Operation: Dunkerque (Dunkirk), France

Date: 10th/11th October 1941 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AE382

Code: KM:A

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Location: In the vicinity of Balen, Belgium

Pilot: Sgt. Joseph Paul Anthony Bonett 777659 RAFVR Age 31. PoW No: 24367 * (1)

Obs: Sgt. George William Niblett 1259464 RAFVR Age 28. PoW No: 24457 * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Frank Ernest Wotton 1153799 RAFVR Age 24. PoW No: 24471 * (3)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Adam Anderson 1104542 RAFVR Age 19. PoW No: 24362 * (4)

* Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland.

Above: Sgt. George William Niblett (Courtesy of Paul Markham)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Hampden I AE382 took-off from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire at 18:55 hrs in the evening of the 10th October 1941, one of twenty-three (23) aircraft detailed from the Sqn to bomb Dunkerque (Dunkirk) in France. AE382 was the only aircraft not to return.

Above: 44 Squadron Hampdens over RAF Waddington 1941.

The bomber stream was recalled due to strong tailwinds but it seems that their radio was unserviceable and consequently never heard the order. After reaching the target they released their bomb load, only then did they realise they were alone.

Turning for home against the now very strong headwinds and when they thought they were over England started to descend. They had actually been blown off-course to the east of Dunkerque (Dunkirk) and were still over occupied territory. They ran into Flak which set the Hampden ablaze and crew were forced to bale out.

From the General Questionnaire for British/American ex-PoWs for Sgt. Wotton and Sgt Anderson it appears that they baled out over Belgium in the region of Balen where they were captured on the morning of the 11th October, which is some 193 km (120 mls) due east of Dunkerque (Dunkirk).

From the General Questionnaire for British/American ex-PoWs for Sgt. Niblet and Sgt. Wotton both evaded the enemy for a short time. Sgt. Niblet was apprehended at Harderwijk in the Netherlands, which is some 134 km (83½ mls) north of Balen, on the 16th October 1941. Sgt. Wotton was apprehended near Lommel, which is just 12 km (7½ mls) NE of Balen, on the 31st October 1941.

The son of the pilot, Mr. Paul Bonett contacted us with some of the details and also explained that his father remained close friends with a Vic Bruce for the rest of his life having both served as prisoners together.

This was believed to be Sgt. Victor Walter Bruce 748497 RAFVR the pilot of 51 Squadron Whitley P5108 MH:Q.

Note: The original report listed that the aircraft crash location was at Harderwijk in the Netherlands. However, from the General Questionnaire for British/American ex-PoWs for the four (4) airmen this location was based upon where Sgt. Niblet was apprehended.

All four (4) of the crew were transferred to the same PoW camps but their initial progress was different because of the dates and the locations at which they were captured:

Sgt. Bonett was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel for the statutory interrogation arriving there on the 12th October. Ten (10) days later he was transferred to Stalag 8B at Lamsdorf, in Silesia arriving there on the 24th October;

Sgt. Niblett was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel for the statutory interrogation. He was transferred to Stalag 8B at Lamsdorf, in Silesia arriving there on the 1st November;

Sgt. Wotton was interrogated at the Feldgendarmerie Headquarters in Lommel and again at the Antwerp Aerodrome. He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 31st October. On the 13th November 1941 he was transferred to Stalag 8B at Lamsdorf, in Silesia;

Sgt. Anderson was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel for the statutory interrogation arriving there during October and then transferred to Stalag 8B at Lamsdorf, in Silesia.

In May 1942 they were transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan where they remained until June 1943 after which they were transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug at Memelland. Whilst at Stalag Luft 6 they were each promoted to Warrant Officer (WO).

In early 1944 the Russian Army were advancing into the Baltic States from the North and the East preparation for evacuating the camp was being made. PoWs from Stalag Luft 6, the camp closest to the Russian advance, were in the "northern route" of the force-marches, and were transported to Stalag 20A by train in June/July 1944, and from there took part in the forced-march.

It was estimated that 100,000 PoWs took the northern route. It went to Stalag Luft 4 at Groß-Tychow, Pomerania then via Stettin to Stalag 9B and Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland.

