Operation: Mannheim, Germany

Date: 9th/10th August 1943 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 61 Squadron (motto: Per purum tonantes - 'Thundering through the clear air')

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: W4236

Code: QR:K

Base: RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire

Location: Marbehan, Belgium

Pilot: Sgt. John Caswell Whitley 155499 RAFVR Age 20. Evader (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. George William Sidney Spriggs 1193053 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Peter Bellamy Smith 1333883 RAFVR Age? Evader (2)

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Walter ‘Whiz’ Walker 1458025 RAFVR Age 20. Evader (3)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ernest Frederick ‘Fred’ Gardiner 1322805 RAFVR Age 20. Evader (4)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Nevil Temple Holmes 1335294 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. John Topham Kendall R178673 RCAF Age 24. KiA (5)

The Bomb Aimer on this aircraft Mr. Walter Walker is appealing for any relatives of any of the crew to contact him to share information/stories. Mr Walker (age 91) contacted Aircrew Remembered in March 2014 - please contact us in the first instance.

August 2014 - relatives of Sgt. Ernest F. Gardiner has now contacted us. August 2014, the pilot, Sgt. Whitley has now also contacted us.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 9th/10th August 1943 Lancaster I W4236 took-off from RAF Syerston at 22:30 hrs to join a force of 456 aircraft on an operation to bomb the twin cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen on the banks of the Rhine.

Above. Lancaster W4236 took-off from RAF Syerston on an earlier operation (Courtesy of the Imperial War Museum)

Outbound they were attacked by a German night-fighter just after they had crossed the Belgian border into Germany. They jettisoned their bombs and turned back for home but were attacked again. The aircraft burst into flames and at about midnight they were ordered to bale out

W4236 was claimed by Lt. Norbert Pietrek from 2./NJG4, his third Abschuss and 2nd of the night, near Marbehan at 4.200 m. at 01:31 hrs. His crew comprised Bordfunker, (Radio/Radar Operator) Uffz. Gärtig and Bordmechaniker (Flight Engineer) Uffz. Scherer flying Bf110 F-4 3C+BK. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 June - 22 September) 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

Oblt. Pietrek was severely wounded on the 1st October 1943 in a crash at Bieul 1½ km NW of Dinant during a transit flight. He was credited with three (3) Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Above: 61 Squadron - 1943 (Aircrew Remembered archives)

(1) Sgt. Whitley and Sgt. Walker both arrived in Switzerland on the 21st December 1943.

Sgt. Whitley for France on the 30th August 1944. On the 12th September 1944 he was flown to Newquay via Naples arriving there on the 14th September 1944.

John Caswell Whitley was born on the 19th November 1922 in Bombay, India. John passed away in June 2020.

(2) Sgt. Smith evaded through France, Spain and Gibraltar. He left Gibraltar on the 3rd November 1943 and arrived at Portreath the next day. He was Comet No. 158.

(3) Sgt. Walker landed near Villers-sur-Semois in a corn field. He hid his parachute, Mae West and flying clothing in a stook (wheat sheave bundle) and started walking in a westerly direction until the morning. At daybreak on the 10th August he saw the small village of Sainte-Marie-sur-Semois and hid all day in a bean field.

That night he set off again and covered three (3) or four (4) km before it started to rain heavily so he took shelter in a stook. Waking at dawn he set off again still heading in a westerly direction and eventually reached the outskirts of Tintigny where he met a young Belgian. He recognised his RAF uniform and asked if he was English. He then took him to his home in Tintigny and gave him a meal and a change of civilian clothes.

On the 12th August his helper made contact with an organisation who arranged for his onward journey. He arrived in Switzerland on the 21st December. On the 23rd April 1944 he left with Warrant Officer (WO) Bulmer and Sgt. Merlin.

Flt Sgt. Stephen Thomas Bulmer 1476187 RAFVR was one of the Air Gunners from 90 Sqn Stirling III EH906 which was hit by Flak on an SOE mission on the night of the 4th/5th March 1944 (1 KiA, 3 PoW, 3 Evd);

Sgt. Edwin Harold Robert Merlin 700710 RAFVR was the pilot of 175 Sqn Typhoon JP577 which was shot down on a ‘Ramrod’ in the Crecy area on the 16th August 1943.

The were aided in evading through France, Spain to Gibraltar Sgt. Walker left Gibraltar on the 5th June 1943 and arrived the next day at RAF Whitchurch

Walter Walker was born on the 7th December 1922 in Headingly, Leeds. His peacetime profession was a Dairyman prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 11th September 1941.

(4) Sgt. Gardiner landed at about 01:20 hrs in a field about 10 yards from an electrical pylon. He discovered later that the field was about ½ mile from the village of Rulles, about 2 mls SE of Marbehan. In coming down he lost both flying boots and socks and sprained both feet. He rolled up his parachute, inflated his Mae West and tried unsuccessfully to sleep.

At day break he tore up my parachute and cut off strips with which he bound his feet. He tried to make some shoes out of his Mae West which was unsuccessful as they fell off his feet.

About 30 mins after dawn he saw a peasant approaching on a horse and cart. When he drew near he said “Aviateur, Angleterre”. The peasant rushed over and shook his hand and although Sgt. Gardiner could not understand what the peasant was saying he realised he was mistaken in thinking he was in Germany.

