Operation: Mantes-la-Jolie, France

Date: 6th/7th May 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 466 Squadron RAAF, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LV943

Code: HD:G

Base: RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire

Location: NW of Saint-Germain-de-Fresney, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Edmund Hourigan DFC 420882 RAAF Age 23. Evader (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Jack Dennis Dickens 1177399 RAFVR Age 23. Evader (2)

Nav: WO. Christopher Robert Cullen 414205 RAAF Age 23. PoW No. 4911 * (3)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Raymond Walter Perry 415738 RAAF Age 20. Id No: 78356 **, PoW No 8111 * (4)

WOp/Air Gnr: WO. Owen James Doherty 414863 RAAF Age 20. PoW No 3857 *** (5)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Lawrence Nestor Schulz 417524 RAAF Age 24. Evader (6)

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Lawrence Joseph Garske 423094 RAAF Age 26. PoW No 3860 * (7)

* Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

** Buchenwald concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimer, Germany in July 1937.

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

Above: Left to right, Plt Off. Edmund Hourigan DFC, WO. Owen J. Doherty, Flt Sgt. Lawrence N. Schulz, Flt Sgt. Lawrence J. Garske, from their service records

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 6th/7th May 1944 Halifax III LV943 took off from RAF Leconfield at 00:11 hrs on the 7th May to join a force of 149 aircraft which were detailed to attack the railway marshalling yards at Mantes-la-Jolie in France.

Three minutes after dropping its bombs on the target LV943 was set ablaze from an attack by an enemy aircraft. After the fighter attack the Flight Engineer reported that all engines were running perfectly and could not detect any sign of a petrol leak on his instruments. Both the gunners had left their turrets came forward. The Mid Upper Gunner was obviously dazed and blood was streaming over his face from superficial cuts. He got entangled in the Flight Engineer’s oxygen and intercom leads both of which were disconnected.

The Pilot continued to corkscrew as well as he could until the fighter attacked for the third time, probably from the port beam. It seemed to keep the Halifax silhouetted against the moon in each attack. The Pilot saw tracer going past him in this attack and felt the aircraft shudder. He then noticed the two Gunners at his side so gave the order to bale out.

All of the crew left from the front hatch in the order; Navigator, Bomb Aimer, Wireless Operator, Mid Upper Gunner, Rear Gunner, Flight Engineer and Pilot. The Fight Engineer undid the Pilot’s Sutton harness and disconnected his intercom and then abandoned the aircraft.

When the pilot left his seat the port wing of the Halifax at once dropped and the aircraft went into a steep dive. There was a strong smell of fire in the fuselage when he baled out feet first.

LV943 was claimed by Oblt. Georg Csurusky, his 1st Abschuss, from 1./KG51, SSW of La Boissière at 2.000 m, at 02:27 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 March 1944 - 11 May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten.)

Hptm. Csurusky survived the war and was credited with 2 Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

LV943 was the only Halifax lost on this mission which crashed to the NW of Saint-Germain-de-Fresney which is SSW of La Boissière.

(1) The MI9 statement describing how Plt Off. Hourigan evaded capture is not currently available. However, what is known about his evasion through France is that he made his way to the Allied camp in the Forêt Fréteval near Châteaudun.

Note: This camp was part of ‘Operation Marathon’ which was a plan to hide evading Allied airmen in secret camps in France and Belgium. The Forêt Fréteval camp was code named ‘Operation Sherwood’ and eventually held more than 130 Allied airmen. The camp was liberated on the 11th August 1944.

He was evacuated to RAF Northolt from the B.14 airstrip, Banville on the 18th August 1944.

RAAF aircrew upon their return after evading and escaping the enemy were given 3 options:

Return to operational flying;
Posting to an Operational Training Unit (OTU);
Repatriation to Australia.

Fg Off. Hourigan, promoted on the 12th August 1944, chose to return to operational flying and was posted to 462 Sqn on the 13th September 1944 where he flew a further 15 operations. He was then posted back to 466 Sqn on the 23rd December 1944 and flew 3 operations and completing his 1st tour of 31 operations. He was then posted to 27 OTU on the 15th February 1945.

Above: Group photograph of members of 462 and 466 Squadrons RAAF at RAF Driffield, Yorkshire, England, taken on the 13th December 1944. (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial).