On the 1st September 1944 they were amongst the PoWs who were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B. The camp was commonly known as Stalag 357, Fallingbostal but officially the designation was Stalag 357, Oerbke.

In early April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst (Col) Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

It appears that WO. Bonett, WO. Niblett and WO. Anderson were not amongst the PoWs on the forced-march because they were Interviewed the between the 26th April 1945 and the 28th April 1945 and their General Questionnaire for British/American ex-PoWs do not report that they had escaped from the marching columns.

Stalag 357, was liberated on the 16th April 1945 by British troops from B Squadron 11th Hussars and the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. They were met at the main gate of Stalag 357 by a guard of Airborne troops, impeccably attired and led by RSM Lord.

It appears that WO. Wotton was amongst the PoWs on the forced-march. After ten (10) days they arrived at Gresse, east of the Elbe. There they were issued with Red Cross parcels, but were then unfortunately strafed by BritishTyphoonfighter-bombers, mistaking them for German troops. Sixty (60) PoW were killed and many wounded.

WO. ‘Dixie’ Deans confronted Oberst (Col) Ostmann and bluntly gave him a choice, to be captured to the Russians or the British. Ostman provided WO. Deans with a pass and a German guard, and they headed west to contact the advancing British troops. On the 1st May WO. Deans and his guard were sheltering in a house east of Lauenbergwhen they heard over the radio the news of the death of Adolf Hitler. The next morning the house was overrun by troops of the British 6th Airborne. WO. Deans was taken to the commander of VIII Corpsand explained the situation. He was given a captured Mercedes car and drove back to Gresse. Two days later the PoW column marched back across the British lines. WO. Wotton was interviewed on the 4th May 1945.

(1) Joseph Paul Anthony Bonett was born on the 1st March 1910 in Alexandria, Al Iskandariyah, Egypt. Moved to South Africa and then to Rhodesia. He was an inspector in the Veterinary Department, Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 5th July 1940.

After release from the RAFVR he returned to Rhodesia and then returned to the United Kingdom in 1950 after marrying Rosaline Connolly, a wartime nurse.

He then trained as a civilian airline pilot with Freddy Laker with Skyways Limited which became established as the largest operator of non-scheduled air services in Europe. Sadly Joseph passed away on the 8th January 1988 in Steeple Bumpstead, Essex.

(2) George William Niblett was born on the 6th October 1912 in Pôrto, Portugal. He was an Office Department Manager for Shell in Portugal prior to enlisting the RAFVR on the 25th July 1940. After being liberated he returned to Portugal.

His brother, Fg Off. Charles Joseph Niblett 134882 RAFVR was KiA on the night of the night of the 2nd/3rd June 1944. He was the Mid-Upper gunner aboard 158 Sqn Halifax III LV921 which was shot down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Trappes. (6 KiA, 1 Evd). He is buried in the St. Desir War Cemetery, Collective Grave VII.A.9-14.

(3) Whilst at Stalag Luft 6 WO. Wotton worked with the escape organisation where his task was forging passes, papers, documents etc. Of the many in the organisation the three (3) names he remembered were A. Morris, Grimson and Harrison.

Sgt. Allan Morris 994380 RAFVR PoW No. 32, Stalag Luft 6. He was the Observer aboard 77 Sqn Whitley V Z6578 which crashed near Rotem on an operation to Köln on the night of the 17th/18th May 1941. (3 KiA, 2 PoW);

Sgt. George William John Grimson RAFVR 631689 PoW No. 134, Stalag Luft 6;

The PoW named Harrison has not been positively identified.

Frank Ernest Wotton was born on the 18th October 1920 in West Bromwich, Worcestershire. He was a Commercial Artist prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 27th May 1940. Frank passed away during January 2001 in Louth, Lincolnshire where he retired as a Police Officer.

(4) John Adam Anderson was born on the 19th March 1922 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire. He was a student in the Civil Service in Aberdeenshire prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in July 1940. John passed away in 2007 in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire.

Burial details:

None - all crew survived the war

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for and with information supplied by Paul Bonett, son of the pilot (Nov 2107). Reviewed and updated with new information by Aircrew Remembered (Apr 2025). Thanks to Paul Markham for the photograph of Sgt. George William Niblett (Apr 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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