Operation: Russelsheim, Germany

Date: 12th/13th August 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 635 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND694

Code: F2:R

Base: RAF Downham Market, Norfolk

Location: Werbomont, Belgium

Pilot: Fg Off. George Simpson Henderson 127350 RAFVR Age 28. KiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Angus Vass Urquhart 1815458 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Navigator WO. Richard Pedrazzini 1375587 RAFVR Age 30. KiA (2)

Bomb Aimer: WO. Alwyn Terence Till 410756 RAAF Age 23. Survived/KiA (3)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Henry Charles Ross 1334400 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. John Hubert Morgan 1852381 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Francis Reginald ‘Frank’ Holledge 1318586 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 21:42 hrs from RAF Downham Market in Norfolk - joining some 296 other aircraft flying deep into southern Germany to bomb the Opel works at Russelsheim, bombing the target between 00:07 and 00:27 hrs. (The factory was thought to be manufacturing the wings for the V1 flying bombs). The bomber stream encountered night fighters from Brussels all the way to the target and also on their homeward-bound flights.

The Allies lost some 20 aircraft on this operation. The target was only slightly damaged, most of the bombs landed in open countryside. However the tyre and dispatch departments and powerhouse were hit - some 9 people killed on the ground with a further 31 injured.

ND694 was claimed by Hptm. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer from Stab IV./NJG1, his 91st Abschuss and the 3rd of four claims that night, over Werbemont, 30km south of Liège at 4.900m at 01:09 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten).

Maj. Schnaufer survived the war. He was credited with 97 confirmed Abschüsse with 24 awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was born on the 16th February 1922. Schnaufer was taken PoW by British forces in May 1945. After his release a year later, he returned to his home town and took over the family wine business. On the afternoon of the 13th July 1950, he was heading south, on a wine buying visit to France, on the Route Nationale No. 10 in his Mercedes-Benz 170 convertible. J ust south of Bordeaux, at about 18:30 hrs, he was involved in a collision with a Renault 22 truck. Schnaufer never regained consciousness at Saint-André Hospital in Bordeaux. He succumbed to his injuries at the hospital two days later on 15th July 1950, aged 28.

(1) Fg Off. George Simpson Henderson was a police constable with the Aberdeen City Police prior enlisting in the RAFVR.

(2) WO. Richard Pedrazzini had an earlier lucky escape that year. Whilst with 76 Squadron on a mission to Magdeburg the pilot of Halifax V LK630 MP:D, Flt Sgt. Eric Firth lost control of the aircraft shortly after take-off, which was thought to have been caused due to icing.

The pilot ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft but it crashed before he could leave. The remainder of the crew abandoned successfully. WO. Pedrazzini obtained his Caterpillar badge as did four others of this crew. Awarded by the Caterpillar club - Irvin Airchute Company of Canada - having saved his life by parachute.

His brother (above) also served but with 431 Squadron.

(3) Preliminary investigations by the Missing Research and Enquiries Unit (MREU) in November 1945 were convinced that a war crime had been committed against WO. Alwyn Terence Till. However after many interviews with a number of Belgians, Germans it was established that following his successful baling out of the aircraft he tried to evade capture, a few days later he was picked up by members of the Belgium resistance and taken into hiding and looked after. It seems that he became bored and requested that he joined the Marquis on an operation that they had planned against the Germans.

As the operation went underway it was clear that the 30 Belgians were outnumbered and a withdrawal was ordered by the leader of the group. WO. Till decided to remain and fight it out - he was shot during the fire fight by the Germans. His body was later handed over to the Nuns at Dinant for burial. Several witness statements were made regarding his loss by both the Belgians and the German forces - these were accepted by the MREU and the war crime investigation was therefore closed.

Burial details:

The crew were initially buried at Werbomont, where there is a memorial erected to them. They were reinterred and laid to rest in Hotton War Cemetery after the end of the war.

Flt Lt. George Simpson Henderson. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.4. Grave Inscription: “HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE”. Born on the 11th November 1915 in Kingennie, Angus. Son of James and Etta Henderson of Aberdeen Scotland. Husband of Mary Isabella Henderson.

Sgt. Angus Vass Urquhart. Hotton War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.5. Birth registered in the 4th Qtr of 1923 in Aston. Son of Elsie Stone (née Bromwich) Urquhart and the late Adam Urquhart of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England

WO. Richard Pedrazzini. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.1. Grave Inscription: “SWEET SACRAMENT OF PEACE, DEAR HOME FOR EVERY HEART WHERE SORROWS ALL DEPART”. Birth registered in the 3rd Qtr of 1914 in Lambeth). Son of John Baptiste and Harriet Emma Victoria (née Warne) Pedrazzini and brother of Ernest Pedrazzini of Lambeth, London, England.

WO. Alwyn Terence Till. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.6. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN”. Born on the 9th May 1921 in Ringwood, Victoria. Son of Sydney Norman and Evelyn Victoria Till of Mitcham, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. John Henry Charles Ross. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.3. Grave Inscription “TOO DEARLY LOVED TO BE FORGOTTEN. MUM AND DAD”. Son of John Thomas and Alice Mary Ross of Dartford, Kent, England.

Flt Sgt. John Hubert Morgan. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.2. Grave Inscription: “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, ST. JOHN XV.13 ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS”. Born on the 20th June 1924 In Southampton, Hampshire. Son of Edward Charles and Elsie (née Lillywhite) Morgan of Shirley, Southampton, England.

Flt Sgt. Francis Reginald ‘Frank’ Holledge. Hotton War Cemetery, Grave VII.A.7. Grave Inscription: “PEACE BE WITH YOU AND WITH YOUR SPIRIT. WE LOVED YOU SO. MOTHER AND DAD”. Birth registered in the 1st Qtr of 1923 in Camberwell, Greater London. Son of Reginald Arthur and Beatrice Maud (née Rush) Holledge of Bickley, Kent, England.

Researched by Linda Ibrom for Aircrew Remembered - May 2017. Photo credits to Ernie Pedrazzini (brother) and Marilyn Ensor (niece) Page dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to sources shown below and Australian Archives. Thanks also to Des Phillippet for grave photographs. Thanks to Paul Markham for the Next of Kin details for Sgt. Urquhart (Jan 2025). Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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