Operation: Frankfurt, Germany

Date: 10th/11th April 1943 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 35 (Madras Presidency) Sqn, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax II

Serial: DT806

Code: TL:Z

Base: RAF Graveley, Cambridgeshire

Location: Fleigneux, 5 km (3 mls) north of Sedan in France

Pilot: Fg Off. George Frank Lambert 63419 RAF Age 22. Evaded (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Anthony Claude ‘Tony’ Beddoe 904734 Age 26. KIA

Nav: Fg Off. Vernon Reginald Matthews 122220 RAFVR Age 22. KIA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. John Richard Jones 1334366 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No 1012 * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Albert Kempsell 1377258 RAFVR Age 30. PoW No. 1013 * (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Reginald Albert Nason 1397903 RAFVR Age 21. KIA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Samuel James Knight 1311941 RAFVR Age 22. KIA

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 10th April 1943 (Madras Presidency) Sqn detailed 19 aircraft for this mission. One was withdrawn before take-off, 6 were to act as ‘Groundmarkers’, 10 as ‘Backers-up’ and 2 to attack with the main force. They joined a force of 502 aircraft on a mission to bomb Frankfurt. 21 aircraft were lost on a raid that was deemed a failure because of complete cloud cover in the target area.

Halifax II DT806 was the first bomber to be shot down on this raid and the only loss suffered by the squadron. The aircraft was claimed by Lt. Helmut Bergmann, his 6th Abschuss, from Stab III./NJG4, near Fleigneux, 5 km north of Sedan at 3.600m at 01:40 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January - 22 June) 1943 Part 1 - Theo Boiten)

Hptm. Bergmann was KiA on the night of the 6th/7th August 1944 in the area of Avranches-Mortain when his Bf110 G4 3C+CS was shot down by 604 Sqn Mosquito MM449 flown by Flt Lt. John Clarke Surman DFC 64929 and Plt Off. Clarence Edwin Weston DFC 178927. Hptm. Bergmann was credited with 33 Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

The aircraft crashed at Fleigneux, 5 km (3 mls) north of Sedan in France.

(1) Fg Off. Lambert’s escape and evasion report is not currently available and the circumstances of his journey’s are not known in any great detail. What is known is that he evaded through France, crossed the Swiss frontier and was interned.

He was promoted to Flt Lt. with effect the 3rd April 1943 which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 28th May 1943.

He was released from Switzerland on the 8th January 1944 with seven other internees. Each of the party was given 70,000 Francs, a false French ID, an automatic pistol and were escorted to the frontier by the Swiss Intelligence Service where they crossed into France from Sorel.

The group was split into two and took separate routes to the Spanish frontier. Flt Lt. Lambert reached Barcelona on the 16th February 1944. He left Gibraltar by air on the 23rd February 1944 and arrived at RAF Tilstock (Whitchurch Heath) the following day.

Flt Lt. Lambert was awarded a DFC with 35 Sqn. London Gazette 16th June 1944.

Citation: "In air operations this officer has displayed skill, courage and determination of a high order. He has completed a large number of sorties, including attacks on such targets as Berlin, Turin, Frankfurt and Cologne. His keenness has always been evident and his determination to bomb his targets successfully has won much praise".

He returned to operational flying with 35 Sqn but was KiA on the 5th July 1944 on a mission to Villeneuve-St Georges in France aboard 35 (Madras Presidency) Sqn, Lancaster III ND731 (4 KiA, 3 PoW, 1 Evd).

(2) Sgt. Jones was assisted by friendly French people at an unnamed village who put him up for the night of the 11th April. The next morning he set out but was captured in Charleville-Mézièrs, which is about 16 km (10 mls) due west of the crash site at Fleigneux.

He was held and interrogated by the Gestapo until the 16th April and was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 20th April 1943. On the 24th April he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the 28th April 1943

Sgt. Kempsell was captured immediately upon landing and sent to Stalag Luft, Oberursel on the 11th April. He remained there until the 19th of April when he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the 22nd April 1943.

