Operation: Gardening

Date: 9th/10th April 1944 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit No: 460 Squadron RAAF, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: ME663

Code: AR:M

Base: RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire

Location: Sknaale, 10km west of Horsens, Denmark

Pilot: Flt Lt. Peter Alan Crosby DFC, 416656 RAAF Age 20. KiA (1)

Flt Eng: Plt Off. Milton Wood Bender DFC, 173405 RAFVR Age 20. KiA (2)

Nav: Fg Off. Charles Edward Suffren DFC, 409280 Age 23. PoW/Died (3)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Clive Billett 414191 RAAF Age 25. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Leslie Harold Chapman 410641 RAAF Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Flt Sgt. Frederick Stanley ‘Stan’ Hodge DFM, 426100 RAAF Age 21. PoW No: 3518 * (4)

Air Gnr (Rear): Fg Off. Laurence William Robb 418879 RAAF Age 33. KiA

* Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland (now Šilutė in Lithuania)

Above: Fg Off. Charles E. Suffren DFC (Courtesy of the Australian War Museum), Flt Sgt. Clive Billett, Flt Sgt. Leslie H. Chapman (From their Service Records)

Above: Flt Sgt. Frederick S. Hodge DFM, Fg Off. Laurence W. Robb (From their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Binbrook at 21:20 hrs to join a force 102 bombers from various squadrons on a Gardening operation.

Luftwaffe night fighters had tracked the Bomber stream on their inbound trip over the North Sea from about 150 km west of Esbjerg, Denmark - Two of the Bombers were shot down before they reached landfall. The remaining bombers continued to the target and bombed between 01:20 and 02:13 hrs with no contact from night fighters. On their return journey however they were again intercepted from 03:00 hrs with seven more allied bombers being lost, either over Denmark or the North Sea, seven others returned with combat damage.

ME663 was claimed at a 4 Motor by Uffz. Erich Scheding, his 1st Abschuss, from 3./NJG3 west of Horsens at 5.200 m. at 03:58 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 March 1944 - 11 May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten).

Uffz. Erich Scheding was KiA on the night of the 25th/26th July 1944 in the North Sea, in the area of Spiekeroog/Heligoland, probably in Air Combat. He was credited with just one (1) Abscuüss (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

All but two of the crew were killed either during the attack or after the aircraft exploded. Flt Sgt. Hodge baled out and Fg Off. Suffren is thought to have either baled out or was ejected during the explosion.

The following is an extract from 460 Squadron Losses during WWII:

Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed at Sknaale, 10km west of Horsens, Denmark. Both Fg Off. Suffren and Flt Sgt. Hodge became PoWs.

In a later report Flt Sgt. Hodge described the following:

"The aircraft was badly shot about and set on fire by three enemy aircraft at 23,000 feet. At about 18,000ft the Captain ordered abandon aircraft and all the crew acknowledged. The plane lurched and at 6000 feet straightened out and the Captain said hurry and abandon. The aircraft started to dive again. I left by way of the rear turret. The aircraft was burning in both wings and the flames were coming back both sides. The starboard side was the worst. The aircraft was shot up in the vicinity of Arrhus and Horsens. I did not see the aircraft crash. I was met by Danes and taken for a meal. Then the Germans turned up. I have no information re the other crew".

Extract from Air War Over Denmark:

The aircraft dived again with flames from both wings and after a short while it exploded at 03:58 hours 1km North of Aale. The wreckage was spread over a couple of kilometres. A wing was found near the road Aale/Mattrup and two engines were found in a nearby field where also two flyers was found dead.

The Wehrmacht in Horsens had been called at 06:00 by the local police constable who informed them about the crash but at 08:00 they had not yet shown up.

At 08:00 Navigator Fg Off. Suffren was found laying severely wounded in Donnerupskov Forest. He had been blown out of the Lancaster when it exploded and had fallen to the ground. He had with him a water bag on which he had written: 03:40 attacked by fighter, thrown out of aircraft. Broke back. Give my love to my family, Ted. 05:10 pain unbearable. He was believed to be dead but moved when the search team attempted to cover the body with a blanket. Doctor Krogsgaard was called for and he gave the flyer a shot of morphine to relive the pain. Suffren was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Horsens where the doctors prepared for an operation.

