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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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625 Squadron Crest
19/20.02.1944 625 Squadron Lancaster III LM384 CF-X Fl/Sgt. Charles Ernest Pearson

Operation: Leipzig, Germany

19/20 February 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: 625 Squadron - Motto: We Avenge

Badge: Within a circular chain of seven links, a Lancaster rose; The Lancaster rose stands for the aircraft used, the seven links the number of personnel in one such aircraft

Type: Avro Lancaster III

Serial: LM384

Code: CF-X

Base: RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire

Location: Near Bledeln, Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Charles Ernest Pearson 1436390 RAFVR Age 23 - Killed (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Adam Thompson Sinclair 1071014 RAFVR Age 33 - Killed (2)

Nav: F/O. Jack Verner Pearl J/22368 RCAF Age 24 - Killed (3)

Air/Bmr: Sgt George Alexander Paterson 1076401 RAFVR - PoW No. 1748 Camp: Stalag 'Kopernikus' Thorn, Poland - 357 (4)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt George Alfred Cartwright 1474347 RAFVR Age 20 - Killed (5)

Air/Gnr (MU): Sgt. Arthur Trivett 1587176 RAFVR Age 21 - Killed (6)

Air/Gnr (R): Sgt. Thomas Randall Evans 1299215 RAFVR Age 22 - Killed (7)



We appeal to anyone with further information and/or photographs to please contact us via our HELPDESK



INTRODUCTION


Like most bomber crews this one was another product of the natural selection process known as crewing up that took place at Operational Training Units (OTUs) the length and breadth of the land. In this instance the transition from five individual airmen to a highly efficient bomber crew had taken place at 81 OTU at RAF Tilstock in Shropshire between 3 August and 19 October 1943. From there the five had been posted to 1656 Conversion Unit RAF Lindholme in the West Riding of Yorkshire for training on the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. At Lindholme the five had become seven as they acquired a flight engineer and second air gunner.

A spell at No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School at RAF Hemswell in Lincolnshire followed and on 3 February the crew joined 625 Squadron at RAF Kelstern near Louth in Lincolnshire.

The crew, skippered by Yorkshireman Charles Pearson consisted of Scottish flight engineer Adam Sinclair, aged 33 and ten years older than Charles:

Canadian navigator Jack Pearl 24: air bomber and another Scotsman, George Paterson: Lancastrian wireless operator George Cartwright 20 and air gunners, Devonian Arthur Trivett 21 and Welshman Thomas Evans 22.

The next 12 days were spent on acclimatisation and training but what lay ahead was not the usual introductory milk run of a leaflet drop or minelaying operation, oh no; their indoctrination to operational flying was to be a trip to 'The Big City' - Berlin!

Along with most bomber squadrons, 625 had had a rest from operations for more than two weeks but beginning on the night of 15/16 February 1944 normal service was to be resumed.

A total force of 891 aircraft was despatched for a raid on Berlin, the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non 1000 bomber force sent to any target. Among the 561 Lancasters of the force were 15 from 625 Squadron one of which, serial ME588 was skippered by F/Sgt James Desmond Aspin DFM*. Charles Pearson was flying as second dickey and the rest of his crew apart from Jack Pearl and Thomas Evans in their usual roles. The only members of Desmond Aspin's usual crew on board were navigator Sgt William Edward Riley and rear gunner Sgt. Ronald Somner Watson.

The crew duly bombed the target at 20000 feet and returned safely from the 7 hour trip. Of the 15 despatched by 625 Squadron 12 bombed the target, 2 aborted due to technical failure and 1, Lancaster R5702 captained by Sgt. William Ashurst was lost, shot down by a night fighter it crashed at Fjelstrup in Denmark. The air bomber survived and became a prisoner of war whilst the others all perished and were buried at Aabenraa Cemetery.

43 aircraft representing 4.8% of the 891 despatched, failed to return.

