Operation: Brux, Czechoslovakia

Date: 16th/17th January 1945 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 101 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM472

Code: SR:V2

Base: RAF Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire.

Location: Geilsdorf, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Frederick Desmond McGonigle 179064 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. John Ritchie McDowell 1798275 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Nav: Plt Off. John Edward Knight 429068 RAAF Age 21. PoW * (1)

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. Rochester Warren Lee Hart 429458 RAAF Age 20. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: WO. Laurence Collins 419981 RAAF Age 20. KiA

ABC Operator: Fg Off. Jack Karl Armour J43497 RCAF Age 27. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Robert John Beckett 1482487 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Daniel Conroy 1881462 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

* Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Bavaria

Above: Fg Off. Frederick D. McGonigle, Plt Off. John E. Knight

Above: Plt Off. Rochester W.L. Hart (from his service record), WO. Laurence Collins, Fg Off. Jack K. Armour (from his service record).

REASON FOR LOSS:

At 17:48 hours on 16th January 1945 LM472, with a crew of eight (8), was one of seven (7) bombers from the Sqn that took off from Ludford Magna in Lincolnshire to join a force of 237 aircraft from No 1 and 5 Groups on a bombing operation to attack a synthetic oil plant at Brux in West Czechoslovakia. LM472 due to return to base at 02:47 hrs the next day.

The normal crew of Lancaster bombers is seven (7), but several bombers of the 101 Sqn were fitted with special ABC equipment, code named “Airborne Cigar”. This equipment was used to listen out for the radio transmissions from/to German night fighters being vectored onto the bomber stream and then to jam German radio frequencies between ground and aircraft. The ABC operator was Fg Off. Armour who was a skilled German speaker and radio specialist.

The Sqn Operations Record Book (ORB) recorded that LM472 carried a bomb load of 1 x 4000 pound ‘Cookie’; 10 x 500 General Purpose (GP); and 1x 500 Medium Capacity (MC) bombs.

Note for some reason the 4000 lb bomb was recorded as “USA”, however, the largest capacity bomb in the United States munition inventory was 2000 lb.

LM474 was the only aircraft that failed to return. It was intercepted and shot down by an unidentified night-fighter from I./NJG1 (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January 1945 - 3 May 1945) Part 6 - Theo Boiten).

Note: I./NJG1 were flying the Ju88G and Bf110 night fighters at this time and not Bf109 or Fw190 Zahme Sau (Tame Boar) single seat fighter as stated in the original report. They were, however, employed to intercept the other two main force operations to Magdeburg and Zeitz that night.

Plt Off. Knight later reported that whilst flying at 17,000 ft the two starboard engines and wing were set ablaze by an unidentified night-fighter. The captain ordered the crew to prepare to bale out which the crew acknowledged. About 2 minutes later whilst flying at 10,000 ft, about 10 miles SE of Plauen and just as the captain ordered the crew to bale out, the aircraft exploded.

Flak was reported to be moderate in barrage form and no crew reported seeing any aircraft in trouble but 101 Sqn ME863 flown by Plt Off. R.J. Clark reported that whilst in the target area at about 22:38 hrs that a parachute was seen descending some 4000 ft below them. The MREU report for this aircraft and crew dated 20th December 1948 determined that the burning aircraft was seen approaching the village of Geilsdorf and crashed some 800 m. SW of the village.

Contemporary eye-witnesses reported that they saw the burning aircraft and thought that it was attempting to land in some snow covered fields. This is unlikely given the subsequent spread of debris and given that Plt Off. Knight stated that he was blown out of the exploding aircraft. It is more likely that the eye-witnesses saw the burning wreckage of the aircraft apparently approaching the village when in fact it was falling from the sky. There were also reports that the 4000lb “cookie” was found intact in the wreckage, again this is highly unlikely as this bomb had a very thin casing and would not have survived intact after such a crash or assumed forced landing of the aircraft even assuming that it did not explode.

(1) When Plt Off. Knight was blown out of the aircraft he suffered burnt hands and face, his head was split open and had slight cuts to his legs. He was captured several hours later by civilians near Plauen and was admitted to a Military hospital in Plauen that day.

On the 22nd January 1945 he was transferred to the PoW Hospital in Hohenstein. Then on the 18th February 1945 he was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 20th February.

Whilst at Dulag Luft a German officer told him that he was the only survivor from the crew.

On the 6th March 1945 he was transferred to the transit camp at Dulag Luft, Wetzlar arriving there on the 8th March. On the 11th March he was transferred to join the Stalag Luft 3 PoWs at Nuremburg arriving there on the 16th March.

On the 3rd April 1945 he was amongst the PoWs who were force-marched to Stalag 7A, Moosburg in Bavaria arriving there on the 17th April. The camp was liberated on the 29th April 1945 by elements of the US 14th Armoured Division. Plt Off. Knight was interviewed on the 13th May 1945.

Jack Edward Knight was born on the 1st August 1924 in Penshurst, New South Wales. He was employed as a Clerk prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 20th October 1942. John passed away on the 9th August 1999 in Gosford, Australia.

Burial details:

The seven (7) crew who perished were buried at the Geilsdorf cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery on the 17th December 1948.

Fg Off. Frederick Desmond McGonigle. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.2. Grave Inscription: “OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR, PRAY FOR HIM. R.I.P.”. Born 7th January 1920 in Glasgow, Scotland. Son of Peter (deceased in April 1921) and Mary Elizabeth (née McGarrigle) McGonigle of Glasgow, Scotland.

Sgt. John Ritchie McDowell. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.5. Grave Inscription: “A PRECIOUS SON AND BROTHER. "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN". Born on the 17th May 1921. Son of John and Mary Ann McDowell of Hillsborough, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.

Plt Off. Rochester Warren Lee Hart. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.1. Born on the 23rd March 1924 in Mackay, Queensland. Son of Henry Rochester and Irene Maude Hart of Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

WO. Laurence Collins. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.3. Grave Inscription: “DUTY NOBLY DONE. MAY HE REST IN PEACE”.Born on the 13th August 1924 in Ballarat, Victoria. Son of John Thomas Collins and Catherine Collins of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

Fg Off. Jack Karl Armour. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.7. Grave Inscription: “LOVINGLY REMEMBERED BY WIFE MARGARET ALICE AND SON BRUCE”. Born on the 24th February 1917 in Hamilton, Ontario. Son of Carl and Eva (née Ridong) Armour of Hamilton, Ontario. Husband of Margaret Alice (née Chisholm) Armour of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Robert John Beckett. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery 13.B.4. Born on the 18th February 1923. Son of Albert and Rachael Beckett of Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Sgt. Daniel Conroy. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 13.B.6. Born on the 25th February 1916 in Dublin, Ireland. Son of Michael (deceased in July 1929) and Catherine (née Farnell) Conroy of Dublin, Ireland.

Researched by Ray Collins, brother of WO. Laurence Collins, for relatives of the crew and also to try and locate the surviving relatives of Sgt. Beckett and Sgt. Conroy. Reviewed, updated and corrected by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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