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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05/06.08.1941 No. 12 Squadron Wellington II W5421 PH-G Fl/Lt. Roy B. Langlois

Operation: Aachen, Germany.

Date: 05/06th August 1941(Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit: No. 12 Squadron

Type: Wellington II

Serial: W5421

Code: PH-G

Base: RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire.

Location: Antwerpen-Deurne Airfield, Belgium

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Roy Brouard Langlois 37938 RAFVR PoW No: 653 Camp L3 - Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

Pilot(2): Sgt. John Warren McLarnon 964321 RAFVR PoW No: 139328 Camp 7A - Stalag Moosburg-Isar

Obs: Sgt. Harold Joseph Edwin Burrell RAFVR PoW No: 139375 Camp 11A - Stalag Altengrabow

W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/Sgt. Richard Alfred Copley 748217 RAFVR PoW No: 24364 Camp 357 - Stalag Kopernikus

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. R.D. Porteous RNZAF PoW No: 32409 Camp 8A - Stalag Gorlitz

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Jack Lamport Newton 742570 RAFVR Evaded capture (1)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from Binbrook, Lincolnshire at 22.25hrs to attack the railway marshalling yards. Shortly before reaching the target, the Wellington developed engine trouble, the crew released the bomb load, in an attempt to return home.

Shortly after that, the starboard engine caught fire, reducing their height dramatically. They had to land soon, abandoning the aircraft was no longer an option, they were down to below 1000 ft.

Landed at Anwerp-Deune Airfield where the crew set fire to the Wellington using the emergency flares to avoid it falling into enemy hands. The Germans thought that they had been killed in the fire and decided not to investigate until the next day. This gave the crew valuable time to make an escape.

All except Sgt. Newton were caught and imprisoned.

Burial Details:

None - all PoW, except Sgt. Jack Newton who evaded capture with the aid of the Comet line.

(1) Jack Lamport Newton was born 4th February 1920 in Hampstead, London.

The smuggled letter and covering letter from Sgt. J L Newton 742570 (courtesy Jude Boutle)

During his evasion Jack was given a smuggled letter to be sent to Mrs Boutle when he returned to the United Kingdom. The letter had been written by Sgt. James Ian Bradley (Cobber) Walker who was a PoW and at the time of writing this letter was in a hospital in Belgium with Sgt. Donald (Don) Arthur Boutle. Their aircraft had been shot down 5/6 August 1941. For further information on this aircraft and crew (click here)

Jack Lamport Newton returned from Gibraltar 14th January, 1942 and sent the smuggled letter to Mrs Boutle on the 17th January, 1942 with a covering letter explaining who he was and how he was given the letter

The book 'Evader' by Derek Shuff has the full story about Jack Newton's evasion. Jack was the first British airman to be rescued by the Comet Escape Line in World War II

On the 2nd July 1942 Jack L Newton was promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant with the new service number 127780. In 1943, 3rd July Fl/Sgt Newton transferred to the Administration and Special Duties Branch with the rank of Flying Officer and on the 1st November 1947 was granted the substantive rank of Flying Officer. Jack was appointed to commission as Flying Officer (5 years) in the Secretarial Branch 1st July 1959. Jack Lamport Newton died 27th January, 2004

Researched for relatives of the crew with thanks to Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', ‘Bomber Command Database’, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries (Updated 2014 version), Belgium WW2 Escape Line. Oliver Clutton-Brock - 'Footprints On The Sands Of Time'. Oliver Clutton-Brock 'RAF Evaders’. 'Paradie Archive'.

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