Operation: Sarajevo West marshalling yards, Yugoslavia

Date: 7th November 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 37 Squadron, 231 Wing, 205 Group, Mediterranean Allied Air Forces

Type: Wellington X

Serial: MF349

Code: LF:X

Base: Foggia No. 2, Tortorello, Italy

Location: WSW of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

Pilot: Fg Off. Georgius Emile Eid 162416 RAFVR Age 25. KiA (1)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Desmond Clifford Clapton 1567560 RAFVR Age 20. Evader (2)

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. Malcolm Partridge Butler 181277 RAFVR Age 30. Evader (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. A.P. Morrell 1890736 RAFVR Age? Evader (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. William John Gall 1100838 RAFVR Age 31. KiA (1)

REASON FOR LOSS:

MF349 took off form Foggia No.2, Tortorello in Italy at 14:11hrs with ten (10) other aircraft from the Sqn to attack the Sarajevo West marshalling yards.  This was the crew’s second operation.

MF349 was the only Wellington that failed to return on this day.  It was reported, albeit uncorroborated, that the aircraft had been crippled by Flak over the target, however, a Wellington was claimed this day, by a Bf109 from 1./NAGr12 WSW of Sarajevo, flown by Lt. Haus or Uffz. Heinrich Voss (A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940 -1945 – Volume 5) - Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello).

• Note: NAGr12 was Combat Reconnaissance Group 12.

All of the crew successfully baled out.

A second aircraft from the squadron, Wellington X LP603 LF:R, flown by Fg Off. Robert Frank Lavack 159040 RAFVR, exploded on touch down presumed due to a bomb hang up.

• Fg Off. Robert Frank Lavack survived the war and relinquished his Commission on the appointment to the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) on the 19th April 1945.

• Records show that he was Canadian by birth and was seconded to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).  He had a Royal Navy (RN) Id No: 186193, rank believed to be Lt., issued in Greenwich on the 7th April 1945.

Fg Off. Lavack survived unscathed but the other four crew members suffered severe injuries and were taken to hospital.  The following two (2) of those injured tragically succumbed on the 11th July and 11th November respectively:

• Plt Off. Kenneth Roy Rogers 184473 RAFVR Age 21;

• Flt Sgt. John Edward Trewick 1561353 RAFVR Age 23.

Both are buried at the Bari War Cemetery in Italy.

(1)  Fg Off. Eid and Sgt. Gall were reported to have been captured by Chetniks and murdered. Extensive research has not found any evidence as to the veracity of this claim so all that can be said is that they died in suspicious circumstances.

• Note: The Chetniks were also known as the Yugoslav Army of the Homeland and collaborated with the Germans during WW2.

(2)  The three (3) evaders were assisted by the Yugoslav National Liberation Army (YNLA), also known as Yugoslav Partisans who helped them contact the British Military Mission between the 7th and 9th November 1944.  They were evacuated to Italy on the 29th November 1944.

Desmond Clifford Clapton was born on the 26th February 1924 in Hammersmith, Greater London. Desmond passed away in July 1996 in Enfield, Greater London.

911497 AC2. Butler was appointed to a commission and promoted to181277 Plt Off. on the10th June 1944 (London Gazette 8th August 1944).

He relinquished his commission and had been granted permission retain his rank of Fg Off. effective 6th August 1958 (London Gazette 21st October 1958).

Malcolm Partridge Butler was born on the 6th August 1913 in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Malcolm passed away on the 23rd December 1987 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England.

No corroborated biographical information has been found for Sgt. A.P. Morrell.

Burial Details:

Above: Brussels Town Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Fg Off. Georgius Emile Eid. Belgrade War Cemetery, Grave 10A.A.2.  Exhumed and repatriated to the Brussels Town Cemetery, Row 5, Belgian Airmen’s Field of Honour on the 7th August 1959.  Born on the 27th February 1919 in Mario, Al Qahirah, Egypt. No further corroborated biographical information has been found.

Above: Belgrade War Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Sgt. William John Gall. Belgrade War Cemetery, Grave 10A.A.3. Grave Inscription: "FOREVER IN MY THOUGHTS. MOTHER". Born in Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland. Son of William and Mary Gall of Brockholes, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Willian J. Gall  is also remembered on the Roll of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their relatives (Aug 2026)

Other sources listed below: