Operation: Air Trooping

Date: 30th August 1945 (Thursday)

Unit No: 24 Squadron (motto: In omnia parati - Prepared for all things/Ready for anything'), 47 Group, Transport Command

Type: Dakota IV

Serial: KJ974

Code: None

Base: RAF Hendon, Middlesex

Location: Crestet SSE of Vaison-la-Romaine, France

Captain: Lt. Anonius Johannes J. Daniëls RNNAF Age 42. Killed

2nd Pilot: Lt. Piet Willem Ree RNNAF Age 33. Killed

Nav: Fg Off. Harold Oliver Young 190583 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

WOp: Fg Off. Leonard Montague Francom 169142 RAFVR Age 31. Killed

Passengers:

Flt Lt. Robert Thomas Gibson 146650 RAFVR, HQ RAF Malta Age? Killed

Fg Off. William John Henry Henley DFC, 416486 RNZAF Age 29. Killed (1)

Petty Officer. Phillis Ann Collett 11235 WRNS, HMS St. Angelo, Malta Age 23. Killed

WO2. Reginald Champion 6288415 4th Bn. The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) Age 27. Killed

Wren. Eileen Mary Stallworthy 83359 WRNS HMS St. Angelo, Malta Age 25. Killed

L/Sjt. John James Kennedy 1441811 68th Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) Regiment, Royal Artillery Age 35. Killed

Cpl. Richard Bennetta 3964087 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Age 26. Killed

Gnr. Arthur Wallace 11418595 68th Heavy Anti-Aircraft (HAA) Regiment, Royal Artillery Age 44. Killed

Able Seaman. Stanley A. Caffull D/JX 396609 HMS Cormorant, Royal Navy Age 24. Killed

Passenger: Mr. John William Jenkins. Civilian working as a lecturer for the Royal Navy Age 38. Killed

Note: Dakota IV KJ974 was built as Douglas C-47B #43-49149 and transferred to the RAF

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft took-off from Malta in very bad weather despite a warning to the pilot not to do so. Lt. Daniels, the captain of the aircraft was from the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service (RNNAF) was very experienced with over 8000 hrs on type.

En route the aircraft encountered violent thunderstorms and whilst at 600 ft control was lost and it broke up in the air at 12:40 hrs. Wreckage falling near Crestet, a few km SSE of Vaison-la-Romaine in France with the loss of the four (4) crew and ten (10) passengers

(1) In September 1945, Fg Off. Henley was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

Citation: "Pilot Officer Henley has completed a large number of operations against heavily defended targets in Germany, including seventeen attacks on Berlin. Once on the return flight from a sortie in mid-winter two engines of his aircraft failed. He skilfully handled the aircraft until the last possible moment and then landed by parachute just inside our lines in Holland. Although suffering from exposure and an injured leg, he returned to England and rejoined his Squadron. He has at all times displayed the utmost gallantry and devotion to duty and is an outstanding captain of his aircraft."

On the mission cited WO. Henley was flying 162 Sqn Mosquito XXV, KB407 CR:R on an operation to Hannover on the night of the 7th/8th January 1945. The main tank feed to the engines failed and the pilot of another squadron Mosquito heard the crew on the R/T saying that they were about to baled out. He and his navigator, Sgt. J. Clark, successfully abandoned the Mosquito and landed near Venray, Holland which was under Allied control.

WO. Henley was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 20th February 1945. He was promoted to Fg Off. on the 20th August 1945.

He had logged 1748 flying hours and had completed 40 operational sorties.

His brother, Plt Off. Douglas Charles Henley 414622 RNZAF was KiA on the night of the 31st August/1st September 1943 as the pilot of Stirling III EE878 AA-PP on an operation to Berlin in Germany (3 KiA, 4 PoWs).

