Operation: Milan, Italy

Date: 14th/15th August 1943 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron, 8 PFF Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA850

Code: MG:M

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: Sassenay, France

Pilot: Flt Lt. Sidney George Matkin DFC, 112440 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

2nd Pilot: Fg Off. James Warren O'Hara J17065 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Alexander Whatmore 936166 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Flt Lt. Royston Charles Clifford Taylor 404426 RNZAF Age 28. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. James Burges Paterson 155393 RAFVR Age? KiA

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Flt Sgt. Kenneth Adrian Gough 123684 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Flt Sgt. Alfred Alexander Balcombe R114240 RCAF Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear) WO. John Henry Dugan 411217 RAAF Age 25. KiA

Above left to right: Flt Sgt. Kenneth A. Gough (Courtesy of Corin Gelderblom), Flt Sgt. Alfred A. Balcombe, WO. John H. Dugan (from their service records)

Above. Photograph found amongst the belongings of one of the dead and added to the service record of Flt Sgt. Balcombe

It is believed that this depicts some of the crew in as much from the left to right; 1st Flt Lt. Taylor from his “O” brevet. 2nd unknown, 3rd upside down unknown SNCO, 4th Sgt. Whatmore from his “FE” Brevet.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire at 21:02 hrs. to raid Milan with 139 other Lancasters.

Lancaster JA850 was the only bomber that failed to return from this operation.

It was claimed by Staffelkapitän Hptm. Hans-Wolfgang von Niebelschütz of 5./NJG4, his 4th abschuss near Sassenay at 4.000 m. at 23:53 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 June - 22 September) 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. von Niebelschütz was KiA on the night of the 2nd/3rd January 1944 by Flak and crashed at Engelsdorf, near Leipzig. He was credited with eight (8) confirmed and one (1) awaiting confirmation Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

The aircraft crashed with its bomb load still on-board but not all exploded. These were removed and destroyed by the Germans.

The Germans were first handled the bodies and remains and then handed them to the French for burial. The body of Flt Sgt. Balcombe was found some distance from the crash and it appear that he had perished in baling out too low. There were no identity discs or documents on the bodies and it was impossible to individually identify any of the other remains.

The burial ceremony was taken as an opportunity for a pro-ally display. A great crowd including people from the neighbourhood assisted, bringing wreaths and flowers. M. Louis Brondeault, then maire (Mayor) of Sassenay, was arrested by the Gestapo for allowing the time of the ceremony to be known and the public collection mentioned above to be made. He was condemned to 2 years prison by the German War Tribunal of Dijon on the 20th September 1943 and sent to Germany but was eventually released.

Burial details:

The residents subsequently built a permanent memorial to the crew. No.1 Missing Research and Recovery Unit (MREU) exhumed the bodies on the 1st February 1947 and reports sent to the various authorities. The crew were then laid to rest within the local cemetery in a collective grave.

Flt Lt. Sidney George Matkin DFC. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Born on the 27th September 1918 in Cranford, Greater London. Son of George James and of Annie May (née Whetnall) Matkin. Husband of Iris Grace Mellor Matkin of Teddington, Middlesex, England.

Plt Off. Matkin was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on the 22nd September 1942 whilst with 7 Sqn. Reported to have completed over forty (40) Operations.

Fg Off. James Warren O'Hara. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Born on the 28th July 1922 in Wimbledon, London. Son of Seymour Bennett and Dorothy Drew (née Warren) O'Hara. Step-son of Frederick William Percival of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

His brother, Trooper William Seymour O’Hara B69457 with the 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment was captured and became a PoW (No. 85683 at Stalag 4G) on the 10th August 1943 at Falais, Normandy, France

Sgt. Alexander Whatmore. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. He was born in Belbroughton, Worcestershire. Son of Frank and Jane Elizabeth (née Justin) Whatmore of Broome Hill, Belbroughton, Worcestershire, England.

Flt Lt. Royston Charles Clifford Taylor. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Son of Arthur George Taylor, and of Ida Florence Taylor, of Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand.

He had accrued 531 flying hours logged and had completed twenty-eight (28) Operations.

Plt Off. James Burges Paterson. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Born on the 24th August 1921 Glasgow, Scotland. Husband to Mary Ann (née Brown) Peterson of Glasgow, Scotland.

Also Remembered on the Roll of Honour for Scots at the National War Memorial.

Fg Off. Kenneth Adrian Gough. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Grave inscription: 'BELOVED HUSBAND OF MOIRA, FATHER OF SHAUN AND ADRIAN. REQUIESCAT IN PACE'. Born on the 24th May 1915 in Conwy, Caernarvonshire. Son of Harry and Martha Ellie (née Woolley) Gough. Husband of Moira (née Kennedy) Gough of Nottingham, England.

Fg Off. Alfred Alexander Balcombe. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Born on the 29th August 1918 in St Leonard-on-Sea, England. Son of Alfred (deceased in March 1943) and Florence May (née Sims – deceased in April 1941). Husband to Marie Victoria (née Scott) Balcombe of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Balcombe was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J18378 Plt Off. on the 11th October 1943.

WO. John Henry Dugan. Sassenay Churchyard, Collective Grave. Grave inscription: 'HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE'. Born on the 17th October 1917 in Canowindra, New South Wales. Son of George Alfred and Maude Dugan. Husband of Heather Isabell Dugan of Hamilton New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire for photograph and details on Flt Lt. Taylor (Mar 2019). Thanks to Corin Gelderblom for Flt Sgt. Gough. Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Oct 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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