Left to right: Fg Off. R. J. Evans DFC 410202 RAAF; Flt Lt. W. B. Cookson 413028 RNZAF; Plt Off. L.T. Sanders 178566 RAFVR; Flt Lt. P. H. Finley DFC 412294 RAAF; Fg Off. E. Hourigan 420882 RAAF; Sqn Ldr. B. J. MacDermott DFC 207838 RAAF.

The then Plt Off. Roger John Evans DFC 410202 RAAF and Plt Off. Peter Hamilton Finley DFC 412294 RAAF, Bomb Aimer and Pilot respectively, whose 466 Sqn Halifax III MZ313 was hit by Flak before reaching the target at Vaires. As ordered 5 of the crew baled out. Bombs were jettisoned after which the Pilot and Bomb Aimer managed to fly the Halifax back across the English Channel before baling out near Dungeness in Kent;

The then Fg Off. William Bolton Cookson 413028 RNZAF was the Pilot of 462 Sqn Halifax III MZ296 which was abandoned near Brussels over Allied lines on a mission to Duisburg on the night of the 14th/15th October 1944. All the crew survived and returned to England;

The then Flt Lt. Bernard John MacDermott DFC 207838 and Flt Sgt. Leslie Thomas Sanders 1271725 RAFVR were the Pilot and Navigator respectively, whose 466 Squadron Halifax III LV791 was abandoned over England after losing part of its fin after an attack on Acheres railway yards on the night of the 30th April/1st May 1944. All the crew survived. Flt Sgt. Sanders was appointed to a commission and promoted to 178566 Plt Off. on the 17th June 1944.

On the 1st March 1945 his posting to the UK was completed and arrangements for his repatriation to Australia commenced. He embarked for Australia on the 20th April 1945 and on the 2nd October 1945 his appointment was terminated upon demobilisation.

Fg Off. Hourigan was awarded the DFC whilst with 466 Sqn. London Gazette 9th March 1945.

Citation: "In air operations this officer has displayed skill, courage and fortitude of a high order".

Edmund Hourigan was born on the 9th January 1921 in Adamstown, Newcastle City, New South Wales. He was a Wood machinist with a company in Sydney prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 2nd July 1941. Edmund Hourigan passed away on the 26th March 1999 in New South Wales, Australia.

(2) Sgt. Dickens landed 12 km (7½ mls) NW of Saint-Germain-de-Fresney. All that is known about his evasion through France is that he made his way to the Allied camp in the Forêt Fréteval near Châteaudun.

Note: This camp was part of ‘Operation Marathon’ which was a plan to hide evading Allied airmen in secret camps in France and Belgium. The Forêt Fréteval camp was code named ‘Operation Sherwood’ and eventually held more than 130 Allied airmen. The camp was liberated on the 11th August 1944.

He was evacuated to RAF Northolt from the B.14 airstrip, Banville on the 18th August 1944.

(3) WO. Cullen was captured on the night of the 8th/9th May near Chartres at a farm whilst trying to obtain food.

He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 10th May. He spent 5 days in solitary and spent 2 days without food. He was transferred to the East Compound at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan on the 20th May arriving there on the 21st May 1944

WO Cullen was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 13th April 1944 and to Fg Off. on the 13th October 1944

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms and in military barracks. There they were provided with warm soup and bread.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages. Fg Off. Cullen joined PoWs from the North, East and remaining West compound PoWs and sent to the Marlag und Milag Nord PoW camp at Westertimke in Lower Saxony arriving there on the 4th February 1945.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager (naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men and marched them out, heading east. The next day, at around 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed.

It is not known if Fg Off. Cullen was one of the mustered PoWs or one of those that hid in the surrounding woods or in the camp.

Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag und Milag Nord camp moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division.

The next day, the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945. He was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945

Fg Off. Cullen embarked for Australia on the 8th August 1945 and was discharged from the RAAF on the 25th October 1945 upon demobilisation.

Christopher Robert Cullen was born on the 22nd March 1921. He was a Carpenter and Joiner in Brisbane, Australia prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 18th August 1941. He passed away on the 12th February 2007 in Moorooka, Queensland.

(4) Flt Sgt. Perry landed at 02:30 hrs about 15 kms (9¼ mls) west of Mantes-la-Jolie. After disposing of his flying kit he walked for about ¾ km (½ ml) and hid up in a dense wood until dawn.

Above: Flt Sgt. Raymond Walter Perry (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial).

