Operation: Cologne (Köln), Germany

Date: 23rd December 1944 (Saturday)

Unit No: 582 Squadron, Pathfinder Force (PFF), 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB141

Code: 6O:F

Base: RAF Little Staughton, Huntingdonshire

Location: Cologne-Nippes, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Reginald Chalmers ‘Reg’ Hockly DFM, 130688 RAFVR Age 24. PoW No. 7526 * (1)

Flt Eng: Plt Off. Kenneth William ‘Ken’ Hewitt DFM, 183777 RAFVR Age 34. Murdered (2)

Nav I: Sgt. David Spier 1803322 RAFVR Age 31. PoW ** (3)

Nav II: Flt Sgt. Oscar Horace ‘Tony’ Smith 1567092 RAFVR Age 32. PoW ** (4)

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Hugh Edmund Parratt DFM, 143915 RAF Age 24. PoW *** (5)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Roy Kenneth Shirley 1391257 RAFVR Age 20. PoW **** (6)

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Lt. Victor John Domaille Jehan 104579 RAFVR Age 27. PoW * (7)

* Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang, today situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

** Stalag 3A and work camps (Also Oflag 3-6), Luckenwalde, Brandenburg, Prussia.

*** Stalag 6G, near Duisdorf, Bonn, Germany.

**** Stalag 13D, Nuremberg, (Nürnberg Langwasser), Germany.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 23rd December 1944 27 Lancasters and 3 Mosquitoes of 8 Group were detailed to attack the Gremberg railway yards in Cologne (Köln), Germany of which seventeen (17) Lancasters were from the 582 Squadron.

The force was split into three (3) formations, each lead by an Oboe equipped Lancaster with an Oboe Mosquito as a reserve leader. During the inbound flight, two (2) Lancasters from 35 Sqn collided over the French coast and their crews were all killed.

On approaching the target, it was found that the cloud which had been forecast had cleared and it was decided to allow the bombers to break formation and bomb visually This move was made because the formation would have been very vulnerable to Cologne’s Flak defences during the long straight Oboe approach.

Unfortunately the order to abandon the Oboe run did not reach the Master Bomber, which was Lancaster III PB371 from 582 Sqn, and they continued on with the designated role, even though the aircraft was already damaged by Flak.

German fighters, who were directed to intercept an American bomber force, also appeared and attacked the Lancasters and Mosquitoes.

Of the total of seven (7) Lancasters lost on this operation PB141 was one of five (5) aircraft from the Squadron that failed to return:

The other four (4) were:

Lancaster III PB523 6O:J: Crashed at Opitter, 4 km SE of Bree in Belgium (3 KiA, 4 PoW);

Lancaster III PB120 6O:P: Hit by Flak and then shot up by Fw190s before crashing 7 km SE from the city centre of Cologne (Köln) (5 KiA, 2 PoW);

Lancaster III PB371 6O:V: Master Bomber. Shot down by Flak in the target area. Sqn Ldr. R.A.M. Palmer DFC and Bar was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for his outstanding valour (6 KiA, 1 PoW);

Lancaster III PB558 6O:A: Damaged by Flak and came under sustained fighter attacks. The entire crew baled out successfully over Allied held territory and returned to RAF Little Staughton on the 27th February 1945.

PB141 was attacked by German fighters and shot down. The order was given to abandon the aircraft and five (5) of the crew managed to successfully bale out. However, Fg Off. Parratt and Flt Sgt. Shirley became trapped in the spinning tail section of the aircraft but both miraculously survived after it fell 20,000 ft and crashed in the area of the Güterbahnhof (railway goods station) on the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk (railway repair shop) in Cologne-Nippes, some 3½ km (2¼ mls) north of the city centre.

The war diary for JG 26 listed seven (7) claims for Lancasters, albeit only five (5) were shot down from a combination of Flak and fighters. One (1) of the claims was not confirmed and the other six (6) claims were not attributed to a particular bomber.

Above: The Book “HEROIC ENDEAVOUR The Remarkable Story of One Pathfinder Force Attack, A Victoria Cross and 206 Brave Men” by Sean Feast. The book is in two parts, the first the gripping narrative, the second the retrospective reactions of the survivors.

(1) The DFM was awarded to 1192892 Flt Sgt. Hockly whilst with 49 Sqn. (London Gazette 22nd September 1942).

