527th Bombardment Sqn (H), 379th Bombardment Group (H) which was hit by Flak on a mission to Cologne (Köln) on the 28th January 1945. The pilot managed to land the aircraft at RAF Woodbridge, the rest of the crew had bailed out. (1 KiA, 7 PoW, 1 Rtd).

After being captured they were held in the guardroom at Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome which had no heating. The temperature was sub-zero at around minus 22 deg c. and the PoWs were scantily dressed. Fw. Lang, one of the accused, suggested to light a fire which was rejected by Scharschmidt. The five (5) became PoWs and survived.

Rauer and Scharschmidt were found not guilty on the 1st count of the charge because it was considered that they could not be held accountable for the actions of Amberger. They were found guilty on the 2nd and 3rd counts of the charge. Günther was found guilty on the 2nd count of the charge. Bopf, Böttcher, Lommes, and Langwere found guilty on the 2nd and 3rd counts of the charge.

Rauer was sentenced to death by hanging. The guilty finding was confirmed by the Commander in Chief (CinC) of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) on the 27th April 1946 but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Scharschmidt, Bopf, Böttcher, Lommes, Lang and Günther were sentenced to death by hanging which was confirmed by the CinC of the BAOR on the 27th April 1946. The executions were carried out on the 26th May 1946 between15:20 hrs and 16:56 hrs.

2nd Trial

In the 2nd of the two British Military Courts which was held at Wuppertal over the period 11th to 14th March 1946.

One German national, Oberfeldwebel Amberger, was charged with committing a war crime in that he at the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome on or about the 22nd March 1945 in violation of the laws and usages of war, was concerning in the killing of Plt Off. Greenwood, Fg Off. Paradise, both of the RAAF, Flt Sgt. Armstrong and Sgt. Gunn both of the RAF and all PoWs.

Oberfeldwebel (Company Sgt) Karl Amberger was the former NCO instructor in-charge (i/c) of the ‘Unteroffizier Lehr Kommando’, a sub-unit at the Dreierwalde aerodrome that trained NCOs.

The court heard that Fg Off. Berwick, Flt Sgt. Armstrong, Plt Off. Greenwood and Sgt. Gunn were captured and taken to the Bürgermeister (Mayor) in Bevergern, a village to the east of Rheine. The four (4) were subsequently marched to the Hopsten/Dreierwalde aerodrome and held there together with Fg Off. Paradise who had been captured earlier.

Flt Sgt. Hart and Sgt. Hood parachuted into a different location and were also captured and became PoWs.

They remained there overnight without food or water until the following day, the 22nd March. They were taken out of their cell for one short period and made to lay in the fields during a severe air raid.

Meanwhile Scharschmidt instructed his Chief Clerk, Oberfeldwebel Werner Lauter, to provide an escort for the PoWs to take them to Dulag Luft, Oberursel. An Oberfeldwebel by the name of Amberger volunteered for the task and said he would bring two comrades with him.

Oberfeldwebel (Company Sgt) Karl Amberger was the former NCO instructor in-charge (i/c) of the ‘Unteroffizier Lehr Kommando’, a sub-unit at the Dreierwalde Aerodrome that trained NCOs.

Lauter advised Scharschmidt against sending Amberger on this assignment as he was unreliable and had in conversations with other comrades that the Allied airman should be shot. However, as it proved difficult to find other men Scharschmidt made the decision that Amberger and his two NCO volunteers would be the escort.

On the evening of the 22nd March 1945, Amberger and two other Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs), Feldwebel (S/Sgt) Theo Meier and Hauptfeldwebel (Company Sgt) Herbert Krawald, set off to ostensibly march the five (5) prisoners to a railway station for transfer to a PoW Camp or Interrogation Centre.

Note: Meier and Krawald were not before the court as it proved impossible to locate them.

After about 2½ km the party turned on to a track leading into a wood. Fg Off. Berwick provided two sworn affidavits to the court in which he stated that he and his fellow prisoners were ordered the line up five (5) abreast and proceed along the track in the woods when he heard a click behind them. He looked around and saw one of the guards cocking the action of his machine pistol. All three (3) of the Germans had their weapons at the ready.

