Operation: Saint-Nazaire, France

Date: 13th May 1941 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 82 Sqn, 2 Group, Coastal Command

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: V5997

Code: UX:?

Base: RAF Portreath, Cornwall

Location: Near Saint-Nazaire, France

Pilot: Sgt. Frank Henry Miller 758068 RAFVR Age? Interned (1)

Obs: Sgt. Norman Jonathan Ingram DFM, 580400 RAFVR Age? Interned (2)

Radio Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. William Eric Whiteman 755039 RAFVR Age? Interned (3)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 13th May 1941 thirteen (13) aircraft flew from RAF Bodney to RAF Portreath for operations. Eight (8) of the aircraft were detailed to carry out an attack on shipping in the harbour at Saint-Nazaire. Two (2) of the aircraft returned early with an unserviceable gun turret and engine trouble respectively.

V5997 and one other aircraft from the Sqn failed to return. The second aircraft was:

Blenheim IV V6430 UX:? which was presumed to have crashed in the sea off St-Nazaire. Sqn Ldr. George Stephen King 27107 RAFO and Sgt. Joseph Eckersley Austen-Johnson 908839 RAFVR were KiA. Sgt. Denison Owen 640901 RAF was posted MiA.

The aircraft was hit by Flak and Sgt. Miller carried out a successful forced-landing near Saint-Nazaire. They set the aircraft ablaze and it was destroyed.

The three airmen managed to obtained civilian clothes and travelled in a south-easterly direction over the next two (2) weeks. They crossed the line of demarcation into Vichy France (unoccupied France) on the 27th May near Usson. Here they were arrested by the French authorities and interned at Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort.

Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort is a small town in the Gard, about 50 km west of Nimes. It was the site of the French internment camp, a converted barracks, that was used to house Allied internees.

(1) Sgt. Miller attempted an escape on the 26th June but was recaptured. On the 29th June he successfully escaped with Sgt. R.E. Griffiths, a Cpl. and three Privates from the British Army. Just outside of the Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort the three Privates were arrested but Sgt. Miller, Sgt. Griffiths and Cpl. Gardner managed to escape.

Sgt. Ronald E. ‘Ron’ Griffiths 755779 RAFVR, was the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner form 220 Sqn, Hudson I P5146 NR:X which failed to return from a Patrol on the 2nd April 1941 4 (Interned).

Cpl. W.F. Gardner 5567722, was from the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment who was captured at Arras on the 23rd May 1940. He escaped from a PoW camp Hirson on the 30th June and was arrested after he crossed into Vichy France (unoccupied France) and interned at the Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort.

They walked to Nimes and went to the house of an American, whose address they had been given at Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort. The spent two (2) days with the American who provided them with train tickets to Perpignan where it was arranged for a Spanish guide and a car to be waiting for them. At sunset they left with the guide and the car drove them to the Spanish frontier.

During the night crossing in bad weather Sgt. Miller and Sgt. Griffiths became separated from the group of six (6) making the crossing. They made their own way safely to the British Embassy in Madrid. They left Gibraltar by sea on the 8th August arriving in Gourock on the west coast of Scotland on the 14th August 1941.

Sgt. Miller was awarded the Air Force Medal (AFM) (London Gazette 1st January 1943)

He was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 1st January 1943.

(2) Sgt. Ingram and a Sgt. Houghton applied for a Medical Board in the hope of being repatriated as medically unfit. On the 10th June they were sent be examined by a Medical Board in Marseilles but were refused.

Sgt. Stanley Joseph Houghton 745228, was the 2nd pilot of 220 Sqn, Hudson I P5146 NR:X which failed to return from a Patrol on the 2nd April 1941 (4 Interned).

They were taken to the Fort Saint-Marthe in Marseilles for a meal together with a party of about thirty (30) others escorted by about ten (10) gendarmes. After the meal Sgt. Ingram, Sgt. Houghton and a Sgt. Herbert walked out of the gates of the fort without being challenged. They took a tram to the town centre where they went to an address provided to Sgt. Herbert by a gentleman who had visited him whilst he was in hospital.

Sgt. Philip Richard Herbert 959970 RAFVR, was the 2nd Pilot of 15 Sqn Wellington IC R1080 which took off from RAF Wyton on a delivery flight to Gibraltar on the 28th April 1941. Ditched about 40 km off Malaga after running out of fuel (2 Killed, 4 Evd).

Flt Sgt. Herbert was posted MiA on the night of the 29th/30th June 1942 when as 2nd Pilot aboard 57 Sqn Wellington III Z1618 DX:? was ditched off the coast of Holland returning from an operation to Bremen (3 MiA, 3 Rtn).

They were provided with civilian clothing and some food and indicated that it was possible to escape. Sgt. Herbert was taken to a flat where after about two (2) hours a member of the Pat O’Leary escape organisation collected him and took him to a farm just outside of Marseilles, collecting Sgt. Ingram and Sgt. Houghton enroute.

They remained at the farm for two (2) days after which they returned to Marseilles and spent the night in a hotel. Sgt. Ingram and Sgt. Houghton left on the 13th June and crossed the Pyrenees to Vilajuiga on the 16th June after which they were taken to the British Consulate in Barcelona that same day. On 4th July Sgt. Ingram left Gibraltar by sea for Glasgow arriving there on the 13th July 1941.

Sgt. Ingram was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 150 Sqn (London Gazette 5th November 1940).

He was appointed to a commission and promoted to 50185 Plt Off. with effect 24th October 1942. (London Gazette 8th December 1942). He was promoted to Fg Off. with effect 24th April 1943 (London Gazette 21st May 1943).Promoted to Flt Lt. with effect 24th October 1944 (London Gazette 7th November 1944).

He was appointed to the RNZAF as a Fg Off. with effect the 1st January 1944 (London Gazette 1st May 1945).

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) between the 4th December 1945 and 13th June 1955 - No notification found.

He was appointed to a short service commission as a Flt Lt with effect 13th June 1955 (London Gazette 19th July 1955). Transferred to the Reserve on the 15th February 1961 (London Gazette 28th March 1961). Commission relinquished on appointment to the Ghana Air Force on the 24th February 1961 (London Gazette 15th December 1961).

(3) Sgt. Whiteman escaped from Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort with a Sapper D.T. Kemp on the 22nd June by strolling out of the main gate and walking to Nîmes.

Sapper D.T. Kemp 2033960, Corps of Royal Engineers;
Sapper Kemp was Mentioned in Recognition of distinguished services in the field (London Gazette 12th February 1942).

From here they took train to Perpignan and then a taxi to the foothills of the Pyrenees. A guide took them over the mountains and bought them train tickets to Barcelona, where they were arrested by the Spanish police.

Sgt. Whiteman was repatriated without spending much time in Spanish prisons. He left Gibraltar by sea on the 8th August arriving in Gourock on the west coast of Scotland on the 14th August 1941.

Flt Sgt. Whiteman was appointed to a commission and promoted to 133516 Plt Off. with effect 18th October 1942 (London Gazette 8th December 1942). Promoted to Fg Off. with effect 23rd April 1943 (London Gazette 9th July 1943).

Fg Off. Whiteman was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD), promulgated in the London Gazette on the 14th January 1944.

He was promoted to Flt Lt. with effect 24th October 1944 (London Gazette 10th November 1944).

Flt Lt. Whiteman was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 7 Sqn. (London Gazette 23rd March 1945).

Burial details:

None.

Researched by Ralph Snape from Aircrew Remembered as dedicated to this crew and their families (Jun 2025).

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