Above courtesy of the Birmingham Gazette, dated 23rd September 1942.

Flt Lt. Hockly DFM was captured that day and held at Köln (Cologne) Aerodrome until the 25th December after which he was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel. On the 11th January 1945 he was transferred to Dulag Luft, Wetzlar (Transit Camp).

On the 17th January he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the 20th January. On the 30th April 1945, the prisoners were ordered to evacuate the camp in the face of the advancing Soviet Red Army, but the Senior American Officer (SAO), Col. Hubert Zemke, refused to give the order. After negotiations between Zemke and Commandant Oberst (Col) Gustav Warnstedt, it was agreed that to avoid useless bloodshed the guards would go, leaving the PoWs behind. The next day, the first Soviet troops arrived.

The Western Allied prisoners took over the camp into self-administration on the 1st May 1945. After protracted negotiations between the Western Allies and the Soviet leadership, the evacuation of the 8,498 inmates of Stalag Luft 1 finally took place between the 12th and 14th May 1945. The former PoWs had repaired a runway at the Barth Air Base and aircraft of the 8th Air Force undertook a massive airlift called "Operation Revival". Hundreds of PoWs had meanwhile made their own way west.

RAF PoWs were flown back to England and the American PoWs were flown to Camp Lucky Strike in Le Havre, France, where they were processed and waited for a liberty ship to return to the United States. Flt Lt. Hockly DFM was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

Reginald Chalmers Hockly was born on the 18th December 1920 in Bedford, South Africa. He was employed as a Draughtsman and Steelwork designer prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 18th August 1940. Reginald passed away on the 8th May 1981 in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

(2) The investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of Plt Off. Hewitt commenced before the end of the war.

When US Forces occupied Köln (Cologne) the recovery of the remains of an Allied airman was carried out by personnel from the US Graves Registration Service. The American War Crimes Authorities, instigated an investigation into the death of the Allied airman believing that the victim was American.

Testimony was obtained from a Gefreiter (Private) Alfred Zingli of the Landesschützen Batallione H, Kompani 6 (6th Company, Battalion H, Local Defence forces) whose unit had an office on Heliosstraße in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne.

He was one of a number of soldiers who witnessed the bombing of the city and saw an airman parachuting down some 200 to 300 yards from his position. He called his Sgt, Unterfeldwebel (Sgt) Theo Rothaas, who shouted words to the effect ”We will kill him”. After which Rothass and another soldier headed towards the area by bicycle with Zingli and a comrade following on foot. Rothass was misdirected by some Russians whilst Zingli was pointed to where the airman had landed. He heard shots but could not make out how many but did hear a further two (2) from a rifle.

Arriving at the scene he found a crowd surrounding the airman on the ground who he thought was still alive. He then witnessed a police car arrive and the officers take the airman away to the St. Franziskus hospital on Schönsteinstraße.

Zingli was told by two witnesses to the events that the airman was first shot three (3) times in the stomach by a Politische Leiter (Political Leader in the Nazi party) who had arrived by car. A Obergefreiter (Acting Cpl) on the scene then shot the airman in the chest.

The American investigation, despite extensive interrogation and searches, could not identify the Politische Leiter.

The Obergefreiter (Acting Cpl) was identified as Hubert Wester and a member of the Heeres Kraftfahr Park (HKP)based on Widdersdorfer Straße.

Note: The HKP was a Vehicle Repair Park, a Wehrmacht military unit that was responsible for the repair and re-establishment of Wehrmacht vehicles.

Major Günther Lawaczeck, the former Commanding Officer of Wester, upon being made aware of his actions ordered an inquiry and a charge brought against him. However, a Courts Martial acquitted him after which he was sent back to his HKP unit. He was found fit for active service and transferred to Iserlohn. Two (2) weeks later he was drafted to the Eastern Front.

It was confirmed that Wester was severely wounded during heavy fighting on the Eastern Front on the 10th April 1945. He did not survive the transport to the dressing station and arrived dead at 17:50 hrs.

It was determined that Rothaas, despite shouting his intent, had no case to answer in the murder of the airman. However, during his interrogation he admitted to the ill-treatment of Russian PoWs and it was recommended that he should be handed over to the Soviet authorities as a war criminal.

It is not known what if any actions that were taken regarding Rothaas or his fate.