* F/Sgt James Aspin and his crew were one of those lost during the raid of 19/20 February 1944 on Leipzig.

Three days later Bomber Command and the United States Army Airforce began the so-called Big Week or Operation Argument, a series of raids between 20 and 25 February 1944 against German aircraft industry targets. The first of these raids was to be carried out by the RAF on the night of 19/20 February against targets at Leipzig in Saxony.

Charles Pearson and his crew were one of 17 from 625 Squadron detailed for the operation and their first, both as a complete crew and under the command of their own skipper. For the operation the crew were allocated Lancaster LM384 CF-X.





As well as being an important railway intersection Leipzig was home to the Erla Maschinenwerk producing the Messerschmitt Bf109 under license at three locations in the city namely, Heiterblick, Abtnaundorf and Mockau. Diversionary attacks were to be made by Mosquito aircraft on Berlin, Stendal and Mindon together with a minelaying operation in Kiel harbour.

Zero hour was to be 04:00 hrs and at Zero-2 30 Primary Blind Markers and 55 Supporters were to begin the attack. 14 Blind Markers, 11 Special Blind Markers and 25 Visual Backers Up were to be spread throughout the main force that was to attack in 5 waves between 04:00 hours and 04:19 hours.

Charles Pearson's Lancaster LM384 was in the second wave that was scheduled to attack between 04:04 hours and 04:08 hours. The briefed route was east over North Sea turning in a south westerly direction to cross the Dutch coast and then due east and passing mid-way between Bremen and Hanover before turning south towards Leipzig (see map).



The total force despatched for this long distance bombing raid on Leipzig was 823 aircraft the number made up of 561 Lancasters, 255 Halifaxes and 7 Mosquitoes.

Night fighters were assembled in the Hamburg area in wait for the minelayers moving towards the Danish coast but the attacks on the Dutch airfields probably deterred the fighter controllers from diverting the whole force to Kiel and those that were diverted were quickly recalled.

The bomber stream was met by almost 300 night fighters soon after crossing the enemy coast and continued to be harassed all the way to the target and for a good deal of the homeward journey. The problem was further compounded by winds not being as forecast thus causing some aircraft to arrive early over the target and having to orbit whilst waiting for the pathfinders to arrive.

The target was covered in 10/10ths cloud; there was a quarter moon and visibility described as fair. The sky-marker flares were at first well concentrated but later became more scattered and the subsequent bombing was spread over a wide area with residential areas in the south (Connewitz) as well as residential and industrial areas in the southwest of Leipzig (Schleußig and Großzschocher) being hit.

650 aircraft reported bombing the target and dropped a total of 2300 tons of bombs.

Active opposition from ground defences was encountered at Emden, Bremen, Hanover, Frankfurt and Rotterdam as well as over the target itself. Flak accounted for at least 20 bombers and 27 were known to have been brought down by the night fighters. Most of the other 31 losses were also thought to have been due to night fighters. 78 aircraft were lost represented an extraordinarily large 9.5% of the total force and a further 70 aircraft aborted the mission. 420 aircrew were killed and 131 were captured and made prisoners of war.

This was the heaviest Bomber Command loss of the war so far, easily exceeding the 58 aircraft lost on 21/22 January 1943 when Magdeburg was the main target.

During the afternoon of the same day (20 February) more than 200 American Flying Fortresses attacked the aircraft factories of Leipzig with great accuracy and much of the damage revealed in the reconnaissance photographs taken later in the week must be attributed to them. A total of 970 people were killed by the two raids most of them by the British night raid.





REASON FOR LOSS

The first of the 625 Squadron Lancasters took off at 23:24 hours and all 17 were airborne before midnight. Charles Pearson at the controls of Lancaster LM384 got away 3rd last at 23:52 hours and later crossed the Lincolnshire coast at Mablethorpe heading in an easterly direction over the North Sea.

Nothing was heard from the crew after take off and the aircraft failed to return.