He then walked south and finding a small village, possibly Bréval about 5 km (3 km) to the south, he requested help at a house where he was given food and a bed. When he awoke at mid-day there was a civilian suit and identity card ready for him. He was then taken to the small village of Ivry-la-Bataille, about 9 km (5½ mils) to the SW where he stayed with a unnamed man.

On the 8th May 1944 he was moved to the next village of Rouvres, about 5 km (3 km) SSE, where he stayed with another unnamed man for 2 weeks. During his stay a message was received from the Pilot and Engineer bringing news of their safety.

On the 23rd May 1944 he moved to Boncourt, about 2 km (1¼ mls) to east, to live with a family for the next 9 weeks. A member of the family started teaching him some French.

Above: Photograph of the Wyatt family, members of the French Underground, who sheltered Flt Sgt. Perry. (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial).

Left to right: Giselle Wyatt, Mrs Wyatt, Mr. G Wyatt, Flt Sgt. Perry and Noel Wyatt.

Above. The house belonging to the Wyatt family in Boncourt . (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial)

Whilst here he met two RAF aircrew, Fg Off. Frank Salt (18, Winchester Road, Bedford) and Flt Sgt. Davis (Howmill, Carlisle) who were anxious to get up to Allied lines so he decided to go with them.

Above: An informal group portrait of members of the French Underground and three Allied airmen after celebrations for Bastille Day the previous day on the 15th July 1944. (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial).

Left to right, back row: unidentified, Flt Sgt. Eric Davis, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified; Middle row: Noel Wyatt, Fg Off. Frank Salt, Giselle Wyatt, Flt Sgt. Perry; Front row: Mrs Wyatt, unidentified.

Fg Off. Frank Salt 153291 RAFVR was the Navigator from 35 Squadron Lancaster III ND731 shot down on the night of the 5th/6th July 1944;

Flt Sgt. Eric James Davis 1491273 RAFVR who was the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner from 83 Squadron Lancaster III ND966 shot down on the night of the 7th/8th/ July 1944.

On the 24th July they started off walking south, intending to be handed on to further members of the organisation, but some dislocation followed and they remained hidden for 8 days in an unused house. Then the Maquis arrived and wanted the house so they moved to the next village and on 2nd August were taken by car to Paris.

On the 7th August a car came to pick them up and take them to an aerodrome but instead they were taken to Gestapo HQ in Paris.

He was then transferred to Fresnes prison which was located to the south of Paris and was where French political prisoners were held and ordinarily Allied airmen, after questioning, were moved to a PoW Camp. In the summer of 1944, with the Allies having liberated Paris and closing in, the Gestapo guards started reducing the prison population by execution, and then relocating surviving prisoners to various concentration camps east of France. On the 15th August 1944 he was amongst 169 Allied PoWs and hundreds of French men and women who were packed into a freight train and transported to Buchenwald concentration camp on a journey lasting five days. Buchenwald was located 8 km (5 mls) north of Weimar, in the German province of Thüringen. It was established and administered by the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Fg Off. Joel Mathews ‘Tex’ Stevenson C27788 RCAF, the pilot of 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB727 VR:H escaped from the train and successfully evaded.

Sqn Ldr. Lamason and Fg Off. Chapman succeeded in getting all but two of the Allied PoWs transferred to Stalag Luft 3. Two airmen, 1st Lt. Levitt Clinton Beck Jr. O-736945, US AAF and Fg Off. Philip Derek Hemmens, 152583, RAFVR died in the sick barrack.

Recognition:

For decades the International Red Cross (IRC) had stated that there were no military personnel in Buchenwald despite the overwhelming documentary and anecdotal evidence. It was not until 1988 that the IRC eventually confirmed the airmen were illegally held at Buchenwald.

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments also consistently denied that any of their service personnel were ever held in concentration camps and refused to investigate the claims made by a 'mere’ handful of men.

Reparations were made to the British airmen who had been illegally held at Buchenwald in 1965. Eventually in 1988 the Australian, New Zealand and it is believed the Canadian governments acknowledged that their airmen had been illegally held in concentration camps.

American airmen were among those receiving compensation and the US Air force have acknowledged the Buchenwald airmen with an exhibit at the Air Force Museum, albeit the airmen are shown in uniform rather than in civilian attire. Furthermore, there is no mention of decades-long denial of their experiences by other branches of the government.

Flt Sgt. Perry was transferred to the east compound of Stalag Luft 3 over the period 15th to 20th October 1944.

