Operation: Trappes, France

Date: 2nd/3rd June 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 158 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LK875

Code: NP:Q

Base: RAF Lissett, Yorkshire

Location: Between Criquebeuf-la-Campagne and Ecquetot, Eure, France

Pilot: WO2. Russell Bennett Thompson R116352 RCAF Age 23. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. George Gettings 907306 RAF Age 25. Evader (1)

Nav: Fg Off. John Kinnaird Greenway J22100 RCAF Age 20. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. William Alexander Younie R166259 RCAF Age 28. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Dennis Raymond Day 1324989 RAF Age 21. PoW No. 80015 * (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Vernon Nelson Hansen 429431 RAAF Age 21. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Thomas John Sheridan 2209172 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

* Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia, now Bąków nr. Kluczbork in Poland.

Above: WO2. Thompson, Fg Off. Greenway, Flt Sgt. Younie (From their Service records)

Above Flt Sgt. Hanson (From his service Record), Sgt. Thomas John Sheridan (courtesy of Debbie O'Regan

REASON FOR LOSS:

Halifax LK875 took off from RAF Lissett at 22:24hrs to bomb the rail yards at Trappes. The aircraft was attacked at about 6,000 feet and caught fire inboard to the inner port engine. The aircraft lost height steadily and the fire spread from the wing to the fuselage. Sgt. Gettings and Sgt. Day both baled out at approx. 4,000 feet. The aircraft crashed between Criquebeuf-la-Campagne and Ecquetot, Eure, France.

A Halifax Mk III aircraft

LK875 was claimed by Hptm. Werner Hoffmann Stab I./NJG5, his 31st Abschuss, 27km North West of Évreux 2.000m at 01:24 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Maj. Hoffmann survived the war and was credited with forty (40) confirmed Abschüsse and ten (10) or eleven (11) awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Five more aircraft from 158 Squadron took part in this mission to Trappes with the loss of 13 lives, 5 PoW's and 13 evaded capture

(Left) L to R: WO2. Thompson, Sgt. Day and Flt Sgt. Younie. (credit: Lewis Day) (Middle) L to R: WO2. Thompson, Fg Off Greenway, Flt Sgt. Younie. Unknown lady is assumed to be a member of the WRAF. (credit: Lewis Day). (Right) Wedding photograph of Sgt. Day and Violet Hazel Ashby outside The Cheltenham Minster, St. Mary’s on the 16th May 1942. (credit: Lewis Day).

(1) Sgt. George Gettings evaded capture in France. He was liberated on the 26th August 1944 and returned to RAF Northolt, UK on 29th August 1944.

George Getting was born on the 2nd June 1919 in Cornwall. George passed away on the 21st Jun 2007.

(2) Sgt. Day evaded for three (3) days but was captured on the 6th June near Chartes where he was held in the civilian jail.

He was then transferred to Stalag 133 (Frontstalag 133), which was a temporary PoW camp located near Rennes from the 9th June until the 2nd July. He was then transferred to Stalag 12A which was ocated between Limburg an der Lahn and Diez, 4 km SW of Limburg and was used as a transit camp.

He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg, Upper Silesia on the 8th July arriving there on the 10th July. On the 19th January 1945, he was amongst the 1,500 prisoners who were marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oder on the 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February and were loaded onto a train.

On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3A located about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlin near Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated. He was interviewed on the 24th May 1945.

Letter sent to Sgt. Day's wife, Violet, from OC of 158 Squadron, Wg Cdr. Charles Cranston Calder DFC 62699, notifying her that her husband and the rest of the crew were reported missing following the raid on Trappes. (credit: Lewis Day)

Dennis Raymond Day was born on the 8th June 1922 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He was working as a costings clerk n Cheltenham prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in September 1941. Dennis Day passed away on the 29th November 2003 and was laid to rest in the local cemetery in Cheltenham, beside his wife Violet who has passed away in 2001.

(3) This was Flt Sgt. Hansen’s very first operational mission which was as a replacement crew member. His sad death was even more poignant given that he had endured a devastating family tragedy. His dedication and bravery to continue serving his country in light of this tragedy should be remembered and honoured.

On the 8th September 1942 his father murdered his mother Maud, and his two sisters, Ferris and Audrey before committing suicide.

Above: Courtesy of the Warwick Daily News, dated 9th September 1942

Burial details:

Four of the crew are buried in a collective grave in the south-eastern corner of Ecquetot Communal Cemetery and one member of the crew Flt Sgt. Hansen is buried in the south-western corner of Criquebeuf-la-Campagne Churchyard some 15 km from Ecquetot

Fg Off. Greenway, Sgt. Sheridan, Plt Off. Thompson and Plt Off. Younie (courtesy of Kate Tame)

Plt Off. Russell Bennett Thompson. Ecquetot Communal Cemetery. Grave Inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON AND BROTHER". Born on the 10th March 1921 in Glenella, Manitoba. Son of Harold Bennett Thompson and Edith Margaret (née Caddos) Thompson of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

WO2. Thompson was posthumously promoted to Plt Off. with Service No J86841, effective the 30th May 1944.

Fg Off. John Kinnaird Greenway. Ecquetot Communal Cemetery. Born on the 15th September 1920 in Broadstairs, Kent, England. Son of Thomas Charles an Elsie (née Haselden) Greenway of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada.

John arrived in Canada on the 27th May 1922 and is remembered on the Lloydminster War Memorial, Saskatchewan

Plt Off. William Alexander Younie. Ecquetot Communal Cemetery. Grave Inscription: "I BARE YOU ON EAGLES' WINGS, AND BROUGHT YOU UNTO MYSELF". Born on the 5th February 1916 in North Norfolk, Manitoba. Son of William and Jess (née McPherson) Younie of Canada. Husband of Vera Evelyn Younie of Caeron, Glamorgan. His father predeceased him in 1937.

Flt Sgt. Younie was posthumously promoted to Plt Off. with Service No. J89867. William is remembered on a family headstone in Sidney Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.

Standing alongside is Mrs Vera Evelyn Williams, whose first husband was Plt Off. William Alexander Younie, who also lost his life that night and is buried in the nearby village of Ecuetot. (credit: Lewis Day)

Flt Sgt. Vernon Nelson Hansen. Criquebeuf-la-Campagne Churchyard, Eure, France. Grave Inscription: "HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED". Born on the 28th April 1923 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia. Son of William Henry and Rosie Maud Hansen of Warwick, Queensland, Australia. Born on the 28th April 1923 in Warwick, Queensland, Australia.

Sgt. Thomas John Sheridan. Ecquetot Communal Cemetery. Son of Thomas and Catherine Sheridan of Manchester, Lancashire. Thomas was born in 1924, Cholton, Lancashire, England.

Original research by Kate Tame for Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial, Debbie O'Regan cousin of Sgt. T. J. Sheridan, Thanks to Lewis Russell Day, the son of Sgt. Dennis Raymond Day, for the information and photographs of his mother and father and crew photographs (Nov 2018). Thanks to John Jones for the Nachtjagd claim (Feb 2021). Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2021). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Aug 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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