Operation: Ladbergen, Germany

Date: 23rd/24th September 1944 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 463th (RAAF) Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: LM309

Code: JO:V

Base: RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire

Location: Some 4¾ km (3 mls) SE of Laggenbeck, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Frederick John Lindquist 419895 RAAF Age 21. PoW No. 6094 * (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Arthur Perring 1809153 RAFVR Age 32. KiA (2)

Nav: Flt Sgt. William Ambrose Schultz 432343 RAAF Age 27. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Henry Howard 430260 RAAF Age 23. PoW No. 52793 ** (3)

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Arthur Wilfred Haselhurst 418273 RAAF Age 29. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Frederick Joseph Hurstwaite 432076 RAAF Age 19. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear) Flt Sgt. Alfred Ronald Sloane 434538 RAAF Age 25. PoW No. 952 *** (4)

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

** Stalag 9C, Mühlhausen near Bad Sulza, Thuringia, Germany.

*** Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S." (O.S. standing for Oberschlesien, Upper Silesia). Today called Bąków nr. Kluczbork (Poland).

Above: Fg Off. Frederick J. Lindquist, Flt Sgt. William A. Schultz, Flt Sgt. Henry Howard (From their Service Records)

Above: Flt Sgt. Arthur W. Haselhurst, Flt Sgt. Frederick J. Hurstwaite, Flt Sgt. Alfred R. Sloane (From their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 23rd September 1944 the Squadron detailed seventeen (17) aircraft to join a force of 136 Lancasters on a mission to bomb and breach the Dortmund Ems Canal near Ladbergen, just north of Münster. Due to a technical issue a viaduct 7½ mls (12 km) to the north was marked and bombed.

LM309 took-off from RAF Waddington at 19:15 hrs and failed to return at the expected time. LM309 was one of fourteen (14) bombers and two (2) from the squadron, that failed to return from this mission. This was only the 2nd operational mission for this crew.

The second aircraft was Lancaster I LM223 JO:P which was lost along with the crew in unknown circumstances (7 MiA).

German records claim that LM309 was hit by Flak from 3.- 8./schw. Flak Abt. 273 (o). The aircraft crashed 4 km SE of Ibbenbüren in the Laggenbeck municipality at 23:00 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten)

However, from the description provided by the three (3) surviving crew members it is more than likely that LM309 was involved in a mid-air collision with an unknown aircraft. LM309 was cut in half with the severed Rear Gunner’s turret which fell separately with Flt Sgt. Sloan still inside. Flt Sgt. Howard was thrown out of the nose and Fg Off. Lindquist was thrown out through the roof of the cockpit.

It seems likely that the explosive event of the collision and the resulting fire observed from the ground was the reason for the Flak claim.

It was determined by the No. 4 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (MREU) that the wreckage of LM309 crashed on farmland some 4¾ km (3 mls) SE of Laggenbeck.

(1) Fg Off. Lindquist described that whilst running up to the target, on time, the Target Indicators (TI) disappeared under a thin wispy cloud layer so he decided to orbit. Just as he was about to turn left a terrific crash occurred and he was thrown into the roof with his head and shoulders protruding from the aircraft. It appeared to him that the aircraft was diving vertically and at the same time gyrating, completely out of control. Another lurch occurred and he was thrown through the roof at what he estimated to be between 500 and 1000 ft in altitude. He couldn’t give any orders to bale out and did not see any of the crew leaving the aircraft.

Fg Off. Lindquist was captured by the Wehrmacht whilst attempting to cross a road leading out of a forest near Rhine on the 24th September. He had sustained a slight injury to his right knee but was otherwise uninjured.

He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 26th September were he was held in solitary confinement for the next three (3) days and was then transferred to the transit camp at Wetzlar on the 30th September.

On the 6th October he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1 at Barth arriving there on the 10th October. 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.

After the Red Army entered Barth 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. Fg Off. Lindquist was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

Frederick John Lindquist was born on the 13th August 1923 in Coburg, Victoria. He was employed as a bank clerk prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 9th October 1942. Frederick passed away on the 7th September 2013 in Geelong North, Corio, Victoria, Australia.

