Operation: Crossover Patrol, Brest

Date: 2nd April 1941 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 220 Sqn, 18 Group, Coastal Command

Type: Hudson I

Serial: P5146

Code: NR:X

Base: RAF Thornaby, North Yorkshire

Location: Maillé some 20 km (12½ mls) Poitiers, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Robert Arthur Eric ‘Bob’ Milton 42866 RAFO Age 21. Interned (1)

2nd Pilot: Sgt. Stanley Joseph Houghton 745228 RAFVR Age 23. Interned (2)

Observer: Sgt. Ronald E. ‘Ron’ Griffiths 755779 RAFVR Age? Interned (3)

Wireless Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. J. Burridge 553501 RAFVR Age? Interned (4)

Above: Plt Off. Robert Arthur Eric ‘Bob’ Milton

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 2nd April 1941 Hudson I P5146 took-off from RAF Thornaby at 01:05 hrs to undertake a ‘Crossover Patrol’ off the coast of Brest. They encountered an electrical storm which knocked out their radio and compass and stopped an engine. They made landfall and after encountering Flak they ran into a sleet storm and with both engines stopped Plt Off. Milton had to force-land the aircraft at Maillé some 20 km (12½ mls) Poitiers. The crew attempted to set the aircraft ablaze which destroyed all the secret documents but the maps and the aircraft itself were only partially burned out.

The four crew succeeded in obtaining civilian clothes at Maillé and made their way on foot to Poitiers. From here caught a bus to Civray, near which they crossed the line of demarcation into Vichy France (unoccupied France). They proceeded to Lussac, accompanied by a French guide and then caught a train to Marseilles. Alighting from the train at Marseilles they were arrested and interned at Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort on the 13th April 1941.

Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort is a small town in the Gard, about 50 km (31 mls) west of Nimes. It was the site of the French internment camp, a converted barracks, that was used to house Allied internees.

(1) Flt Lt. Milton was not going to sit out the war and in July he attempted to escape with a Flt Lt. Hewit by sawing through the bars of a window but were captured immediately by the guards.

Lt. Winwick Miller Hewit 67606, 5/2 battery, Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery. He He was awarded the OBE (M) in recognition of distinguished service in the field (London Gazette 4th May 1942).

On the 7th October 1941 he attempted another escape, this time with a Flt Lt. Parkinson, and were recaptured about five (5) weeks later on the 17th November 1941 near Nimes.

2nd Lt. Richard Edward Hope Parkinson 88370, 4th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He was awarded the OBE (M) in recognition of distinguished service in the field (London Gazette 12th May 1942). Capt. Parkinson was KiA on the 4th November 1942 and is buried at the El Alamein War Cemetery.

In March 1942 he was sent to Fort de la Revère in Nice. In September that year officers were separated from the other ranks and sent to Lyon and then in the beginning of October, to Chambarand.

On the evening of the 16th November 1942 he and Lt. Hewit escaped again. They had secured the co-operation of a French Lt. and French Sgt. who provided them with badges and rank badges necessary to convert their clothing into passable imitations. Accompanied by the French Sgt. they walked past the guard and out of the camp, where they met the French Lt. who took them to a nearby house.

They were provided with civilian cloths, forged ID cards and false French demobilisation papers. They remained at the house for the next few days and then arrangements were made to take them to the railway station at St. Marcellin in the Commandant’s own car driven by his Army chauffeur. They caught a through train to Marseille arriving there on the 22nd November. From here a member of the Pat O’Leary escape organisation arranged for his onward journey. (Ref 1 pp 124-125)

Plt Off. Milton left Gibraltar by sea on the 20th January 1942 arriving in Gourock on the west coast of Scotland on the 26th January 1942.

On the 10th June 1944 Flt Lt. Milton’s 65 Sqn Mustang III FB102 was lost on a Recce in the Caen Area. He was captured by the Germans near Caen. He escaped from a train on the night of the 7th/8th July and contacted US Forces on the 6th August.

(2) Sgt. Houghton and a Sgt. Ingram 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. Norman Johathan Ingram DFM, 580400 RAFVR was the Observer from 82 Sqn Blenheim IV V5977 which was hit by Flak and Force-landed on an operation to Saint-Nazaire on the 13th May 1941 (3 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. Houghton, Sgt. Ingram 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:? ditched off the coast of Holland returning from an operation to Bremen (3 MiA, 3 Returned).

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 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. Houghton and Sgt. Ingram 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 and 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. Houghton 745228 was appointed to a commission and promoted to 127136 Plt Off. on the 8th July 1942 (London Gazette 25th August 1942). Promoted to Fg Off. on the 8th January 1943. (London Gazette 5th March 1943). He was promoted to Flt Lt. on the 8th July 1944 (London Gazette 28th July 1944).

Flt Lt. Houghton was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 1st January 1946. An extension of service, 4 years on the active list, was promulgated on the 23rd May 1946 (London Gazette 13th December 1946).

He was promoted from Flt Lt. (War Substantive) to Flt Lt. on the 1st July 1946 (London Gazette 28th January 1947), and granted seniority in the rank of Flt Lt. on the 8th January 1946 (London Gazette 25th February 1947).

He was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) on the 9th June 1949 (London Gazette 9th June 1949). The AFC was awarded for the 250 flights he made during the Berlin Blockade between the 24th June 1948 and the 12th May 1949.

Appointed to Flt Lt. (permanent) on the 12th April 1949 (London Gazette 18th October 1949). He was promoted to Sqn Ldr on the 1st July 1954 (London Gazette 1st July 1954). He retired from the RAF as a Sqn Ldr. in 1958.

Stanley Joseph Houghton was born on the 29th March 1918 in Slough, Berkshire. Flt Lt. Houghton married Alys Harris Gillespie on the 1st September 1949 at RAF Station Wunstorf, Germany.

Above: Announcement of Flt Lt. Houghton’s marriage to Alys Harris Gillespie

Stanley passed away on the 4th February 1975, age 56, in Lisboa, Portugal.

(3) On the 29th June Sgt. Griffiths successfully escaped with Sgt. Miller, a Cpl. and three Privates from the British Army. Just outside of the Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort the three Privates were arrested but Sgt. Griffiths, Sgt. Miller and Cpl W.F. Gardner managed to escape.

Sgt. Frank Henry Miller 758068 RAFVR was the Pilot of 82 Sqn Blenheim IV V5977 which was hit by Flak and Force-landed on an operation to Saint-Nazaire on the 13th May 1941 (3 interned)

Cpl. W.F. Gardner 5567722 from the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment 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. Griffiths and Sgt. Miller 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.

(4) Little has been found about the escape from Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort for Sgt. Burridge save for the fact that he escaped on the 21st August 1941 with a Sgt. A.C. Roberts.

Sgt. Alexander Cyffin Roberts 402007 RAAF was from 452 Sqn. He baled out of his Spitfire IIa P7562 over St. Omer after an engagement with a Bf109 on the 11th July 1941. After returning to England he was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD), appointed to a commission and then transferred on the 19th April 1942 to 258 Sqn, flying Hurricanes out of Dum Dum in Ceylon. On completion of his tour (2nd) he was detailed to serve as the Air/Ground Liaison Officer with the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade (Chindits) Long Range Penetration Group (LRPG) behind Japanese lines in Burma.

They left Gibraltar by sea on the 1st October 1941 arriving in Gourock on the west coast of Scotland on the 6th October 1941.

Burial details:

None.

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

Other sources listed below:

Reference:

1. “Free to Fight Again” RAF Escapes and Evasions 1940-1945 – Alan W. Cooper ISBN 0-7183-0678-3

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