Operation: Noisy-le-Sec, France

Date: 18th/19th April 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 432 (Leaside) Sqn RCAF, 6 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LW643

Code: QO:E

Base: RAF East Moor, North Yorkshire

Location: Marshalling yard at Noisy-le-Sec, France

Pilot: Fg Off. Angus Cameron Graeme Mercer J20186 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Plt Off. Walter Harris Kent 172207 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Nav: Plt Off. James Bond ‘Jimmie’ Bell J19147 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Alan Harry Redman 159718 RAFVR Age? KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Stanley David Pett 1320878 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No. 4200 * (1)

Air Gnr (Mid Under): Flt Sgt. Gerrard Joseph Shaughnessy R186153 RCAF Age 27. Evd (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Sgt. Alexander McCluskie 1823784 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Plt Off. Alexander Morvan McGregor J19304 RCAF Age 29. KiA (3)

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland

Above: Fg Off. Angus C.G. Mercer, Plt Off. James B. ‘Jimmie’ Bell, Plt Off. Alexander M. McGregor (From their service records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 18th/19th April 1944 the Sqn detailed fourteen (14) aircraft to join a force of one-hundred eighty-one (181) aircraft for an operation on the marshalling yards at Noisy-le-Sec near Paris. Of the four (4) Halifaxes lost on this operation only LW643 from the squadron failed to return.

Over the target of Noisy-le-Sec, Flak of gem. Flak Abt. 344 claimed four (4) Halifaxes of 427, 432 and 433 Squadrons destroyed in quick succession, three crashing at Noisy-le-Sec at 23:47, 00:01 and 00:04 hrs and one at Bobigny at 23:45 hrs (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16 March 1944 - 11 May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

In his Escape and Evasion report Flt Sgt. Shaughnessy described that as the last bomb dropped he thought that the aircraft collided with another. His parachute had opened in his turret but he found a spare, however, he could not bale out before the aircraft crashed because the escape hatch had jammed. Miraculously he survived the crash and later reported he thought that the rest of the crew has perished either in the collision or when the aircraft crashed.

(1) It appears that Flt Sgt. Pett had managed to bale out because it was improbable that both he and Flt Sgt. Shaughnessy had miraculously survived the aircraft crashing into the marshalling yard. It also appears that he managed to have evaded for three (3) days but was captured in Paris on the 23rd April.

He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel where he was interrogated and spent five (5) days in solitary confinement. He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia arriving there on the 1st May.

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms and in military barracks. There they were provided with warm soup and bread.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages. On the 2nd February he was amongst the PoWs from the North, East and remaining West Compound who were sent to Marlag und Milag Nord at Westertimke arriving there on 4th February.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager(naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men, including it appears Flt Sgt. Pett, and marched them out, heading east. The next day, at around at 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed.

Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag-Milag moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division. The next day, the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945. Flt Sgt. Pett was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Stanley David Pett was born on the 9th November 1921 in Edmonton, Essex. Prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 6th June 1941 his profession in the Lens Prism industry in London. Stanley passed away in the 4th Qtr of 1921 in Enfield, London.

(2) Flt Sgt. Shaughnessy was knocked unconscious in the crash and when he came round he was being dragged by two German soldiers along some railway tracks. When a stick of bombs fell nearby they dropped him and ran off. He got up and ran in the opposite direction into a nearby yard to take cover from the bombs.

He spotted a row of railway workers’ lockers, one of which he found open where he found and took an old pair of overalls and a smock. He took of his flying clothing and hid them after which he went into an underground shelter which he found in the yard. There he found a first-aid cabinet on the wall which he broke open. In it he found iodine and bandages with which he dressed his cuts and bruises. He then removed his wings and chevrons from this uniform and left the underground shelter.

He found that the marshalling yard was bounded by a high wall, but fortunately there was a tree beside the wall with overhanging branches which he scaled and dropped into the street. There were a lot of people milling about in the street, but they paid no attention to him.

He set off in one direction, but encountered more people and some German soldiers, so he turned round and set of in another direction, but could not proceed that way because of the bombing. He then turned up an alley but ran into two German soldiers, apparently on guard so turned round and walked out of the alley, with the two Germans following him. It appeared to him that that one of them was suspicious and followed him for some distance down the street but then eventually gave up and returned to his comrade.

He then came across an old man, a woman and a younger man so he approached them, and the old lady realised right away who he was. He tried to explain what had happened but it was fairly obvious, as he was still in uniform and covered with blood. The woman led him down the street and pointed to a field and indicating that he should go that way. After a short while he came to a canal which he could not cross so started down the canal and after a time saw some men in uniform approaching, whom he took to be soldiers or policemen.

He lay down, hoping they would pass in the darkness, but they stopped next to him. One of them could speak English and recognising his uniform, explained to him that they were French Army Firemen and offered to help to try to get him into safe hands. Two of the firemen took him to their truck and helped him change into the overalls he had found earlier, throwing his uniform into the canal.