(2) Arthur Perring served with the Birmingham City Police, Warrant No. 11282, prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 2nd August 1943.

(3) After landing near Münster Flt Sgt. Howard tried to dispose of his parachute but was not able to do so because he had suffered a broken arm with wounds and a badly bruised back upon landing. He managed to crawl to a ditch where he lost consciousness and was later found by some German civilians. He was transported to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 26th September. He was kept in solitary confinement and received no medical treatment for his injuries.

On the 29th September he was eventually transferred to the Obermassfeld Hospital #1249 in Thuringia, Germany also known as Reserve-Lazarett 9C(a) which served Stalag 9C, arriving there on the 1st October. On the 27th October he was transferred to the Reserve Military Hospital 9C(b) at Meiningen where he remained being treated for his injuries until the 12th January 1945. He was then discharged and transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg, arriving there on the 14th January 1945.

A few days later on the 19th/20th January, 1,500 prisoners were marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oderon the 21st January and reached Goldberg on 5th February where they were loaded onto a train.

On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3Alocated about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlinnear Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated.Flt Sgt. Howard was interviewed on the 22nd May 1945

Henry Howard was born on the 31st October 1920 in Melbourne, Victoria. He was employed as a clerk prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 1st January 1943. Henry passed away on the 3rd September 2014 in Merri-Bek City, Victoria, Australia.

(4) Flt Sgt. Sloane described that when they were over the target they collided with another aircraft. His aircraft immediately went out of control and burst into flames. There were no orders to bale out as the intercom failed. As the tail section brock away he found himself falling on his back. He did not know at what height he pulled the rip-cord and he believed that the aircraft wreckage crashed somewhere near Rhine.

He was captured near Rhine that day and was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel and was subjected to the statutory solitary confinement and interrogation. He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau arriving there on the 2nd October.

On the 19th January 1945, 1,500 prisoners marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oderon the 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train.

On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3Alocated about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlinnear Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated.Flt Sgt. Sloane was interviewed on the 19th May 1945

He was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) effective on the 9th June 1945.

Alfred Ronald Sloane was born on the 3rd April 1919 in Wellington, New South Wales. He worked in the woollen industry prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 21st December 1944. Alfred passed away on the 3rd January 1992 in Brisbane, Queensland.

Burial details:

Two (2) of the four (4) crew who perished were initially found in the main wreckage and buried there. Some eight (8) days later one (1) of the crew was found a short distance away with his parachute unopened and was buried on the spot. A further set of remains were found buried in a field nearby. All of the remains were taken away by the Wehrmacht recovery team and buried at Laggenbeck. They were finally laid to rest at the Rheinberg War Cemetery on the 1st July 1946.

Above: The Rheinberg War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Sgt. Arthur Perring. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 9.B.16. Grave Inscription: “TIME DOES NOT LESSEN THE SENSE OF LOSS OR LOOSEN THE CORDS OF LOVE”. Born on the 5th September 1913 in Plymouth. Son of Alfred and Mary Perring of (née Locock) Plymouth. Husband of Blanche Evelyn (née Aucott) Perring of Hartley, Plymouth, England.

Flt Sgt. William Ambrose Schultz. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 9.B.18. Grave Inscription: “R.I.P.”. Born on the 10th July 1917 in Glebe, New South Wales. Son of William Charles and Mary Therese Schultz. Husband of Sheila May Schultz of Glebe Point, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Arthur Wilfred Haselhurst. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 9.B.17. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED”. Born on the 18th September 1915 in East Melbourne, Victoria. Son of Enoch Ebenezer and Elvie Christina Haselhurst. Husband of Lillian Hope Haselhurst of Albury, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Frederick Joseph Hurstwaite. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 9.B.15. Grave Inscription: “SACRED HEART OF JESUS, HAVE MERCY ON HIM. REQUIESCAT IN PACE”. Born on the 11th December 1924 in Toowoomba, Queensland. Son of John Christopher and Emily B. Hurstwaite of Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Feb 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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