Burial details:

Crew:

Lt. Anonius Johannes J. Daniëls. His remains were transferred to the Cimetière d'honneur Néerlandais, Orry-la-Ville Netherlands Field of Honour, Grave A.1.13 in 1956. Born on the 4th November 1902. No further details, are you able to assist?

Lt. Piet Willem Ree. Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg, Rhenen, Utrecht, Netherlands, Grave 8.6. Born on the 14th December 1911 in Rotterdam. No further details, are you able to assist?

Fg Off. Harold Oliver Young. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 20. Grave inscription: 'IN GOD'S KEEPING'. Son of Harry and Lilian Young of Gillingham, Kent, England

Fg Off. Leonard Montague Francom. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 22. Grave inscription: 'AT REST'. Born in 2nd Qtr of 1914 in West Ham, Essex. Son of Alfred and Gertrude Miriam (née Benjamin) Francom. Husband of Doris Maud (née Thomas) Francom of Dagenham, Essex, England.

Passengers:

Flt Lt. Robert Thomas Gibson. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 23. Husband to Dorothy Katherine Urquhert Gibson of Surbiton, Surrey, England.

Also remembered on the Roll of Honour at The Scottish National War Memorial.

Fg Off. William John Henry Henley DFC. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 21. Born on the 18 March 1916 at Auckland. Son of William James Henley and Mabel Alice Henley of Mount Eden, Auckland, New Zealand.

Petty Officer. Phillis Ann Collett. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 31. Grave inscription: 'NON OMNIS MORIAR' (I SHALL NOT WHOLLY DIE). Born on the 2nd August 1922 in Newton Abbot, Devon. Daughter of Arthur Preston and Sheila (née Mackinnon) Collet of Felixstowe, Suffolk, England.

WO2. Reginald Champion. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 26. Grave inscription: 'REST IN PEACE'. Born on the 20th June 1918 in Dover, Kent. Son of Raymond and Florence Katie (née Lawrence) Champion of Whitfield, Kent, England.

Wren. Eileen Mary Stallworthy. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 2. Row A. Grave 30. Grave inscription:'JESU, IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW OUR LOVED ONE SLEEPING'. Born on the 7th October 1919 in Liverpool, Lancashire. Daughter of Harold Edgar and Edith Alice Mary (née Mawson) Stallworthy of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England.

L/Sjt. John James Kennedy. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 25. Grave inscription: 'OUR LADY OF LOURDES INTERCEDE FOR HIS SOUL.RIP'. Born on the 17th November 1909 in Liverpool, Lancashire. Son of Charles and Margeret Kennedy of Liverpool. Husband of Mary Ann (née Mulhearn) Kennedy of Liverpool, England.

Cpl. Richard Bennetta. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 24. Born on the 3rd October 1918 in Neath, West Glamorgan, Wales. Son of Richard and Annie Louise (née Brown) Bennetta. Husband of Myra (née Thomas) of Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales.

Gnr. Arthur Wallace. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 19. Grave inscription: 'PEACEFULLY SLEEPING, RESTING AT LAST, ALL LIFE'S TRIALS AND TROUBLES ARE PAST'. Son of William and Beatrice Annie. Husband of W. Wallace, of Eltham, London, England.

Able Seaman. Stanley A. Caffull. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 29. Grave inscription: 'WE LOVE HIM NOW AS WE LOVED HIM THEN; AND WE TRUST IN GOD WE WILL MEET AGAIN'. Son of James and Florence Beatrice Caffull. Husband of Barbara Kathleen (née Philpotts) Caffull of Ledbury, Herefordshire, England.

Mr. John William Jenkins. Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles. M.Sc., Ph.D. Born on the 11th September 1906. Son of David and Mary Elizabeth Ann (née Eastwood) Jenkins of Godrevy, Ingrave Road, Brentwood, Essex. Husband of Robina Elizabeth Alice (née Wedderspoon) Jenkins of 31 Towers Road, Hatch End, Middlesex, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand (Feb 2021). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Sep 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: 01 September 2025, 06:08