The peasant pointed down the track to what turned out to be Rulles. He walked with difficulty into the village and picked the smaller of the only two houses from which smoke was rising. Two women came to the door in answer to his knock and then a man appeared and quickly ushered him inside. A few minutes later several lorries full of German troops passed through the village.

His hosts provided him with a meal and a mackintosh, socks and boots. The man then took him across a brook to an isolated house in a field some 200 to 300 yards away. He was shown a large map and found out that he was in Belgium and not in Luxembourg as he originally thought. He was also provided with a change of civilian clothes and also brought a doctor to attend to his feet and bruises on his arms who also gave him 300 Belgian francs.

A number of villagers visited him including an elderly man who spoke English. He told him that the large bomb, a “Cookie”, that had been jettisoned had fallen, and had not exploded, near Marbehan and also two of the crew were hiding in nearby woods. About 2 or 3 hrs later he was handed over to helpers who put him in touch with the organisation name the “Possum Line” which arranged for his subsequent journey.

“Possum Line” - One of two escape lines organised by Dominique Edgard Antoine Potier who was a Capitaine-Commandant in the Belgian Air Force. He organised the recovery of Allied airmen and shelter, feed and to provide them with false identity documents, before moving them to safe houses in and around Reims in Northern France which was suitable for evacuation by air, using Lysander aircraft. He was captured and subjected to considerable torture and committed suicide on the 11th January 1944.

He was picked up by Lysander along with Flt Sgt. Pond RNZAF and landed at RAF Tangmere on the 14th September 1943.

They were picked up by 161 (SD) Sqn, Lysander IIIA V9673 MA:J “Jiminy Crickets”, flown by Sqn Ldr. Hugh Beresford Verity DSO, DFC and Bar, 72507 RAFVR. Took-off at 20:35 hrs from RAF Tangmere. Landed at 23:35 hrs near Reims (0540N, 5310E) dropped off 2 packages and picked up three (3) passengers and their baggage. Airborne again at 23:38 hrs and landed back at base at 01:05 hrs;

Above: Lysander Mark IIIA (SD), V9673 'MA:J', of No.161 (Special Duties) Squadron RAF on the ground at RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire. This aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader Hugh Verity on twenty missions to occupied France in 1943 to drop and pick up SOE and Resistance personnel. (Courtesy of The Imperial War Museum)

Flt Sgt. Herbert Alexander Pond 416161 RNZAF was the pilot of 97 Sqn, Lancaster III JA707 OF:V which was shot down by a German night-fighter on the night of the 27th/28th August 1943 on an operation to Nürnberg (2 KiA, 2 PoW, 3 Evd).

Ernest Frederick Gardiner was born on the 16th February 1923 in Banbury, Oxfordshire. His civilian profession was a French Polisher in Banbury, Oxfordshire prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 14th November 1941. Ernest passed away on the 30th May 2019 in Southampton, Hampshire.

(5) The original report stated that Flt Sgt. Kendall immediately baled out when Lt Pietrek targeted the rear and mid-upper turrets but sadly he hit the port wing of Lt. Pietrek’s Bf110 F-4. However, reviewing the available report by Lt. Pietrek’s Bordfunker of the engagement it makes no mention of such an incident.

Burial details:

Above: The Memorial to the crew who lost their lives – Erected in 2002

Left: The memorial to the crew who lost their lives - Erected 2002. Above: Florennes Communal Cemetery.

Sgt. George William Sidney Spriggs. Florennes Communal Cemetery Row 4. Grave 59. Grave Inscription: ‘AS WE LOVED HIM SO WE MISS HIM. GOOD NIGHT. MOTHER, DAD, SISTERS, BROTHERS’. Born on the 28th April 1922 in Leicester. Son of William Sydney and Ivy (née Davis) Spriggs of Braunstone, Leicester, England

Sgt. Nevil Temple Holmes. Florennes Communal Cemetery Row 4. Grave 58. Believed to have been born in 1923 in Lambeth, Great London. Mothers maiden name was Smith. No further information found.

Flt Sgt. John Topham Kendall. Florennes Communal Cemetery Row 4. Grave 57. Grave Inscription: ‘GONE FROM US BUT LEAVING MEMORIES DEATH CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY’. Born on the 26th January 1919 in North Kelsey, Lincolnshire, England. Son of Richard and Charlotte Annie (née Woolley) Kendall of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Two (2) of his three (3) brothers and two (2) of his six (6) sisters also served:

LAC. Herbert Stanley Kendall R159214 - No. 8 Bombing an Gunnery, RCAF School, Lethbridge, Alberta;
Leading Stoker Leslie Richard Kendall V35079 - HMCS Niobe, Greenock, England;
Sgt. Olive Mary Kendal W13571 - Prince of Wales Armouries, Edmonton, Alberta;
Cpl. Marjorie Doreen Kendal W13570 - Prince of Wales Armouries, Edmonton, Alberta.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Mark Walker (son of Sgt. Walter Walker). Thanks to Shaun Noble for an update for Sgt. Holmes (Jul 2018). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered and the addition of new information and images (May 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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