Post War Investigation

In 1947, whilst carrying out investigations in Hildersheim-Marienburg District of Saxony, Search Officer Fl/Lt R.B. Binks of No. 23 Section No. 4 MR&EU (RAF) Germany, visited the village of Bledeln where it was reported that 5 airmen, killed as the result the crash of a 4 engine bomber on the night of 19/20 February 1944, were buried in the local cemetery. His ensuing report of 4 March 1947 reads as follows:

Target: Assumed to be Hannover

Place of crash 150 metres east of Bledeln

Place of Burials: New Village Cemetery Bledeln

Crew as far as is known

1436390 Sgt. Pearson Norden

Can J.22368 Officer J.V. Pearl

1804513 Sgt. Kelly

(J.107105 crossed through) Pilot A.T. Sinclair

1587176 Sgt. Arthur Trivett

One Survivor

Most of the information was obtained from the Burgermeister, Herr Hapke, who was in office and present in the village at the time. He said that an attack was in progress on Hannover on 19/20 February 1944. At 3 a.m. a 4 engined bomber approached the village from the West at a low altitude. He was of the opinion that it received a hit from the flak battery at Pattensen. It was not on fire but it passed low over the rooves of the village and crashed in a field 150 metres to the East. After a time a fire broke out and it burned for about three hours. At the end of this time, Herr Vehrsorhn, a farmer, was passing nearby when an explosion took place and he was covered with earth. The next day, the pieces of wreckage were assembled together - including one engine which was found in the main street - but it was not taken away until some 6 weeks later when a Luftwaffe party took it to Hildesheim airfield.

Aircrew

A Luftwaffe officer came the next day and identified the five bodies as listed. The names and numbers were recorded with the Burgermeister. He was under the impression that one of them was a Norwegian. Two were found without parachutes on the edge of the village, two beside the wreckage and the fifth still strapped in his turret. Only the last was slightly burned. It is not known if any personal effects or relics were found in their clothing, but if there were any, they were removed by the officer.

Otto Leonhard interred them without coffins at 3 p.m. on 20 February 1944. There was no military honours or Christian rites accorded. The grave is situated midway along the Eastern row of the new Village Cemetery and there is a cross erected. The inscription on this and the condition of the grave could not be ascertained at the time of the investigation as it was completely buried by snow drifts. As far as is known, it has not been [hole in paper] tered [possibly it originally read 'registered']

Only one survivor is known about locally, he approached the village shortly after the crash, from the West, having baled out. His leg was slightly hurt but he was able to walk. His name is not known, and as he kept his outer flying suit on in the Burgermeister's office, his brevet is unknown too. He was taken to Hildesheim airfield and made a Prisoner-of-War.

Further questioning failed to elucidate any information concerning the seventh member of the crew.





On 20 August 1947 exhumation of the members of the crew buried at Bledeln Village Cemetery was carried out by Fl/Lt. J. A. Webb and members of 50 Grave Concentration Unit.

The report of search officer Fl/Lt J. A. Webb made on 2 September 1947 was as follows:


Body 1. Body decomposed, height 5'6 to 5'8, both legs broken. RAF BD trousers size 8, no tunic, OR's type shirt, air crew sweater. 2 civilian sweaters, air crew underwear complete. Flying equipment consisting of: outer flying suit and parachute harness.

Body 2. Very little flesh remained on bones, skull smashed, length and build impossible to assess. Fingers and hands missing. Clothing consisted of RAF BD trousers and BD tunic, blue sweater, air crew vest and pants, OR's type shirt, Navigator's brevet. Flying equipment consisted of fragments of the Mae West and flying helmet.

Body 3. Body decomposed, height 5'8 to 5'10, dark brown hair, lower half of arms and legs were missing, the skull was completely smashed. The clothing consisted of RAF BD tunic, with F/O. braid, RAF BD trousers size 7. Aircrew underwear, plus one pair of civilian pants, trade marked "EATON IA", officer type shirt, collar marked in ink with

'H0670' on it, also laundry mark 'PH 4/K'. No flying equipment was found on the body.

