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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27/28.09.1943 7 Squadron Lancaster III JA849 MG:F Flt Lt. Routen DFM

Operation: Hanover, Germany

Date: 27th/28th September 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron (Pathfinder), 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA849

Code: MG:F

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: Osteressen, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Dennis Arthur Routen DFM, 148785 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. John Henry Frewer 1193096 RAFVR Age 33. KiA

Nav: Plt Off. Cyril Haworth Wolstenholme DFM, 155159 RAFVR Age? KiA

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. Ludwig Otto Noll 159690 RAFVR Age 34. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. John Thompson Simpson 1185795 RAFVR Age? KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Flt Sgt. Geoffrey Woodcock DFM, 1138811 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. James Kanelakos DFM, R18792 RCAF Age 28. PoW No 2918 * (1)

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

678 Aircraft left this night for an operation against Hanover with JA849 taking off at 19.39 hrs from RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire. A diversionary force of 27 aircraft separated from the Hanover stream, were sent to Braunschweig. This coupled with the extensive use of ‘Window’ fooled the night fighter units for awhile as they followed them thinking that this was to be the main target. Not until the bomb runs commenced on Hanover did they realise the deception.

The crew of JA849 L-R: Flt Sgt. Frewer, Flt Sgt. Kanelakos DFM, Flt Sgt. Woodcock DFM, Plt Off. Wolstenholme DFM, Flt Lt. Routen DFM, Plt Off. Noll - the photo was taken by the crew’s wireless operator, Flt Sgt. Simpson (courtesy James Kanelakos)

39 Allied aircraft still failed to return such was the intensity of the newly scrambled units from the Luftwaffe night fighters. JG300 lost 4 Fw190’s during the fierce air battle, with JG301 losing 3. Twin engines losses amounted to 5 from NJG1 and NJG5.

Above left: Flt Sgt. Geoffrey Woodcock DFM Right: Flt Sgt. James Kanelakos DFM (courtesy Michel Beckers)

JA849 was claimed by Oblt. Werner Baake, his 18th Abschuss, from of 3./NJG1, over at 4.000m over Osteressen, 4 km north of Quakenbrück Germany at 22:40 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 September - 31 December) 1943 Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Hptm. Werner Baake survived the war and was credited with 32 confirmed abschüsse with 8 awaiting confirmation (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten). He became a flight captain with Lufthansa. He was killed in an car accident at Heilsbronn on the 15th July 1964.

The crew had formed whilst training with 12 Operational Training Unit (OTU) based at Chipping Norden, England. First flew on operations with 90 Squadron before being selected for pathfinder training on the Stirling bomber with 7 Squadron. The crew had recently returned from a 3 week leave having completed 35 operations.

(1) Flt Sgt. James Kanelakos DFM, from Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada was severely injured when he was blown out of the aircraft and spent some months in the care of German hospital before transfer to Stalag Luft 3. He was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. whilst a PoW.

Flt Sgt. Kanelakos R18792 was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 7 Sqn effective 26th September 1943 (London Gazette 10th April 1945)

James Kanelakos was born on the 28th September 1915 in Smith Falls, Lanark County, Ontario. James passed away on the 8th December 2000 in Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, Canada.

Obituary for James Kanelakos (Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen, dated 10th December 2000)

Burial details:

Flt Lt. Dennis Arthur Routen DFM. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Coll.Grave 17.C. 11-13. Born on the 3rd February 1921 in Bristol, Gloucestershire. Son of William Arthur and Doris Victoria Louisa (née Capper) Routen of Coventry, Warwickshire, England.

1234491 Flt Sgt. Routen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 7 Sqn (London Gazette 10th September 1943).

Flt Sgt. John Henry Frewer. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Joint grave 17.C. 24. Grave Inscription: “TO THE WORLD HE WAS ONLY ONE. TO US HE WAS ALL THE WORLD”. Born on the 3rd September 1910 in Rugby, Warwickshire. Son of Charles Henry and Elsie Frewer. Husband of Muriel Rayment (née Luff) Frewer of Norwich, Norfolk, England.

Plt Off. Cyril Hawwoth Wolstenholme DFM. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Coll.Grave 17.C. 11-13. He was married to Mary A. Bartlett of Leicester, Leicestershire, England.

Flt Sgt. Wolstenholm was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 7 Sqn (London Gazette 15th October 1943)

Plt Off. Ludwig Otto Noll. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Coll.Grave 17.C. 11-13. Born on the 12th June 1909 in Westminster St. James, London. The son of Friedrich Wilhelm (deceased in 1930) and Anne Dorothea (née Behncke) Noll of Hendon Middlesex. Husband of Irene Maud Margaret (née Jordon) Noll of Hendon Middlesex, England.

His German parents applied for naturalisation after arriving in England before starting a family. He was brother to Frederick Hermann Noll.(1911 census: courtesy Caroline Cook)

Flt Sgt. John Thompson Simpson. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Grave 17.C.7. Husband of Doris Simpson of Stirchley, Birmingham, England.

Grave of Flt Sgt. Woodcock DFM (courtesy Fred Munckhof)

Flt Sgt. Geoffrey Woodcock DFM. Rheinberg War Cemetery, Joint grave 17.C. 24. Grave Inscription: “TENDERLY WE CHERISH THE PAST. WE LEAVE YOU WITH GOD. O VALIANT HEART, SLEEP GENTLY”. Born on the 3rd December 1921 in Salford, Lancashire. Son of Frederick C. and Sarah Ellen (nêe Drummond) Woodcock of Sale Moor, Cheshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Woodcock was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 7 Sqn (London Gazette 7th December 1943).

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered with thanks to the following, Michel Beckers, James Kanelakos, Fred Munckhof, Jack Simpson (Dec 2014). Thanks to Caroline Cook for the Next of Kin details for Plt Off. Noll (Nov 2019). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (May 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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