Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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35 Squadron Halifax II DT804 TL:C Fg Off. Ronald Hoos

Operation: Wuppertal, Germany

Date: 29th/30th May 1943 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 35 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax II

Serial: DT804

Code: TL:C

Base: RAF Graveley, Huntingdonshire

Location: Durasweg in Zoutleeuw, Belgium

Pilot: Fg Off. Ronald Hoos 49586 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Ernest Bell 548837 RAF Age 25. KiA

Nav: Sgt. John Gerard Kennedy 1083975 Age 22. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Ronald William Hodge 1097285 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Davidson 1368705 RAFVR Age 32. PoW No: 112 * (1)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Alexander Tannock 1361367 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Alexander Munro Taylor 1561460 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

* Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland (now Šilutė in Lithuania)

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Update 02nd August 2024: Would Elizabeth Hine and any other relatives of the crew please contact us. A Belgium group are trying to create a memorial to the crew.

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REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 29th/30th May 1943 35 Sqn joined a force of 719 aircraft on a mission to bomb Wuppertal in Germany.

The bombing was particularly accurate and a large fire area developed in the narrow streets of the old town centre. Approximately 80% of the district of Barmen’s built up area was destroyed by fire. 5 of the 6 of the town’s largest factories , 211 other industrial premises and nearly 4000 houses were completely destroyed. 71 industrial and 1800 domestic premises were classed as seriously damaged.

33 aircraft failed to return of which 10 were Halifaxes. Of these 4 were from 35 Sqn:

Halifax II W7876 TL:K was shot down by a night-fighter. Sgt. Allen Rex Sarjent 1332756 RAFVR and 4 of his crew became PoWs with 2 KiA;

Halifax II HR793 TL:J was shot down by a night-fighter. Sqn Ldr. Peter Johnston DFC 68139 RAFVR and one other from his crew were KiA with 6 becoming PoWs;

Halifax II HR833 TL:F was shot down by a night-fighter. WO1. James Livingston Lee R68499 RCAF and 4 of his crew were KiA and two became PoWs.

DT804 was claimed by Lt. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, his 11th abschuss, from Stab II./NJG1, 1200 m. east of Budingen and 7km NW of St. Trond at 6.500 m., at 01:43 hrs. DT804 was the second of three claims by Lt. Schnaufer and his Bordfunker Lt. Baro flying Bf110 G-4 G9+EC. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January - 22 June) 1943 Part 1 - Theo Boiten).

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

(1) Either aboard the aircraft or during his bale out Sgt. Davidson was wounded and he was captured 3½ mls NNW of St. Trond in Belgium that day.

The nature and extent of his injuries are not known, however, he was admitted to a hospital in Brussels the day of his capture where he remained until about the 18th June before being transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 19th June.

Above: Crash area August 2024 (Courtesy Bran Gourmand of Belgium)

He was interrogated until the 29th June and then transferred to the adjoining Reserve Lazarett (hospital) in Hohemark, for further unspecified treatment. On the 2nd July he was transferred to Stalag Luft 6 at Heydekrug arriving there 2 days later.

Whilst at Stalag Luft 6 he was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) and on the 12th July 1944 he was transferred to Stalag 357 Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland. On the 12th August 1944 he and the other PoWs were force-marched fromThorn (Toruń) to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B arriving there on the 14th August.

Above: Halifax DT804 (Courtesy Chris Vanhee via Bran Gourmand of Belgium)

The camp was commonly known as Stalag 357, Fallingbostal but officially the designation was Stalag 357, Oerbke. In early April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. WO. Davidson was amongst the PoWs that were not part of the forced march and remained in the camp.

On the 16th April 1945 the camp was liberated by British troops from B Squadron 1th Hussars and the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. They were met at the main gate of Stalag 357 by a guard of Airborne troops, impeccably attired and led by RSM Lord. WO. Davidson was interviewed for his ‘General Questionnaire for British/American Ex-Prisoners of War’ on the 28th April 1945

John Davidson was born on the 22nd February 1911 in Sandyhills, Glasgow. He was employed as a Railway Clerk in Glasgow with the London and North East Railway (L&NER) before enlisting in the RAFVR on the 27th March 1941.

Burial details:

The crew were first buried at the airfield off St-Trond - homebase of II./NJG 1 on the 1st June 1943 and then in 1945 were reinterred in Heverlee War Cemetery.

Fg Off. Hoos, Sgt. Bell, Sgt. Kennedy, Sgt. Hodge, Sgt. Tannock and Sgt. Taylor (pictures courtesy of Vicky Fifield)

Fg Off. Ronald Hoos. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. 4. C. 5. Grave Inscription: ‘WITH THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND THE SETTING OF THE MOON WE WILL REMEMBER’. Son of George and Jean Brodie Hoos of Liverpool. Husband of Alice Mary Hoos of Waterloo, Liverpool. At the time of his death Ronald's address was 17 Balmoral Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool, England.

Flt Sgt. Ernest Bell. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. 4. C. 6. Son of Arthur and Nancy Bell of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Stepson of Alice Bell of Cliftonville, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Sgt. John Gerard Kennedy. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. Joint grave 4 C. 9-10. Sgt. John Gerard Kennedy. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. Joint grave 4 C. 9-10. Son of John and Mary Kennedy (née McEvoy) from Southern Ireland, later of Ardwick, Manchester, England. The eldest of 4 children: Margaret, Patrick and Joseph.

Sgt. Ronald William Hodge. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. Joint grave 4 C. 9-10. Grave Inscription: ‘HE GAVE HIS LIFE THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE’. Son of Henry and Ellen Hodge of Moreton, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. Alexander Tannock. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. 4. C. 8. Grave Inscription: ‘WE PICTURED YOUR RETURN BUT GOD WILLED WE MEET IN A BETTER LAND. MAM, DAD, MAY, WILLIE’. Son of James McCormack Tannock and Mary Duncan Tannock of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Taylor is remembered on the Lossiemouth War Memorial (picture courtesy of Kate Tame)

Sgt. Alexander Munro Taylor. Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. Grave Ref. 4. C. 7. Grave Inscription: ‘THOUGH GOD HAS YOU IN HIS KEEPING, WE HAVE YOU STILL IN OUR HEARTS’. Son of James Alexander Taylor and Mary Ogilivie Taylor of Lossiemouth, Morayshire. His brother John also died in service.

Researcher Kate Tame (Senior Research Editor - Aircrew Remembered) and Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks to Vicky Fifield, Elizabeth Hine (née Kennedy) relative of Sgt. John Kennedy who contacted Aircrew Remembered in Oct 2015. Bran Gourmand of Belgium, With thanks to Alain Rosseels for initial burial information - Jun 2016. Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered including new PoW information (Aug 2024)

Other Sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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