The Germans however arrived and demanded that Suffren be handed over to them. Despite protests from the doctors the Germans placed him on the bed of a truck and took him to the German Field Lazarett in Aarhus. After some weeks Suffren was moved to Germany where he died on 16th February 1945 in a Luftwaffe hospital at Bad Tölz.

Flt Sgt. Hodge made contact with a Danish family and evaded capture briefly staying in the woods at Rask Mølle where he was brought food. He then decided to give himself up, probably to protect the local Danish people.

Above and below as described. Sent to Aircrew Remembered courtesy Kristian Zouaoui and the late Emile Henriksen in Denmark.

Fg.Off. Suffren was not so fortunate, he was seriously injured when he landed and indeed it is thought that he lay near the crash site of ME663 for some 3 - 4 hours before he was found. He was taken to the hospital at Horsens for treatment to what was thought to be a fractured back as well as other serious injuries, the Danish staff struggled to save his life. After 2/3 days the Germans arrived at the hospital and demanded that Fg.Off. Suffren be released to them. The doctors refused as this would endanger his life - the Australian navigator turned his head to the doctors and said: "This is the war, the idiots don't know what they are doing"! The staff formed a lane in honour for the airman as he was carried away, giving him chocolate and flowers for his onward journey.

(1) Flt Lt. Crosby was posthumously awarded the DFC effective from the 8th April 1944 whilst with 460 Sqn and promulgated in the London Gazetted 21st December 1945.

Citation reads: “Flying Officer CROSBY has completed numerous operational missions as Pilot. On one occasion, while attacking Brunswick owing to unexpected cloud, he was forced to repeat his bombing run in the face of intensive opposition. On the same sortie he was attacked by a Messerschmitt 210 and the rear gunner was wounded, but by skilful manoeuvring Flying Officer CROSBY was able to avoid his assailant.

Flying Officer CROSBY's exceptional coolness end fearlessness have been an inspiration to his crew on all occasions.”

Peter Alan Crosby enlisted in the RAAF at Adelaide on the 16th August 1941. He was employed as a bank clerk prior to service. He joined the Squadron from 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) on the 16th September 1943.

(2) Plt Off. Bender was posthumously awarded the DFC effective from the 8th April 1944 whilst with 460 Sqn and promulgated in the London Gazetted 21st December 1945.

(3) Fg Off. Suffren was posthumously awarded the DFC effective from the 8th April 1944 whilst with 460 Sqn and promulgated in the London Gazetted 21st December 1945.

Fg Off. Suffren was seriously injured when he landed and indeed it is thought that he lay near the crash site of ME663 for some 3 to 4 hours before he was found. He was taken to the hospital at Horsens for treatment to what was thought to be a fractured back as well as other serious injuries, the Danish staff struggled to save his life.

After 2 to 3 days the Germans arrived at the hospital and demanded that Fg Off. Suffren be released to them. The doctors refused as this would endanger his life - the Australian navigator turned his head to the doctors and said: "This is the war, the idiots don't know what they are doing"! The staff formed a lane in honour for the airman as he was carried away, giving him chocolate and flowers for his onward journey.

Sadly Fg Off. Suffren succumbed to his injuries on the 16th February 1945 whilst at Frankfurt hospital.

Charles Edward Suffren enlisted in the RAAF on the 20th July 1941 at Melbourne, a bank clerk prior to service.

His brother Lt. John Raymond Suffren served in the RANR and survived the war leaving the service on the 15th May 1946.

An RAF Officer who was also a PoW had met Charles and wrote a letter to his brother, which read:

"I was at once attracted by his fine moral and his philosophical attitude towards his injuries and the slow recovery. A large piece of shrapnel had hit him in the back and had given him several injuries.

If he had survived he would probably have been paralysed from the hip down for the rest of his life. The German doctors and nurses fought hard for him just as they would for one of their own boys.

His morale was the finest to the last minute and everyone who came in contact with him, Germans, Americans, and Englishmen had the highest respect for his courage and his rare struggle for life. He will be buried tomorrow with full military honours in a beautiful cemetery in Oberursel about five miles from here.

Your brother was a fine chap and a great example of the best Australian. May the Lord be with his soul.

Please accept our deepest sympathy with your great loss".

(4) Flt Sgt. Hodge was awarded the DFM on the 8th April 1944 whilst with 460 Sqn which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 15th August 1944.

Citation reads: “Flight Sergeant HODGE has taken part in sorties against some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany including Berlin, Essen, Cologne and Leipzig.