Body 4. Body decomposed, height impossible to assess, brown hair, the fingers and hands were missing, skull smashed. BD trousers no tunic, issue braces, air crew underwear, blue sweater. Flying equipment consisted of parts of the Mae West and flying suit.

Body 5 Body decomposed height impossible to assess, dark brown hair, fingers and hands missing, clothing consisted of RAF BD with Sgt's stripes and AG brevet. OR type shirt, white aircrew sweater plus one RAF issue sweater and one civilian sweater, aircrew underwear, blue socks. Flying equipment consisting of an electrically heated flying suit. An identity disc was found on the body reading:- 'J22368, Officer Pearl J.V. (RCAF)

Information was obtained from the cemetery records giving the names of the five bodies and their position of burial. From the documents it would appear that

Body No. 1 is 180413 Sgt. Kelly RAF

Body No. 2 is 1587176 Sgt. Navigator Trivett A. RAF

Body No. 3 is X107101 S, F/O Sinclair A. T. RAF

Body No. 4 is 1436390 Sgt. Pearson RAF

Body No. 5 is J22368 Officer Pearl J.V. RCAF


The report goes on to state that the five bodies had been concentrated at the Hannover-Limmer British Military Cemetery burial details as follows:

Plot 12 Row G

1804513 Sgt. Kelly - Grave 2

1587176 Sgt. Trivett - Grave 4

1071014 F/O. Sinclair - Grave 3

1436390 Sgt. Pearson - Grave 1

J.22368 Officer Pearl - Grave 5


With no knowledge of which aircraft had crashed at Bledeln the search officers had nothing more to go on than the remains of the crew and the local cemetery records. The remains had been buried in a communal grave but the various insignia of rank and trade that survived had clearly become separated from the correct body remains.

In 1949, having determined that the remains were those of some of the members of the crew of Lancaster LM384, a further investigation was requested.

Although nothing further was forthcoming about the crash itself it was agreed that 5 bodies were recovered from the crashed aircraft and thus there was 1 was still unaccounted for.

'...it would appear highly probable that at least 1 body could have perished and been incinerated in the aircraft after the explosion which caused the aircraft to burn intensely for approximately 3 hours. It should be borne in mind at this stage that it was the main part of the fuselage which was most intensely burning. Since of the body [sic] still to be accounted for one was a W/Op and one a R/G and since one body in a turret was definitely recovered and buried at Bledeln Cemetery it would seem highly probable that Sgt. Cartwright the W/Op was in fact the one who perished in the aircraft which Sgt. Evans, the R/G was the one who will likely have been identified as Sgt. Kelly.'


The investigation also ascertained that of the 5 bodies registered:

'4 were identified by means of identity disc and one by means of a tag attached to the clothes. In view of the circumstances it is feasible to assume that the tag recovered at the time bore the name of Kelly since probably one of the crew wore an article of clothing not belonging to him, and thus the name of Kelly figured in the cemetery records, on the cross and subsequently in all the German records'.

'The crater which was created by the crash and which was of the size of 22 mtrs in diameter and 7 mtrs deep has now been covered by fresh earth, and cultivation of the ground has recommenced. Thus it is considered that excavation would serve no useful purpose.

As matters stand, two alternative solutions present themselves. Either to register the body originally identified as "Kelly" in the name of Sgt. Evans, T.R., R/G, on the strength of the evidence that a definite body recovered from a definite turret and thrown clear of the aircraft was originally buried at Bledeln, or register this body as "Unknown" and inscribe the names of Sgt. Evans and Sgt. Cartwright on the "Memorial for the Missing". Sgt. Cartwright's name in any case would have to be inscribed on the "Memorial to the Missing".

It is greatly regretted that we are unable to produce a more complete and satisfactory explanation for you which would account for the one outstanding body, but you can rest assured that every possible effort has been made in an attempt to find a more satisfactory solution to this case.'