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms and in military barracks. There they were provided with warm soup and bread.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages. Flt Sgt. Perry joined PoWs from the North, East and remaining West compound PoWs and sent to the Marlag und Milag Nord PoW camp at Westertimke in Lower Saxony arriving there on the 4th February 1945.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager (naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men, including Flt Sgt. Perry, and marched them out, heading east. The next day, at around at 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed.

Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag und Milag Nord camp moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division.

The next day, the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945.

Flt Sgt. Perry was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) on the 12th May 1945. He embarked for Sydney, Australia on the 8th September 1945. He was discharged on the 22nd February 1946 upon demobilisation.

Raymond Walker Perry was born on the 20th August 1923 in Bruce Rock, Western Australia. He was employed as a farm hand in Belka, Western Australia prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 31st January 1942. Raymond Walker Perry passed away on the 26th November 1997.

(5) After he had baled out WO. Doherty walked at night by the stars and compass with the aid of his escape maps. He received food from a farmer but was pushed on his way. He was captured at about 18:30 hrs on the 10th May 1944, whilst sleeping, about 32 km (20 mls) south of Paris.

He was taken to Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 12th of May and remained there until the 22nd May when he was transferred to the transit camp at Dulag Luft, Wetzlar. On the 26th May he was transferred to Stalag Luft 6 at Heydekrug arriving there on the 1st June.

With the Russian Army advancing into the Baltic States from the north and east the camp started to be evacuated on the 14th July. WO. Doherty was on the forced-march to Stalag 357 Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland.

On the 1st September 1944 the PoWs were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B. 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 Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

Meanwhile Stalag 357, was liberated on the 16th April 1945 by British troops from “B” Squadron 11th 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. Doherty was interviewed on the 27th April 1945.

Upon his return to the UK WO. Doherty requested early repatriation to Australia on compassionate grounds to care for his mother after the death of his youngest sister. This was granted and he embarked for Sydney, Australia on the 24th July 1945. He was discharged from the RAAF on the 13th September 1945 on demobilisation .

He was employed as a Coremaker (Cores were used in foundries for the production of metal castings) with a foundry in Brisbane. He enlisted in the RAAF on the 10th November 1941 in Brisbane.

Owen James Doherty was born on the 22nd May 1923 in Brisbane, Queensland. Owen James Doherty passed away in Brisbane, Queensland in 2020 aged 97.

(6) Cannon shells from the German night fighter hit the mid-upper turret and rendered F/Sgt. Schulz unconscious. The cold wind entering the smashed turret soon revived him in time to hear something about baling out. He found that he was covered in blood from scalp wounds.

He remembered standing beside the Pilot, forward, waiting whilst the Navigator and Bomb Aimer struggled with the hatch. He looked out of the side window and saw that the port wing was ablaze.

When the hatch was opened, the Navigator, Bomb Aimer and Wireless Operator baled out within about 5 seconds and he followed them out. He estimated that the eight was about 10,000 feet. The Engineer who was behind him had his parachute on and was holding the Pilot’s parachute ready to give it to him.

F/Sgt. Schulz remembered counting two, pulling the rip-cord and finding himself falling unimpeded. He saw that his parachute was on his chest and opened the flaps by hand, and the parachute operated satisfactorily. A considerable time before he landed he saw the port inner engine fall off the Halifax, which then stalled and dropped like a rocket. It crashed 4 or 5 miles away while he was still descending. He considered there was time for the Engineer and Captain to bale out before the aircraft crashed.

He landed in a forest, believed to be Forêt d’Ivry, between Saint-André-de-L’Eure and Mousseaux-Neuville. While he was baling out he lost his flying helmet, which was marked with his rank and name, and also his cigarette case which also bore his name.

After he had buried his parachute he started walking, taking a course roughly SE using his pocket compass. After he had covered about 3¼ km (2 mls) he came to the edge of the forest and remained in hiding until 22:00hrs. He then set off again and covered about 16 km (10 mls) but when he saw some men approaching he again hid in the woods and remained there for the rest of that night.

At about 05:00 hrs the next morning he set off again following the same course until he came across the Eure River. He attempted to swim it somewhere near Saussay, which is about 8½ km (5¼ mls) as the crow flies, SE of where he landed, but he immediately sank into the mud and gave up that idea. He then walked west following the river until he came to the outskirts of a town and then sat down on the river bank and rested.

