Operation: ‘Noball’, Prouville, France

Date: 24th/25th June 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 467 (RAAF) Sqn, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND729

Code: PO:L

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Location: Mareuil-Caubert, Somme, France

Pilot: Flt Lt. Roland Reginald ‘Chip’ Cowan DFC 425278 RAAF Age 24. MiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Harry Kitchener ‘Kitch’ Feltham 1540769 RAFVR Age 29. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Andrew Leslie West 422779 RAAF Age 20. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Paul Francis O’Connell 426377 RAAF Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Herbert Kenith Brown 423639 RAAF Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Jack Sheffield 1578397 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Arthur Albert Summers 429503 RAAF Age 30. KiA

Above: Five (5) members of the crew of ND729 meet the Duke of Gloucester during his visit on the 22nd June 1944 to RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire, England.

From left to right: Wg Cdr. William Lloyd Brill, DSO, DFC and Bar 21977, Squadron Commander; His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester; Flt Lt. Roland R. Cowan 425278 RAAF; Flt Sgt. Andrew L. West 422779 RAAF; Flt Sgt. Paul F. O'Connell 426377 RAAF, (shaking hands); Sgt. Harry K. Feltham 1540769 RAFVR; Flt Sgt Herbert K. Brown 423639 RAAF. (Courtesy of the Australian War memorial)

The crew were on their 31st and three-thirds operations and this would have been their last to complete their tour.

Note: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris requested the amendment to tour policy to differentiate between 'two entirely different types of operation' in a letter to the Air Ministry: BC/C.28437/P/C-in-C dated 8th March 1944. This reported that he had already given instructions for operations carried out in an area 'W of 70E and N of 53N, and W of 6E between 53N and 46N' to count as only a third of one operation. Exceptions were mining 'in the inner harbours of Brest, Lorient, St Nazaire and La Pallice'. It was thought the change came about because in the lead up to D-Day he was worried that his most experienced crews were coming up to the completion of their tours at a crucial point.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 24th/25th June 1944 ND729 took-off from RAF Waddington at 22:33 hrs along with fifteen (14) other bombers from the Sqn to join a force of seven-hundred and thirty-nine (739) bombers that were detailed to attack seven (7) Flying-Bomb (V1) ‘Noball’ sites. The Sqn’s target was the site at Prouville.

Of the twenty-two (22) Lancasters lost on these operations two (2) from the Sqn failed to return.

ND729 or 61 Sqn Lancaster LM518 where claimed by two German night-fighters: (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Maj. Walter Borchers, his 24th Abschuss, from Stab NJG5 claimed a 4-Motor over Abberville at 3.000m. at 00:25hrs;

Hptm. Josef Krahforst, his 7th Abschuss, from 2./NJG4 claimed a 4-Motor over over Abberville at 2.500m. at 00:25hrs.

The second aircraft was Lancaster III LM450 PO:K which was shot down by a German night-fighter and crashed at Neuill-l’Hôpital, Somme, 8 km NNE from Abbeville. Plt Off. Arthur Albert William Berryman 415495 RAAF was KiA (1 KiA, 4 PoW, 2 Evd).

A Missing, Research and Enquiry Service (MR&ES) investigation determined that ND729 crashed near Mareuil-Caubert which is some 6 km south of Abbeville.

At the time of investigation the wreckage the aircraft had long since removed from the scene of the crash and the interrogation of local residents revealed that there was some confusion between ND729 and an American bomber which crashed in the same locality.

The USAAF aircraft was probably 534th Bombardment (H) Sqn, 381st Bombardment (H) Grp B-17G 42-97084, GD:H which was lost on the 22nd June 1944 after being hit by Flak and exploded in the air, disintegrated and crashed about 1,200 yards west of Epagnette, 2 mls SE of Abbeville (8 KiA, 1 PoW).

Two of the graves in the Mareuil-Caubert cemetery contained the identified remains of two of the crew.

The enquiries established that the bodies of two (2) members of the crew were recovered from the wreckage and that the bodies of four (4) other crew members were found at various locations in the vicinity of Mareuil-Caubert. These four (4) members of the crew undoubtably baled out but at too low an altitude to be successful. All six (6) members were individually identified, five (5) being buried at Mareuil-Caubert whilst Flt Sgt. O’Connell was interred in the Poix Cemetery.

The investigation failed to establish the fate and burial place of Flt Lt. Cowan. The team were of the opinion that he must have also baled out but having fallen in some remote spot perhaps a considerable distance from the scene of the crash, his body may not have been recovered for burial.