Throughout his tour he has exhibited fine fighting spirit which, combined with his devotion to duty and vigilance, have inspired members of the crew with confidence.

On one occasion, when detailed for attack on Brunswick the aircraft was attacked by a Messerschmitt 110 Flight Sergeant returned the enemy’s fire at the same time giving his captain prompt and clear evasive directions. After the first burst, his guns jammed but the crew undoubtably owe their lives to his vigilance and skill”.

After Flt Sgt. Hodge landed some 10 miles from Vejie in Denmark he was met by some Danes and taken in for a meal. Shortly later the Gestapo arrived and arrested him.

The next day he was transferred Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 14th April. Over a period of six (6) days he was held in solitary confinement and was interrogated again. On the 20th April he was transferred Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland arriving there on the 24th April 1944.

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 on during July 1944.

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. Flt Sgt. Hodge arrived there on the 18th July 1944.

On the 8th August 1944 he joined the PoWs who were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) in Poland 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 Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. He joined the men who marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

He escaped the marching columns and was liberated by British troops. The then Warrant Officer (WO) Hodge was interviewed on the 4th May 1945.

Frederick Stanley Hodge was born on the 3rd April 1923 in Melbourne, Victoria. He was an apprentice Fitter and Turner prior to enlisting the RAAF at Brisbane on the 26th November 1941 Stan passed away on the 5th September 2007 in Bundaberg, Queensland.

The people from Denmark honour the allied aircrews lost over their country every year. Most, if not all have a similar memorial placed near the crash site of their aircraft.

The webmaster has attended one of the ceremonies in 2013 for the loss of 75 (NZ) Sqn Stirling III BF506 AA:P.

Mr. Arne Rosenkvist has been one of the organisers of these wonderful memorials and in 2019 Arne sent us photographs of the 75th memorial gathering for this crew. These continue to be well attended even now.

Burial details:

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

Flt Lt. Peter Alan Crosby DFC. Esbjerg War Cemetery. Grave A.7.7. Grave inscription reads: "LOVED SON OF ALAN AND VERA CROSBY BROTHER OF DAVID, SEACLIFF, STH. AUSTRALIA". Born on the 7th June 1923 at Brighton, South Australia. Son of Wilfred Alan and Vera Maud Crosby of 35 Waratah Street, Seacliff, South Australia.

Plt Off. Milton Wood Bender DFC. Esbjerg War Cemetery. Grave A.7.11. Grave inscription reads: "DEARLY LOVED AND SADLY MISSED BY HIS HEARTBROKEN MUM, DAD SISTER AND BROTHER". Son of Samuel and Rose Bender of Golders Green, Middlesex, England.

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

Fg Off. Charles Edward Suffren DFC. Durnbach War Cemetery 2.H.22. Grave inscription reads: "HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE. FOREVER WE WILL REMEMBER". Born on the 20th January 1922 at Ballarat. Son of Charles Edward and Euphemia Mabel Suffren of 118 Frank Street, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra commemorated the service and sacrifice of Ballarat resident, Flying Officer Charles Edward Suffren at the Last Post Ceremony on Monday 3 February, which marks the opening of Australian Federal Parliament for 2025.

Flt Sgt. Clive Billett. Esbjerg War Cemetery. Grave A.7.9. Grave inscription reads: "HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED". Born on the 27th July 1918 at Darwin. Son of John Charles and Mary Kate Elizabeth May Billett, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Leslie Harold Chapman. Esbjerg War Cemetery. Grave A.7.10. Grave inscription reads: "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN". Born on the 20th July 1923 at Stawell. Son of Harold Henry and May Chapman of Stawell, Victoria, Australia.

Fg Off. Laurence William Robb. Esbjerg War Cemetery. Grave A.7.8. Grave inscription reads: "HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. LOVED BY ALL". Born on the 20th November 1910 at Alexander. Son of William George and Elizabeth Anne Robb. Husband of Irene Beatrice Robb of Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Horsens Folkeblad. Also to Mr. Arne Rosenkvist and the wonderful Danish people. Also to Kristian Zouaoui and the late Emile Henriksen in Denmark (May 2019) Thanks to John Jones for the extracts from 460 Squadron Losses WWII and Air War Over Denmark (Mar 2020). Thanks to Maurice Kissane for the link to the honouring of Fg Off. Charles E. Suffren (Feb 2025). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2025).

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2026 Last Modified: 19 February 2025, 07:38