At about 12:00 hrs a man, a small boy and a woman drove some cows into a field nearby where he approached them. Although he could not speak any French he showed them his Sgts stripes and RAF insignia, which had removed from his battle dress tunic, and made them understand that he was hungry and wanted to cross the river. They started to talk to him but as they could not understand one another they left. A little while later the woman returned with some food and pointed at his watch indicating that she would return again at 21:00 hrs.

When she returned she was accompanied by a young man of about 20 years who unlocked a boat at the side of the river and took him across. He then walked on until 04:00 hrs on the 9th May and decided as it was nearly dawn to sleep in some nearby woods. After about an hour he awoke and saw that he was close to a village. By this time he had eaten all of his escape rations and was feeling very hungry. He decided to walk toward the village and was crossing a vineyard when he saw a young boy cycling by, so he waved him down. He approached the boy and indicated that he was in the RAF, lost and hungry. The boy then took him to a house in Marsauceax, which is about 15 km (9¼ km) south of Saussay.

When he explained who he was he was taken into a cowshed, given a good meal and allowed to shave. While he was eating an English speaking friend of his helper arrived. This boy took him to his mother’s house and from this point on his journey was arranged.

The details of his journey through France, across the frontier to Spain and to Gibraltar are unknown. However, what is known is that he left Gibraltar by air on the 23rd June 1944 landing at RAF Lyneham, near Swindon the next day.

Lawrence Nestor Schulz was born on the 14th May 1919 in North Adelaide, South Australia. He had served in the 43rd Battalion, Australian Army for 3 months from January to April 1940. He was a clerk in a Munitions factory prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 22nd May 1942.

Lawrence Nestor Schulz passed away in Brisbane, Queensland on the 19th November 2004 shortly after his wife Audrey passed away on the 28th May that year.

(7) Flt Sgt. Garske landed at about 03:00 hrs on the 7th May about 31¼ km (20 mls) south of the target. He buried his parachute, harness, Mae West and rest of his flying kit in a field and also tore off his badges.

He had lost one of his boots in abandoning then aircraft but had his electrically heated slippers. As he still had his Aids Box and Purse he decided to head for the Swiss frontier hoping for to get aid and a good contact enroute.

He walked across country in a SE direction until 07:30 hrs and then hid in some woods for the rest of the day. That night he continued walking and upon daybreak once again hid in some woods for the day. During the day he watched a farm and that evening decided to approach the farm and ask for food. The farmer fed him and provided a local map that then towns were occupied with Germans.

He set off again that night and walked through Dreaux and slept the next day, the 10th May, in a haystack.

At dusk he decided to approached a house and was provided with a three course meal and some food to take with him, a civilian coat, beret and shoes. Flt Sgt. Garske thought that he might be a partisan but did not know his name. He continued walking through woods and fields and spent the 11th May in some bushes. He followed the same routine on the 12th May. That evening he passed through the village of Blévy, not far from Synonches some 13 km (8 mls) to the SW, and through a forest, which may have been the Forèt domaniale de Cháteauneuf.

On the 13th May he slept in a barn at dusk he spoke with a boy of about 17 in the forest who was cutting wood. He took him through and unnamed village full of Germans troops. The boy handed him over to a young married woman who took him to her home. Her father who was a former Capt. in the French Army was held as a PoW in Dortmund along with her two brothers.

She provided him with food and an overcoat and he managed 5 hours of sleep. Early then next morning on the 14th May, he left her home to hide in the forest for the day. The following night after sundown he headed off again. As he was crossing a road near Chartres two French Gendarmes rounded a bend in the road and arrested him. He was taken to Gestapo HQ in Chartres where he was questioned before being sent to Dulag Luft, Oberursel.

He was transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug on the 1st June 1944. In July 1944 with the Russian Army advancing into the Baltic States from the North and the East the came was evacuated. Flt Sgt. Garske was amongst the PoWs that were transported to Stalag 20A by train and so took part in the evacuation from there to Stalag 357 Kopernikus at Thorn.

On the 1st September 1944 the PoWs were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) in Poland to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B. 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 Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000. Flt Sgt. Garske broke away from his column and hid in some woods for 3 days until he made contact with British Forces. He was interviewed on the 27th April 1945.

Lawrence Joseph Garske was born on the 18th September 1917 in Barraba, New South Wales. He was a salesman in Sydney prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 20th June 1942. Lawrence Joseph Garske passed away in Berwick, Victoria, Australia on the 11th August 2003.

Burial details:

None. All the crew survived

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Jun 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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