From October 1942 to November 1943, Stalag Luft 1 only received non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Sgt. Jones, either whilst he was at Stalag Luft 1 or at Stalag Luft 6 was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO). Likewise for Sgt. Kempsel who was promoted to Flt Sgt. On the 29th October 1943 they were transferred to Stalag Luft 6 arriving there on the 6th November 1943.

Stalag Luft 6 was the closest camp to the Russian Army advances into the Baltic States from the North and the East and commencing on the 14th July 1944 the camp was evacuated. It appears that both WO. Jones and Flt Sgt. Kempsel went by train directly from Stalag Luft 6 to Stalag Luft 4, Groß-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia arriving there on the 19th July 1944.

In late January 1945 the PoWs could see the distant flash of artillery fire from the east. On the 28th January the evacuation was ordered, and a train loaded with mostly sick and wounded were transported to Stalag Luft 1, Barth. On the 2nd February another train load was transported to Stalag 13D at Nürnberg, Germany. Over a period of 3 days from the 6th February some 6,000 prisoners including WO. Jones and Flt Sgt. Kempsel were ordered to leave the camp on foot with little notice. The PoWs in groups of 250 to 300 were marched, heading west, covering long daily distances on starvation rations.

On the 28th March the column arrived at Ebbsdorf where a large number of the men including WO. Jones and Flt Sgt. Kempsel were jammed into railway box cars and sealed in for some 33 hours until the train arrived at 357 Fallingbostel (officially designated Stalag 357, Oerbke) on the 30th March. Many camps on the eastern edge of Germany were combined into one large camp here. The treatment was a repetition of that at previous camps, with the exception of food, of which there was virtually none. There were no beds or bedding in the buildings.

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. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000. It is not known if WO. Jones and Flt Sgt. Kempsell were amongst those on the forced march.

In the meantime 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.

Sgt. Kempsell was interviewed on the 26th April 1945 and Sgt Jones on the 5th May 1945.

John Richard Jones was born on the 29th March 1921. He was employed as a Audit Clerk in Truro, Cornwall prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 3rd April 1941.

Ronald Albert Kempsell was born on the 26th August 1912 in Essex, Middlesex. He was employed as a GPO Engineer prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 4th September 1940. He passed away in 1st Qtr of 1993 in Truro, Cornwall.

Burial details:

Above: There are only 4 Commonwealth Graves in the Fleigneux Communal Cemetery. The collective grave of the four airmen is against the wall, near the southern corner of the cemetery. (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Sgt. Anthony Claude ‘Tony’ Beddoe. Fleigneux Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave. Born on the 24th May 1916 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Son of Claude and Helen Dorothy (née Fowler) Beddoe of Knowle, Bristol. Husband of Blanche (née Nash) Beddoe of Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.

He is also remembered on the Rolls of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial.

Fg Off. Vernon Reginald Matthews. Fleigneux Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave. Grave inscription: ‘WITH CHRIST; WHICH IS FAR BETTER’. Son of Reginald Charles and Winifred Lilian Matthews of Milehouse, Plymouth, Devon, England.

Sgt. Reginald Albert Nason. Fleigneux Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave. Grave Inscription: ‘DEEP IN OUR HEARTS HIS MEMORY LIVES FOR EVER. GLADYS, KENNETH AND LESLIE’. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1921 in West Ham, Essex. Son of William John and Maud Mary (née Gunkel) Nason. Husband of Gladys Ivy (née Pavelin) Nason of Gisleham, Suffolk, England.

Sgt. Samuel James Knight. Fleigneux Communal Cemetery, Coll. Grave. Grave inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER’. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1921 in Long Ashton, Somerset. Son of Samuel Howard and Gladys Mary (née Say) Knight of Dundry, Somerset, England.

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