Operation: Gardening - Königsberg

Date: 26th/27th August 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 57 Squadron (motto: Corpus non animum muto - 'I change my body not my spirit'). 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM278

Code: DX:L

Base: RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire

Location: Köningsberg (named Kaliningrad today)

Pilot: Flt Lt. Austin Thomas Clark DFC. J86332 RCAF Age 26. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Francis James Wilson 1863415 RAFVR Age 20. MiA

Nav: Sgt. Harold William Lugg R86953 RCAF Age 31. MiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Leonard Knut Johnson R172876 RCAF Age 25. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Henri Souci 1685986 RAFVR PoW No: 52692 * (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Henry Charles James Winslade 1608959 RAFVR Age 20. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Robert Hudson McNabb R182086 RCAF Age 27. MiA

* Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S." (O.S. standing for Oberschlesien, Upper Silesia). Today called Bąków nr. Kluczbork (Poland).

March 2025 - An updated comprehensive report on Stalag 3A: To read the report on conditions and evacuation of Stalag 3A during the period of liberation from April - May 1945 click here

The crew photograph above depicts six of the then Sgt. Clark’s crew. Standing left to right: Sgt. McNabb, Sgt. Johnson Sgt. Clark; front left to right: Sgt. Lugg, Sgt. Souci, unidentified but may have been Sgt. Winslade. Sgt. Wilson is missing from this line-up and may have been taking the photograph. The photograph was taken between February and April 1944 i.e. after the crew came together at 51 Base and Flt Sgt. Clark was appointed to a commission.

Above left to right: Flt Lt. Clark DFC, Sgt. Lugg , Sgt. Johnson from their service records.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 20:17 hrs on a 'Gardening' operation in the Königsberg (Kaliningrad) area. A return trip of almost 1,790 miles they were flying at the maximum range of the Lancaster. 41 aircraft taking part in the operation.

LM278 was hit by flak and crashed at 01:13 hrs near Pokarben 4 km east of Brandenburg. Six of the crew were KiA and Sgt. Souci became a PoW.

Post war (1949) the Missing Research Enquiry Team were prevented access to identify and relocate the graves as the area as this was then in the Russian zone. It is known that the crew were buried at 20:30 hrs on the 19th August 1944 at the Frisches Haff, Brandenburg Cemetery (now known as Ushakavo). German documents had the details of the burial, including a map shown below:

(1) Flt Lt. Clark was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 57 Squadron. Promulgated in the London Gazette on the 12th February 1946.

Citation Reads: ‘Flt Lt. Clark has taken part in may operations sorties which have included attacks against targets located in the most heavily defended areas in Germany and enemy occupied territory. On one occasion in July 1944 he was captain of an aircraft detailed to attack St Leu Desserant. When 25 miles from the target one engine of his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Fire broke out but was extinguished and the target successfully attacked. Shortly after leaving the target another engine became unserviceable. The aircraft was illuminated by searchlights and heavily attacked by enemy ground defences. Largely owing to this officer’s skilful handling it escaped further damage and although the hydraulic system shot away a forced landing was safely accomplished at base. Flt Lt. Clark displayed cool courage and fortitude in continuing to his target in such hazardous circumstances. At all times his devotion to duty and determination have been worthy of the highest praise’.

(2) Sgt. Souci was interrogated immediately after being captured in Königsberg.

He was then transferred to the Reserve Lazarett (hospital) at Hohemark, Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 4th September 1944, for treatment for unknown injuries.

On the 10th September 1944 he was transferred to the Obermassfeld Hospital #1249 for further treatment and where he remained until the 30th September.

Obermassfeld Hospital #1249 also known as Reserve-Lazarett 9C(a) (Served Stalag 9C) Obermassfeld Thuringia, Germany

He was then transferred to the Reserve Military Hospital 9C(b) at Meiningen where he remained until the 26th October 1944 when he was deemed fit enough to be transferred to Stalag Luft 7 at Bankau, arriving there on the 29th October 1944.

On the 19th January 1945, he was amongst the 1,500 prisoners marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oderon the 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train.

On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3Alocated about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlinnear 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 remained there until the 20th May 1945 when he was evacuated. He was Interviewed on the 24th May 1945.

Henry Souci was born on the 16th September 1916 in Mauritius. He was a Civil Servant prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 21st May 1942.

Burial details:

Above: Runnymede memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Flt Lt. Austin Thomas Clark DFC. Runnymede Memorial Panel 244. Born on the 21st December 1917 in Quebec. Son of Herbert and of Fanny Edith (née Meese) Clark of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Sgt. Francis James Wilson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 240. Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Wilson, of Barking, Essex, England.

Plt Off. Harold William Lugg. Runnymede Memorial Panel 251. Born on the 14th July 1913 in Barry, South Wales. Son of Ernest Joseph (died 1978, age 90) and Emily (née Slee) Lugg (died 1979, age 88 both parents buried in Mannville Cemetery, Alberta), of Mannville, Alberta, Canada.

Posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J89269 Plt Off. with effect 7th August 1944.

Plt Off. Leonard Knut Johnson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 250. Born on the 23rd March 1919 in Manitoba. Son of Andrew and Mary Johnson (née Eckman) of Manson, Manitoba, Canada.

Posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J92014 Plt Off. with effect 25th August 1944.

Leonard Johnson Lake northeast of Whitefish Lake in Manitoba was named after him in 1995.

Sgt. Henry Charles James Winslade. Runnymede Memorial Panel 240. Born in the 1st Qtr of 1924 in Staines, Middlesex. Son of Capt. W. S. Winslade, and of Ellen E. (née Heath) Winslade of Headington, Oxfordshire, England.

Plt Off. Robert Hudson McNabb. Runnymede Memorial Panel 251. Born on the 2nd October 1917. Son of Robert Davis (died 17th July 1940, age 64) and Alice McNabb (née Davey - died 14th June 1947, age 69 - both parents buried at Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto) of 68 Givens Street, Toronto, Canada.

Posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J89656 Plt Off. with effect 20th November 1944

Also remembered on parents grave in Park Lawn Cemetery in Toronto.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to John Jones who researched this loss and sent documents and photographs of the crew (Oct 2021). 'A Place of Honour' - 2nd edition. Also to Darren Wessely, Nancy Wessely and the Treich Family for sponsoring the page (Nov 2022). John Jones for PoW details (Jun 2013). Thanks to Clive Smith for the crew identification and typo corrections. Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Jul 2024).

other sources as quoted below:

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