Up until the time the American investigation became to the attention of the Air Ministry in the absence of other information it was believed that Plt Off. Hewitt was still alive.

Based upon the American investigation the War Crime Group, North West Europe (NWE) determined that the victim was Plt Off. Hewitt. As there was no prospect of furthering the investigation it was recommended that case be closed, which it was on the 7th June 1948.

The DFM was awarded to 1426641 Sgt. Hewitt whilst with 460 Sqn. (London Gazette 6th April 1943).

1426641 Sgt. Hewitt DFM was appointed to a commission and promoted to 183777 Plt Off. with effect 18th August 1944 (London Gazette 6th October 1944).

(3) After baling out Sgt. Spier was captured on the 23rd December 1944 in Köln (Cologne) and was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 26th December. On the 4th January 1945 he was transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar.

The same day he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau near Kreuzburg, arriving there on the 10th January 1945.

On 19th January 1945, he joined the 1,500 prisoners that were marched out of camp in bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oder on 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train. On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3A located about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlin near Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

In early 1945, some 1,000 PoWs from the Stalag 8C and Stalag Luft 3 were brought to Stalag 3A, and also PoWs from the Stalag 21C in Wolsztyn. In February 1945 prisoners from Stalag 3B, Fürstenberg were evacuated to Stalag 3A, adding to the already overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. Finally, as the Russians approached the guards fled the camp leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army on the 22nd April 1945. He was interviewed on the 15th May 1945.

David Spier was born on the 11th July 1913 in Crumpsall, Manchester where he was a pharmacist prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in February 1942. David emigrated to the United States on the 28th September 1947. He married Sylvia Laner Stein on the 8th December 1995 in Palm Beach, Florida. David passed away on the 1st August 2013, at 100 years of age.

(4) After baling out Flt Sgt. Smith was captured on the 23rd December 1944 in Köln (Cologne) and was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 26th December. On the 2nd January 1945 he was transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar.

On the 6th January he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau near Kreuzburg, arriving there on the 10th January 1945.

On 19th January 1945, he joined the 1,500 prisoners that were marched out of camp in bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oder on 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train. On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3A located about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlin near Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

In early 1945, some 1,000 POWs from the Stalag 8C and Stalag Luft 3 were brought to Stalag 3A, and also PoWs from the Stalag 21C in Wolsztyn. In February 1945 prisoners from Stalag 3B Furstenberg were evacuated to Stalag 3A, adding to the already overcrowded and unhygienic conditions. Finally, as the Russians approached the guards fled the camp leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army on the 22nd April 1945. He was interviewed on the 15th May 1945.

Oscar Horace Smith was born on the 12th December 1914. He was a pharmacist in Scarborough prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in February 1942.

(5) The DFM was awarded to 1306717 Sgt. Parratt whilst with 408 (Goose) Sqn. London Gazette 21st April 1944.

Citation: "This airman has flown on 30 operational missions as wireless operator. His exceptional ability and great determination in the face of adverse circumstances have contributed materially to the successes obtained. This was amply demonstrated on one occasion in February, 1943, when the aircraft in which he was flying was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Parratt skilfully obtained radio fixes which enabled his pilot to set a course for base. He has displayed great devotion to duty".

Fg Off. Parratt sustained injuries in the crash and was admitted to the Reserve Lazarett (hospital) Köln - Hohenlind (today St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus) on the 23rd December. He was treated for a compound fracture of both bones in his right lower leg, severe lacerations to right foot and cuts to his head. He remained in hospital until the 28th February 1945 and was then transferred to Stalag 6G, Duisdorf in Bonn where he remained until the 13th April 1945.

The Allies captured Bonn on the 8th/9th March 1945. Fg Off. Parratt was interviewed on the 30th May 1945.

Hugh Edmund Parratt was born on the 9th March 1920 in Brentford, Middlesex. He was employed as a bank clerk in Woking, Surrey prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 6th June 1940. Hugh passed away in the 2nd Qtr of 1999 Dorset, South West England.

(6) Flt Sgt. Shirley sustained contusions to his Pelvis in the crash and was admitted to the Reserve Lazerett (hospital) Köln - Hohenlind (today believed to be St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus) on the 23rd December.

He remained in hospital until the 27th December and was then transferred to Stalag 6G, Duisdorf in Bonn where he remained until the 25th January 1945. Then he was transferred to Dulag Luft, Wetzlar (Transit Camp) where he spent three (3) days in solitary confinement.