The mystery of Sgt. Kelly

Had it not been for the tag bearing Sgt. Kelly's name and number it would seem probable that the search officer would, on circumstantial evidence alone, been able to identify body No. 1 that was eventually classified as unknown, as being that of Sgt, Thomas Randall Evans. After all, it was known that a body had been recovered from the rear turret and there is no evidence as to which crew member, if any, was wearing the garment bearing Kelly's name.

In an effort to try to discover the identity of Sgt. Kelly, Aircrew Remembered researcher Roy Wilcock searched the not insignificant number of the names Kelly and Kelley in the National Archives catalogue Air 78 (Air Ministry and Ministry of Defence: Department of the Air Member for Personnel: Index to Airmen and Airwomen) but was unable to find any reference to a Kelly or Kelley with the correct service number.

However, a request placed on the RAF Commands website elicited a quite unexpected response from member M. Simpson who, having indexed all 625 Squadron airmen, had found that though indeed there was no Kelly or Kelley with service number 1804513 he had found that the number was applicable to a Sgt. John Kelleher who was an air gunner in the T. C. Slade crew. However this crew had been posted in to 625 Squadron from 11 Base with effect from 3 April 1944 and thus 6 weeks after the loss of LM384. Sgt. Kelleher was posted to the Air Crew Allotation Centre in Brackla (Invernesshire) on 27 October 1944 at the end of his tour.

At least the identity of "Sgt. Kelly" had been resolved although how his garment had found its way into a grave in Bledeln remains a mystery. If you have any further information about this matter please contact our helpdesk.



Bledeln

A reference to the crash on Wikipedia describes the damage caused to the village by the ensuing explosion and reads as follows.

On 19 February 1944, an English bomber crashed near Bledeln and exploded, creating a crater of 17 m depth [7 metres deep according to the MR&EU Report above]. Several of its high explosive and incendiary bombs hit the village and caused considerable damage. All roofs in Bledeln were badly damaged and many windows destroyed. A barn burned down completely, as did the roof of a stable. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bledeln



Sgt. George Alexander Paterson - the sole survivor

In his Liberation Questionnaire of 23 April 1945 George Paterson gives some details of his capture and his time as a prisoner of war. Strangely he states that he was captured 'Approx. 20 miles NW of Hannover' at 'Approx. 0215 hours'. Presumably 0215 hours was GMT and thus being one hour behind local time fits with the time of the crash (3pm) given in the statement by the Burgermeister, Herr Hapke to the investigating officer. The location of Sgt. Paterson's capture however is surely an error.

He gives no details other than to say that he was slightly wounded when he was captured and 'during the first few days of capture medical treatment was bad. Only treatment given was by a civilian woman at village where I was first taken.'

He goes on to record that he was first interrogated at a Luftwaffe camp (presumably at Hildesheim airfield as per the MR&EU Report earlier) before being sent to Dulag Luft at Frankfurt where he was held in 'solitary confinement with repeated interrogations by officers and bogus red cross representatives. Alternate kindness and threatenings. Attempts to show that everything was known in any case.'

After a week at Dulag Luft he was sent to Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug in East Prussia where he was held until 17 July when he was sent to Stalag 357 at Thorn in Poland. After less than three weeks the camp was moved to Fallingbostel.

In early April 1945 in the face of the Allied advance the Germans decided to relocate Stalag 357 yet again and the majority of able bodied prisoners were marched out of the camp in columns of 2000.

It seems that George Paterson was one of those who remained at Fallingbostel as he records that he was there until 16 April on which date the camp was reached by the 8th Hussars Recce Troop.



