Operation: Archeres, France

Date: 10th/11th June 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 100 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND594

Code: HW:P

Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Serazereux, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Douglas Thomas George Fairbairn 173760 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

2nd Pilot: Plt Off. Kenneth Arthur Wells 172480 RAFVR Age? KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Russell Scott Millar 1343965 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Frank Tovery 151163 RAFVR Age 24. KiA (1)

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Phillip Alaric Kemp 1335126 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Sedgewick 1800349 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Jesse Hancock 2206033 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Herbert William Gee 1517079 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Plt Off. Douglas Thomas George Fairbairn (courtesy Doug Douglas)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Grimsby in Lincolnshire at 22:53 hrs to bomb the rail facilities at Archeres. 432 aircraft taking part in the operation on this night bombing, Archeres, Dreux, Orleans and Versailles with all targets believed to have been hit.

ND594 was claimed by Maj. Paul Semrau of Stab II./NJG2, his 20th Abschuss, 5-20 km South of Dreux at 01.00 hrs.(Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Above Major Paul Semrau (archives)

On the 8th February 1945, Maj. Semrau was killed along with the rest of his crew when his JU88G-6, Wnr. 620562 from Stab/NJG2 was shot down on landing at Twente airfield by 402 Sqn Spitfire XIV RM862 RM:K flown by Flt Lt. Ken S. Sleep J9483 RCAF. The JU88 crashed near Stakenbeek in Olddenzaal. He was credited with 33 confirmed Abschüsse with 4 awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

One other Lancaster from 100 Squadron failed to return from this operation. Lancaster III LM321 HW:K flown by Plt Off. H.W.L. Skinner who survived, along with 3 of his crew and 3 were killed.

(1) Further information on Fg Off. Frank Tovery submitted to Aircrew Remembered by Doug Douglas, who has researched this loss a great deal - his cousin Plt Off. Fairbairn had been the pilot:

Frank Tovery grew up in Ilford, son of Frank and Sarah Tovery. On 22nd May 1939 Frank joined the Metropolitan Police. His warrant number was 127763 and he was posted to L Division from training school. Shoulder number was PC494L

PC Tovery left the Met Police to join the RAF on 30th July 1941. The Police Order to join aircrew had only come out on the 13th March 1941 so he must have been amongst the first to volunteer. Although now in the RAF under the terms of the police order he remained a police officer. The Met Police would have subsidised Cadet Officer Tovery’s pay until it was the equivalent or more than he was earning as a P.C.

In 1944 he was a Flying Officer and navigator in 100 Squadron RAF based at Grimsby. For most of 1944 the squadron had been flying night ops bombing France and Germany.

On the night of the 10th June Fg Off. Tovery was navigator in a Lancaster Mk III bomber (ND594 ‘P’) flown by Pilot Officer Fairbairn with a crew of 8. The aircraft took off from Grimsby at 22.55 in good weather with 19 other Lancasters from 100 squadron.

The crews had been placed on standby for the mission early in the day. Orders identifying the target had not been received until 16.00 hrs.

Their mission was to bomb the railway near Archeres. To the west of Archeres towards Paris was a marshalling yard and nearby were twin junction switches on the rail network. The operations log for 100 squadron records the junction was “already a much bombed tactical objective but still passing German military traffic to the Western front”. Indeed Fg Off Tovery had navigated four days earlier with Plt Off. Fairbairn and bombed the target on the night of the 6/7th June landing back at Grimsby at 03.05 hrs.

As Fg Off. Toverey navigated across southern England the aircraft encountered low cloud that continued over the Channel and then the weather cleared. 17 planes reached Archeres and dropped 68 tons of high explosive. 1 aircraft arrived too late over the target and was forced to jettison its bomb load into the sea on the return.

It was later discovered that Plt Off. Tovery’s aircraft had crashed at Serazereux 20 kilometres north-north-west of Chartres and about 15 kilometres south-south-east of Dreux. All 8 crew died. They were buried in a communal grave in Serazereuz cemetery and are the only service personnel in the cemetery. The cemetery is east of the village on the road to the neighbouring village of Ormoy.

Frank Tovery was 24 when his aircraft crashed in France. His death was announced in the roll of honour via the Police Notice of 24/04/1945.

Burial details:

Above: The beautifully kept crew grave at Serazereux Communal Cemetery (courtesy Doug Douglas)

Plt Off. Douglas Thomas George Fairbairn. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Grave inscription: “SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE. DOUGLAS, EVER IN OUR HEARTS. MUM AND DAD”. Born on the 11th June 1923 in Pancras, London. Son of Thomas Francis and Georgina Margaret (née Douglas) Fairbairn, of Holloway, London, England.

Plt Off. Kenneth Arthur Wells. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Biographical details currently not available.

Sgt. Russell Scott Millar. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Born on the 15th March 1922 in Kirkden, Forfarshire (now Angus). Son of James Leslie and Isabella Edie (née Scott) Millar of Glenfarg, Perthshire, Scotland.

Fg Off. Frank Tovery. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Birth registered in the 4th Qtr of 1919 in West Ham, Greater London. Son of Frank and Sarah (née Gettings) Tovery of Ilford, Essex, England.

Sgt. Phillip Alaric Kemp. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Birth registered in the 2nd Qtr of 1921 in Nottingham. Son Ruby Cecilia Kensit and step-son of Charles Kemp of Beckingham, Kent, England.

Sgt. Frederick Sedgewick. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Grave Inscription: “HE GAVE HIS MITE, SO SMALL TO GIVE, HE GAVE HIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT LIVE”. Son of Mr. and Mrs. William John Sedgwick of Rotherhithe, London, England.

Sgt. Jesse Hancock. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Grave Inscription: “WE MISS YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY, BUT MEMORIES HELP US ON OUR WAY. MUM AND DAD”. Birth registered in the 3rd Qtr of 1921 in Congleton, Cheshire. Son of Jesse and Lily (née Wright) Hancock of Congleton, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. Herbert William Gee. Serazereux Communal Cemetery, Collective grave. Grave Inscription: “IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON HERBERT "UNTIL THE DAY DAWN".Birth registered in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Guisborough, Yorkshire North Riding. Son of Arthur Fredrick and Alberta (née Suggett) Gee of Brotton, Yorkshire, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Doug Douglas, cousin of the pilot, Plt Off. Fairbairn, Mrs Gail Jones and the niece Sgt. Millar for his Next of Kin details (Dec 2018). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with thanks to the great nephew of Sgt. Kemp via Paul Markham for the Next of Kin details for Sgt. Kemp (Jul 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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