James H. Sheffield, whose relative was Sgt. Jack Sheffield, researched the loss of the crew and has travelled to France to visit the crash site near Mareuil-Caubert and the graves of the crew at Mareuil and Poix de Picardie several times. With the help of the Mayor of Mareuil he interviewed two eyewitnesses to the shooting down of ND729 and was shown a large section of one wing which was being used as a fence panel.

His investigation found that Sgt. Sheffield managed to bale out before it crashed. Sadly his clothes were ablaze as he descended and despite efforts of the local French villagers he succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. Flt Sgt. O’Connell also baled out but died from unknown injuries in the hospital at Abbeville during the afternoon of the 25th June. It appeared that he was not associated with the crew of ND729 hence his burial at Poix de Picardie.

According to an eyewitness two others from the crew managed to bale out but their parachutes were ablaze and they perished. Although official reports cited that the fate and burial place of Flt Lt. Cowan was not found apparently remains were found near the crash site at the time and it was speculated that these may have been of Flt Lt. Cowen.

(1) Flt Lt. Cowen was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 467 (RAAF) Sqn which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 25th January 1946.

Citation: “Flight Lieutenant Cowan as pilot has completed numerous operations against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty”.

Above: Studio portrait of 425278 Flt Lt. Roland Reginald ‘Chip’ Cowan (Courtesy of the Australian War memorial)

Ronald Reginald Cowan was a clerk prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 1st February 1942. He trained under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Australia, Canada and England.

Flt Sgt. Cowen was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 18th January 1944 and promoted to Acting Flt Lt. on the 5th May 1944.

Burial details:

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

Flt Lt. Roland Reginald ‘Chip’ Cowan DFC. Runnymede Memorial, Panel 256. Born on the 21st August 1919 in Ithaca, Brisbane, Queensland. Son of Herbert Reginald and Lucie Agnes Cowan of Caloundra, Queensland, Australia.

Above: Mareuil-Caubert Communal Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

The villagers of Mareuil-Caubert have held a simple ceremony on the 25th June each year since the war in memory of the five (5) 467 Squadron RAAF airmen buried in their cemetery.

Sgt. Harry Kitchener ‘Kitch’ Feltham. Mareuil-Caubert (Mareuil) Communal Cemetery Plot 2, Row D, Grave 5. Born in the 2nd Qtr of 1915 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire West Riding. Son of Sydney Herbert (deceased in February 1934) and Edith May (née Blackborow) Feltham of Sculcoates, Yorkshire West Riding, England.

Flt Sgt. Andrew Leslie West. Mareuil-Caubert (Mareuil) Communal Cemetery Plot 2, Row D, Grave 3. Grave Inscription: “FOR US HE DIED. FOR EVER REMEMBERED”. Born on the 30th September 1923 in Woollahra, New South Wales. Son of William Thomas and Dorris West of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.

Above: Poix-de-Picardie Churchyard (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Flt Sgt. Paul Francis O’Connell. Poix-de-Picardie Churchyard Row C, Grave 13. Grave Inscription: “DEARLY LOVED. REST IN PEACE”. Born on the 17th December 1921 in Toowoomba, Queensland. Son of Michael Francis and Annie Maria O'Connell, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Herbert Kenith Brown. Mareuil-Caubert (Mareuil) Communal Cemetery Plot 2, Row D, Grave 2. Born on the 10th June 1923 in Brighton, Victoria. Son of William Herbert and Elsie May Brown of Tocumwal, New South Wales, Australia.

Sgt. Jack Sheffield. Mareuil-Caubert (Mareuil) Communal Cemetery Plot 2, Row D, Grave 4. Grave Inscription: “IN EVERLOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEARLY LOVED SON AND BROTHER, JACK. MAM, DAD AND DON.”. Born on the 8th November 1914 in Raunds, Northamptonshire. Son of Ella May (née Sheffield) and stepson of Horace Lawrence of Raunds, Northamptonshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Arthur Albert Summers. Mareuil-Caubert (Mareuil) Communal Cemetery Plot 2, Row D, Grave 1. Grave Inscription: “MAY PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE”. Born on the 28th January 1914 in Brisbane, Queensland. Son of James Arthur Joseph and Margaret Mary Summers; husband of Erin Beatrice Summers of Annerley, Queensland, Australia.

Burial details:

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Apr 2025). Thanks to Ken Cowen, nephew of Flt Lt. Roland R. Cowen DFC, for the correction to Flt Sgt. Brown’s middle name. (Nov 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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