LM384 probably shot down by night fighter

We consulted Dr. Theo Boiten regarding the contention by Bledeln Burgermeister, Herr Hapke that LM384 was shot down by flak from the battery at Pattensen. Dr Boiten informed us that:

'No primary sources indicate an Abschuss of LM384 by a Flak battery at Pattensen' and the aircraft was probably shot down by Oblt. [later Hauptmann] Heinz Ferger - 3./NJG3 (a 4-mot near Hannover: 6.200 m. [at] 02.59)'


Other 625 Squadron losses

625 Squadron suffered two more losses during the raid on Leipzig, they were:

Lancaster ME588 CF-A piloted by P/O. James Desmond Aspin DFM was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Almke, Helmstedt, Germany. All 7 crew were killed and are buried at Hotton War Cemetery Belgium.

Lancaster JA862 CF-T piloted by Sqn Ldr. Barry Nicholas Douetil was shot down by night fighter and crashed at Resse-Wiechendorf. The pilot and navigator survived to become prisoners of war though the navigator Sgt. F. T. Price sadly died from wounds on 30 April 1945 following an attack by RAF Typhoons near Gresse on 19 April 1945 on a column of PoWs being marched to the Baltic Sea. He is buried at the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.

The five other crew members all died in the crash and are buried at Hannover War Cemetery.



BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF THE CREW


(1) Fl/Sgt. Charles Ernest Pearson was born in 1919 at York the son of Ernest Middleton Pearson and Annie Josephine Pearson, of York. M.I.E.E.

(2) Sgt. Adam Thompson Sinclair was born in 1910 at Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland the son of Thomas and Rosina Shearer Sinclair nee Laing.

In 1936 he married Margaret Liddle Motherwell Main at Haymarket, Edinburgh. They later lived at Bilston, Midlothian.

He is commemorated on the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle

(3) F/O. Jack Verner Pearl was born on 27 April 1920 at Toronto, Ontario Canada the only child of Jack Edwin Pearl (a Banker) and Dorothy May Pearl nee Verner. His mother died on 8 May 1920 of appendicitis, peritonitis aged 25

Jack lived with his father at 58 Normandy Boulevard, Toronto

He was educated at Bowmore Road Public School (1927-33) and Malvern Collegiate Institute, Toronto (1933-1940)

After leaving school he was employed by the Gair Company in Toronto as a Paper Maker from 1940 until enlisting in the RCAF. His long term ambition however was to become a Chartered Accountant

He participated in all sports especially baseball, golf and boxing and was also a stamp collector.

He enlisted at Toronto on 20 October 1941 when he was described as being 5' 8" tall, weighing 141 lbs with a medium complexion, brown eyes and black hair.

After training at 1 Initial Training School at RCAF St.Thomas, Ontario, 10 Elementary Flying Training School at RCAF Hamilton, Mount Hope, Ontario, Combined Training School RCAF Trenton, Ontario he was posted to 7 Air Observer School at RCAF Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. On successfully completing course 59A (14 September 1942 to 30 December 1942) he was awarded his Navigators Badge, promoted to Sergeant and commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 30 December 1942.

On 3 February 1943 he embarked for the UK, disembarking 10 days later and being posted to 3 Personnel Reception Centre at Bournemouth. Whilst there he was attached to the Army at Crowborough from 7 to 19 May probably for survival training.

On 21 June he was posted to 9 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit at RAF Penrhos in North Wales.

His promotion to Flying Officer followed on 20 June.

He was posted to 81 Operational Training Unit at RAF Tilstock in Shropshire on 3 August and on 29 October to 1656 Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme in the West Riding of Yorkshire for training on the Avro Lancaster.

He was posted to 625 Squadron based at RAF Kelstern in North Lincolnshire on 3 February 1944.

(4) Sgt George Alexander Paterson was born on 23 January 1922 in Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire Scotland. He lived at 9 French Street, Dalmuir, Glasgow, Scotland and was a Civil Servant prior to enlisting on 21 October 1940.