He remained in the truck until day-break on the 19th April. In the meanwhile the firemen contacted one of their officers, who did not seem disposed to help him. They then contacted another officer, who told them to keep him for the time being. He was given food and drink, and finally, a car pulled up beside the truck. He was driven to a house, where he was sheltered while the rest of his journey was being arranged.

Flt Sgt. Shaughnessy along with a Lt. McPherson and Lt. Stonebarger of the USAAF were guided by a French girl from Paris and arrived at a farm near Vignaut, some 20 km from the Spanish border on the 11th June. Here they met Fg Off. H D. Thomas and Flt Lt. van der Stok, a French Officer and a Russian.

1st Lt. Joel W. McPherson O-732302 was from HQ Squadron, 352 Fighter Group. His P-47D 42-75532 ran out of fuel homebound and baled out after escorting bombers to Frankfurt on the 29th January 1944;

2nd Lt. Gilbert M. Stonebarger O-742378 was the Co-Pilot from 733 Bombardment Sqn, 453 Bombardment Group B-24H 42-95019 F8:T which was hit by Flak on a mission to Mannheim on the 25th April 1944 (9 PoW, 1 Evd);

Fg Off. Hugh Dowling Thomas J21887 RCAF who was the Navigator from 218 (Gold Coast) Sqn, Stirling III EH942 HA:M which was shot down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Laon on the night of the 22nd/23rd April 1944 (2 KiA, 5 Evaders);

Flt Lt. Bram ‘Bop’ van der Stok 106346 RAFVR was flying 41 Squadron, Spitfire VB BL595 EB:E which was shot down on the 12th April 1942 on Circus 122 to France. He was one of the three ‘Great Escapers’ to make a ‘Home Run’.

On the 16th June they set off east of St. Pé d’Ardet through the Forê de Cargire east of Melles, Caneja where they arrived on the 18th June. They were apprehended by the Spanish Police. On the 22nd June they made contact with the British Consul. On the 5th July the British Embassy took them by car to Madrid and two (2) days later they travelled by train to Gibraltar.

Flt Sgt. Shaughnessy, Fg Off. Thomas and Flt Lt. van der Stok were flown by DC-3 from Gibraltar on the 10th July 1944 arriving at Whitchurch airfield the next day.

Gerard Joseph Shaughnessy was born on the 25th June 1916. He was a Tool-Maker in Ontario prior to enlisting in the RCAF on the 15th August 1942. Gerard passed away on the 16th May 1993 in Alberta.

(3) The bother of Plt Off. McGregor, WO2. David Burnett McGregor R69111 RCAF was killed along with his Observer on the 8th June 1942. He was the pilot of 415 Long Range Patrol Force Development Sqn (RCAF) Hampden I, AT237 which crashed on take-off on a test flight from RAF Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Burial details:

Above the Clichy Northern Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Fg Off. Angus Cameron Graeme Mercer. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 15. Grave 3. Grave Inscription: ‘BELOVED SON OF ANGUS & KATHLEEN MERCER. VANCOUVER, B. C. "CRUX CHRISTI NOSTRA CORONA"’. Born on the 17th April 1923 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Son of Angus Graeme and Kathleen Norah (née Grubb) Mercer of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Plt Off. Walter Harris Kent. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 8. Grave 14. Grave Inscription: ‘IN PROUD, LOVING MEMORY. AT THE RISING & SETTING OF THE SUN WE WILL REMEMBER HIM. MOTHER’. Born in 2nd Qtr of 1923 in Christchurch, Hampshire. Son of Harry Harris and Nora Grace (née Pilgrim) Kent of Margate, England

Plt Off. James Bond ‘Jimmie’ Bell. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 15. Grave 2. Grave Inscription: ‘JIMMIE. EVER REMEMBERED AND LOVED’. Born on the 23rd August 1921 in Clifford, Ontario Son of David and Edith Gertrude (née Norton) Bell. Husband of Olwen Gwyneth Bell of Coleman, Alberta, Canada.

Fg Off. Alan Harry Redman. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 7. Grave 12. He was living in North Finchley, London. He left his effects to a Clifford Hawley Redman who it is believed to be his father. No further biographical information has been found on-line.

Sgt. Alexander McCluskie. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 7. Grave 12. Grave Inscription: ‘GOD'S GREATEST GIFT, REMEMBRANCE’. Born during 1924 in Girvin, Ayrshire, Scotland. Son of Alexander and Janet (née Taylor) McCluskie of Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland.

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

Plt Off. Alexander Morvan McGregor. Clichy Northern Cemetery, Plot 16. Row 8. Grave 15. Grave Inscription: ‘HE HAS KEPT THE FAITH’. Born on the 9th May 1915 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Son of Alexander Gibson and Elizabeth (née MacAdie - deceased) McGregor of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2025 Last Modified: 16 May 2025, 15:29