On the 29th January he was transferred to Stalag 13D, Nuremberg, (Nürnberg Langwasser), Germany, arriving there the next day.

In late 1944/early 1945 the camp population grew enormously with the arrival of prisoners evacuated from camps in the east in front of the advance of the Red Army. These included many Americans and British airmen from Stalag Luft 3. Between the 2nd and 12th April 1945 large numbers were marched to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Bavaria

On the 17th April 1945 he escaped from the marching column at Fürht near Nuremburg along with Flt Sgt. J. Bax, Flt Sgt. T.R. Wood and Sgt. Boydell.

Flt Sgt. John Horace David Bax 1802755 RAFVR. He was the Flt Eng from 102 Sqn, Halifax III LL597 DY:X which was shot down by a night-fighter on the night of the 5th/6th January 1945 on an operation to Hannover (5 KiA, 3 PoWs);

Flt Sgt. Thomas Richard Wood 975880 RAFVR. He was the Rear Gunner from 166 Sqn, Lancaster III ME296 AS:V which was lost on the night of the 16th/17th January 1945 on an operation to Zeitz (2 KiA, 5 PoW);

Sgt. Richard Alan Boydell 2211803 RAFVR. He was the Mid-Upper Gunner from 51 Sqn, Halifax III LW461 MH:Y which was lost on the night of the 16th/17th January 1945 on an operation to Magdeburg (6 KiA, 1 PoW).

Sgt. Boydell was captured after twelve (12) hours whilst Flt Sgt. Shirley and the others were captured after three (3) days by two (2) SS men in woods west of Nuremburg. The city was liberated shortly thereafter and he was interviewed on the 21st April 1945.

Roy Kenneth Shirley was born on the 6th September 1924 in Hove, Sussex. He enlisted in the RAFVR on the 27th May 1941. Roy passed away on the 7th June 2013 in Ashford, Kent.

(7) After baling out Flt Lt. Jehan was captured on the 23rd December 1944 in Cologne and was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 25th December. On the 1st January 1945 he was transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar. On the 3rd January he was transported to Stalag Luft 1, Barth arriving there on the 7th January 1945.

On the 30th April 1945, the prisoners were ordered to evacuate the camp in the face of the advancing Soviet Red Army, but the Senior American Officer (SAO), Col. Hubert Zemke, refused to give the order. After negotiations between Zemke and Commandant Oberst (Col) Gustav Warnstedt, it was agreed that to avoid useless bloodshed the guards would go, leaving the PoWs behind. The next day, the first Soviet troops arrived.

The Western Allied prisoners took over the camp into self-administration on the 1st May 1945. After protracted negotiations between the Western Allies and the Soviet leadership, the evacuation of the 8,498 inmates of Stalag Luft 1 finally took place between the 12th and 14th May 1945. The former PoWs had repaired a runway at the Barth Air Base and aircraft of the 8th Air Force undertook a massive airlift called "Operation Revival". Hundreds of PoWs had meanwhile made their own way west.

RAF PoWs were flown back to England and the American PoWs were flown to Camp Lucky Strike in Le Havre, France, where they were processed and waited for a liberty ship to return to the United States.

Victor John Domaille Jehan was born on the 1st October 1917 in Vale, Guernsey, Channel Islands. He was employed as a clerk in Warrington, Cheshire before he enlisted in the RAFVR on the 5th March 1940. An uncorroborated report documents that Victor passed away in 2002.

Burial details:

Plt Off. Hewitt DFM was recovered by the American Graves Registration Service (GRS) and initially buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery as “Unknown-X-2193”. He was recovered and finally laid to rest at the Heverlee War Cemetery on the 4th October 1947.

Courtesy of Michel Beckers – Aircrew Remembered.

Plt Off. Kenneth William Hewitt DFM. Heverlee War Cemetery 10.D.9. Grave Inscription: ‘POSTED TO A HIGHER SQUADRON’. Born on the 29th November 1920 in Camberwell, Southwark. Son of William Buxton and of Jessie Florence Hewitt of Cricklewood, Middlesex, London, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to the relatives of this crew and in memory of our friend and colleague Traugott Vitz for his great work on the ‘VitzArchive’ (insert Link) (Jul 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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