Operation: Nurnberg, Germany

Date: 2nd/3rd January 1945 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 166 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND635 ‘Frandson’s Frolics’

Code: AS:M

Base: RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire

Location: 1 km west the village of Zell, Germany

Pilot: Plt Off. Richard Hugh Chittim J90196 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. John Perry 1823741 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Jack David Jules Lucien Tarlton 1571479 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. George Henry Pearson 1577370 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

WOp/ Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Roy Styan Brown DFM 1086989 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. William Joseph Morgan R274063 RCAF Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John Carl Lillis R274162 RCAF Age 19. PoW No.150019 (1)

* Stalag 3A Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, Prussia.

Above: Plt Off. Richard H. Chittim, Sgt. William J. Morgan (from their Service Records), Sgt. John C. Lillis (Courtesy of The Windsor Star, 8th January 1945)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 2nd/3rd January 1945 on the first operation of the New Year for the squadron, and the first for this crew, twenty-seven (27) aircraft were detailed for an operation to Nurnberg in Germany.

ND635 was one of three (3) aircraft that failed to return. It is not known whether the aircraft was the victim of a German night-fighter or Flak. Captured German records stated that the aircraft crashed about ¾ mile (1 km) west the village of Zell, some 20 miles (33 km) SSE of Nurnberg.

This was the first operation for the crew and the first for Flt Sgt. Brown DFM, who joined the Sqn on the 16th December 1944 and who replaced Sgt. G.A. Abrams 1165030 RAFVR from the original crew posted onto the Sqn on the 6th December 1944.

Note: Sgt. G.A. Abrams 1165030 RAFVR did not feature in the Sqn ORB between when he was posted onto the Sqn until the end of hostilities.

The other two aircraft were:

Lancaster III LM687 AS:N which was hit Flak near the Battle Lines at 20:57 hours. The crew baled out over liberated France. All except Sgt. Ned Baker R278667 RCAF who was killed when he hit trees after he baled out, baled out and returned to the squadron on the 5th January.

Lancaster III PB635 AS:G which was hit by Flak killing all aboard, north of Poitiers, France.

On the 13th September 1944 whilst at 18 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on Course No. 32, Sgt. Chittam R164416 took off on a night exercise from RAF Finningley at 20:55 hrs aboard Wellington X LP642.

The port Engine cut out at 15,000ft and being unable to obtain a response to their emergency calls, the crew baled out at about 23:40 hrs. The Wellington crashed at Longridge in West Lothian some 22 miles WSW of Edinburgh.

Two of his crew were Sgt. William J. Morgan R274063 and Sgt. John C. Lillis R274162. The other two crew members are not recorded, but may have been Sgt. Jack D. J. L. Tarlton 1571479 and Sgt. G.A. Abrams 1165030.

On the 9th December 1944 Plt Off. Chittam shortly after arriving on 166 Squadron on the 6th December it was reported in a Canadian Newspaper that the bomber he was flying together with Sgt. Morgan and Sgt. Lillis crash-landed after experiencing severe icing conditions. The remainder of the crew thought that they were about to crash and baled out without being ordered to do so. All of the crew were safe.

The Sqn Operations Record Book (ORB) for December 1944 records no operations on the 9th December and does not mention that an aircraft was lost either during an air test or other non-operational training. No corroborating information has been found in official records for this alleged loss.

(1) Sgt. Lillis was thrown clear of the rear turret and opened his parachute and landed safely. He was sent to Dulag Luft, Oberursel and then to Stalag 3A at Luckenwalde.

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.

His brother Cpl. James E. Lillis served with the USAAF in the South Pacific and survived the war.

John Carl Lillis was born on the 21st September 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He returned to Canada after the war and then emigrated to the USA. John passed away on the 1st June 1985 in South Euclid, Ohio, USA.

Burial Details:

The crew were initially buried in the Roth Civilian cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Durnbach War Cemetery on the 27th September 1947.

Above: The Durnbach War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Above: The Initial Grave marker for the crew (from their service records)

Plt Off. Richard Hugh Chittim. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Grave Inscription: “HE HAS CONQUERED EARTH'S CONFINING SOD, AND GONE FORTH TO BE WITH GOD”. Born on the 10th January 1923 in Windsor, Ontario. Son of Gordon Aiken (deceased in Nov 1938) and Freida June (née White) Chittim of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. John Perry. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Grave Inscription: “TILL RESURRECTION MORN. "LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED HOPE"”. Son of John and Mary E. Perry of Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Jack David Jules Lucien Tarlton. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Son of James Edwin and Nelly (née Fievez) Tarlton of Brussels, Belgium.

His parents lived in Brussels, his English father having married Nelly Fievez. His brother James Edwin Tarlton was serving as a Captain in the British Army.

WO. George Henry Pearson. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Born on the 21st March 1921 in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Son of George Harold (deceased in 1941) and Mary Elizabeth (née Broddel) Pearson. Husband of Ethel (née Edmunds) Pearson of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Pearson appears to have been posthumously promoted to Warrant Officer (WO).

Flt Sgt. Roy Styan Brown DFM. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Grave Inscription: “AT REST”. Born on the 13th November 1920 in Holbeck, Yorkshire West Riding. Son of Joseph (deceased in 1934) and Harriet Alice (née Styan) Brown of Beeston, Leeds, Yorkshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Brown was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 101 Sqn which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 6th June 1944.

Sgt. William Joseph Morgan. Durnbach War Cemetery Coll. Grave 5.C.5-8. Born on the 16th January 1924 In Windsor, Ontario. Son of Philip John George and Marion Veronica (née Robillard) Morgan of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Oct 2025).

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