The Germans then opened fire from about three (3) paces from behind. Fg Off. Berick was on the extreme right of the group and immediately bolted into the woods but not before being hit by two bullets in the left thigh.

His affidavit on the shooting described how after he was no longer pursued he heard additional shots being fired from the direction of the original shootings. He eventually made his way to Holland where he was subsequently recaptured on 1st April 1945 and remained a PoW until liberated on 29th April 1945.

He managed to look back and saw the three (3) German NCOs standing over the bodies and firing their weapons. At no time during the march from the aerodrome was there any attempt by the PoWs to resist or run away.

Amberger's defence was that the PoW’s were attempting to escape. However, a pathologist’s report concluded that the four (4) airmen had been shot several times including through the head and that some of the wounds could not have been inflicted whilst the deceased were standing. The court rejected his defence and he was convicted of the charge and sentenced to death by hanging.

The sentence was confirmed by the Commander in Chief of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) on the 27th April 1946. Amberger was executed at the Hameln prison at 17:30 hrs on the 15th May 1946.

Above memorial to the four (4) crew at Pollington Airfield Memorial Gardens (courtesy of the 51 Squadron History Society)

(2) After Fg Off. Berick was captured for the second time on the 1st April he was transferred to Stalag 10B Sandbostel in Schleswig arriving there on the 9th April.

The camp was liberated on 29th April 1945 elements of the British XXX Corps following fighting with the German 15th Panzergrenadier Division. The camp commandant, however, realizing that the end of the war was close, had agreed to hand over control of the camp o the 21st April to a Colonel Marcel Alber. Fg Off. Berick was interviewed on the 15th May 1945.

Keith William Berick was born on the 24th August 1920 in Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia. He was a Sheep Farmer prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 10th October 1943. Keith passed away on the 6th July 2005 in Newcastle, New South Wales.

(3) Flt Sgt. Hart was captured that day and was transferred to the Dulag at Pinneburg, near Hamburg arriving there on the 28th March.

On the 1st April 1945 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth-Vogelsang arriving there the following day.

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. Flt Sgt. Hart was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

Leslie Hart was born on the 5th January 1924 in Castleford, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. He was a Miner in Castleford prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 5th March 1943. Leslie passed away on the 7th December 1998 in Pontefract, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.

(4) A General Questionnaire for British/American ex PoWs for Sgt. Walter ‘Val’ Hood has not been found. However Flt Sgt. Hart reported that he and Sgt. Hood were captured tat the same time and were at Stalag Luft 1 together.

Burial details:

The four (4) crew members who were murdered were originally buried at the Dreierwalde Cemetery and finally laid to rest the Reichswald Forest Cemetery on the 15th May 1947.

Above: The Reichswald Forest Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Grames Commission)

Fg Off. John Edward Paradise. Reichswald Forest Cemetery, Grave 13.B.5. Grave inscription: "HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED". Born on the 20th November 1922 in Brisbane. Son of George Edwin and Ida Marion Paradise, of Indooroopilly, Queensland, Australia.

Sgt. Richard Francis Gunn. Reichswald Forest Cemetery, Grave 13.B.3. Born on the 3rd Qtr 1925 in Lewes, Sussex. Son of Frank and Blanche Emma (née Weston) Gunn of South Common, Sussex, England.

Plt Off. Bruce Frederick Greenwood. Reichswald Forest Cemetery, Grave 13.B.4. Grave inscription: "INTO THE MOSAIC OF VICTORY WE LAY THIS PRECIOUS PIECE, OUR SON". Born on the 28th June 1922 in Bexley, New South Wales. Son of Fredrick Clarence and Gladys Greenwood of Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Alexander Armstrong. Reichswald Forest Cemetery, Grave 13.B.6. Grave inscription: "IN HEAVENLY LOVE ABIDING". Born on 26th August 1922. Son of Alexander and Alice Mary (née Pilgrim) Armstrong of Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Traugott Vitz for his work on the database (Mar 2018). Complete rewrite of the narrative for two trials by Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the memory of Traugott Vitz (Dec 2025).

Other source listed below.

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