Possibly the son of Alexander McI Paterson and Elizabeth J . Ludlow married Medway 1916 Children Alexander G L Paterson born Medway 1916 died 1917, Catherine McI Paterson born Medway 1918

George Alexander Paterson died in 2007 at Edinburgh aged 84

(5) Sgt George Alfred Cartwright was born in 1923 at Southport, Lancashire the son of Alfred Cartwright and Agnes Cartwright nee Whittingham. He had two siblings Frances M. Cartwright born 1925 and Elizabeth A. Cartwright born 1928.

In 1939 - Alfred Cartwright, Agnes Cartwright, Frances M Cartwright and 1 other unknown lived at 99 Shakespeare Street, Southport.

(6) Sgt. Arthur Trivett was born in 1922 at East Stonehouse Devon the son of William John Trivett (a Railway Porter) and Elsie Trivett nee Mannell.

He had four siblings: Phyllis May Trivett (1913-1991), George H. Trivett (1915 -1920), Harold Ernest Victor Trivett (1916-1998) and Charles R. Trivett (born and died 1927).

In 1939 Elsie Trivett lived at 18 Brentor Road, Plymouth with children Harold and Phyllis and two more unnamed occupants, probably son Arthur Trivett and grandson David Watson (Phyllis's son). It is not known where her husband William Trivett was living at that time.

(7) Sgt. Thomas Randall Evans was born on 7 February 1922 at Goginan, Cardiganshire, Wales the son of Thomas Edward Evans (a General Farm Worker) and Margaret Julia Evans nee Bradshaw.

He had one sibling: Margaret Valmai Evans born 1929.

In 1939 the family lived at Claylands, Goginan, Aberystwyth at which time Thomas Randall Evans was employed as a Grocer's Shop Assistant.

He is commemorated on the Ardwyn Grammar School War Memorial, Aberystwyth.

(8) Hauptmann Heinz Ferger was born on 2 December 1915 at Lötzen near Dresden, Germany. In the winter of 1943/44 he was shot down over West Flanders and received severe burns.

He was killed on 14 April 1945 when he was shot down by a Mosquito during his Final Approach to the Lübeck airfield (Boiten).

He was credited with 23 victories and awarded the Ehrenpokal (Honour Goblet) der Luftwaffe, Wound Badge, Night Fighter Operational Clasp, Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross) 1 & 2 Klasse and Deutsches Kreuz (German Cross) in Gold on 1 January 1945.

He was buried at Lübeck-Travemunder, Block VI/E/9 (Rosseels).


BURIAL DETAILS, MEMORIALS AND EPITAPHS


(1) Fl/Sgt. Charles Ernest Pearson was initially buried at Bledeln Village Cemetery and re-interred on 19 August 1947 at Hanover War Cemetery Niedersachsen, Germany - Grave 12.G.1

His epitaph reads:

There is a way

Which seemeth right to a man,

And the end of the way

Is death

(2) Sgt. Adam Thompson Sinclair was initially buried at Bledeln Village Cemetery and re-interred on 19 August 1947 at Hanover War Cemetery Niedersachsen, Germany - Grave 12.G.3

His epitaph reads:

We loved him dearly

No one knows

Just what it cost

When he didn't come home

(3) F/O. Jack Verner Pearl was initially buried at Bledeln Village Cemetery and re-interred on 19 August 1947 at Hanover War Cemetery Niedersachsen, Germany - Grave 12.G.5

No epitaph

(5) Sgt George Alfred Cartwright - Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial - Panel No 226

(6) Sgt. Arthur Trivett was initially buried at Bledeln Village Cemetery and re-interred on 19 August 1947 at Hanover War Cemetery Niedersachsen, Germany - Grave 12.G.4

His epitaph reads:

May his sacrifice

Help to bring

The peace and freedom

For which he died

(7) Sgt. Thomas Randall Evans - Having no known grave, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial - Panel 229



Researched by Aircrew Remembered researcher Roy Wilcock for all the relatives and friends of the members of this crew - November 2019

With thanks to the sources quoted below.

RW 15.11.2019

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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