Operation: “Gardening”, Germany

Date: 26th/27th June 1940 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 49 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Hampden I

Serial: P4305

Code: EA:?

Base: RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire

Location: Ugruke in Rendsburg, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Basil Alexander Mitchell 39107 RAF Age 28. PoW No. 105 * (1 & 2)

Obs: Plt Off. Laurence Reavell-Carter 76017 RAFVR Age 26. PoW No. 107 * (1 & 3)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Wilfred Alfred Spickett 516666 RAF Age 26. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Leslie James Dutton 547594 RAF Age? KiA

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 26th June 1940 seven (7) aircraft from the Sqn, which were detailed on a “Gardening” mission at the “Lettuces” area, took-off from RAF Scampton at 5 min intervals commencing at 21:42 hrs. P4305 was the only aircraft from the Sqn that failed to return.

P4305 was hit by Flak from 4./Marine Flak Abt. 224 and crashed into the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal at 01:39 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1939 - 12 July 1941) The Early Years Part 1 - Theo Boiten)

(1) Flt Lt. Mitchell and Plt Off. Reavell-Carter baled out and were captured in Rendsburg that day and transported to Dulag Luft Oberursel the next day. After the statutory solitary confinement and interrogation they were transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang on the 9th July 1940 arriving there the next day

On the 7th July 1940 Stalag Luft 1 was the first permanent PoW camp for Officers and SNCOs of the RAF to be established.

In April 1942, they was amongst all 800 PoWs who were transferred to the newly constructed Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, Silesia.

While at the East Compound Flt Lt. Mitchell was one of the three (3) Officers in charge of the custody and issue of tools. They kept some in wall panels in their rooms for immediate use and buried others in Compound gardens. Tunnellers kept the tools and gave them lists of what they had in use. (Ref 1, p 31). After being transferred to the North Compound he was one of the four (4) members of the Coding Staff. (Ref 1, p 60). It is not known if he was one of the two-hundred (200) who were selected to escape on the night of the 24th/25th March 1944.

While at the East Compound Flt Lt. Reavell-Carter was one on a number of officers who supervised the food/points system (Ref 1, p 5) and was one of two (2) officers that were in charge of the Parcel Store (Ref 1, p 55).

Flt Lt. Reavell-Carter was the seventh-sixth (76) man out followed by Flt Lt. Ogilvie and Flt Lt. Shard. He reached the trees when he saw one of the perimeter guards leave his route to relieve himself. He saw the guard raise his rifle at Flt Lt. Shand and stepped into the open and shouted at him in German not to shoot but this startled the guard and he fire anyway but missed. (Ref 1, p 182).

He walked toward the sentry with his hands in the air and continued to shout in German whilst Flt Lt. Ogilvie and Flt Lt. Shard escaped into the woods without the guard noticing. A few minutes later an NCO from the Guard-Room and took him, Flt Lt. Langlois (Insert Link) and Sqn Ldr. McBride, (Insert Link) who was caught emerging from the tunnel to the Guard-Room. After which they spent twenty-one (21) days in the “cooler”. (Ref 1, p 194).

Flt Lt. Ogilvie and Flt Lt. Shard later arrested and returned to Stalag Luft 3.

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 they were amongst the North, East and West compound PoWs who were sent to Marlag und Milag Nord at Westertimke.

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 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 Lt. Mitchell was listed amongst those that were liberated at Lübeck. Whilst Flt Lt. Reavell-Carter was not listed his “General Questionnaire for British/American Ex PoWs” stated that he was also liberated at Lübeck.

(2) Basil Alexander Mitchell was born on the 19th May 1912 in Axbridge, Somerset.

He enlisted in the RAF in July 1936 and was granted a Short Service Commission as Acting Plt Off. on the 31st August 1936. (London Gazette 22nd February 1936). His appointment as Plt Off was confirmed on the 10th July 1937. (London Gazette 27th July 1937.)

He was promoted to Flt Lt. with effect the 3rd September 1940 (London Gazette 26th November 1940).

Flt Lt. Mitchell was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 13th June 1946.

On the 22nd July 1946 Flt Lt. Mitchell relinquished his commission on account of medical unfitness for Air Force service, retaining his rank. (London Gazette 6th August 1946)

Basil Alexander Mitchell passed away on the 15th May 1974 in Yeovil, Somerset

(3) Laurence Reavell-Carter was born on the 27th August 1914 in Brentford, London.

He enlisted in the RAFVR on the 28th March 1939. 747707 LAC. Reavell-Carter was appointed to a commission and promoted to 76017 Plt Off. on the 13th November 1939 (London Gazette 12th December 1939).

Plt Off. Reavell-Carter was promoted to Fg Off. with effect 27th November 1940 (London Gazette 21st February 1941) and then to Flt Lt. with effect 27th November 1941 (London Gazette 20th January 1942).

Acting Sqn Ldr. Laurence Reavell-Carter was appointed to be an Additional Members of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order (MBE(M)) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 10th December 1946:

Citation: This officer completed eight operational sorties as observer over a period extending from April,1940 till 26th June 1940. On that date, his aircraft was shot down during an attack on the Kiel Canal and Squadron Leader Reavell-Carter was taken prisoner. From January, 1941 until March, 1942 he was engaged in the construction of four escape tunnels, all of which were discovered by the Germans before they could be used. In June, 1943 Squadron Leader Reavell-Carter thought of a method of escape from the camp. He himself was too large to be able to take advantage of this scheme, but it was used by two other prisoners of war. This officer was one of a large party which escaped by a tunnel from Sagan camp in March, 1944. A member of his section was noticed by a sentry and Squadron Leader Reavell-Carter was forced to disclose his own position in order to prevent the guard from shooting. He served 21 days detention for this attempt. During most of his period of captivity, Squadron Leader Reavell-Carter obtained many escape aids from the Germans and organised a forgery party. He was liberated near Lubeck in May, 1945.

He was promoted to Substantive Sqn Ldr. with effect 1st August 1947 (London Gazette 5th August 1947) and then to Wg Cdr. on the 1st January 1954 (London Gazette 1st January 1954).

Laurence Reavell-Carter passed away on the 4th October 1985 in Cooden, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex.

Burial Details:

Sgt. Spickett and Sgt. Dutton were initially buried on the 2nd July 1940 at the Kiel Garrison Cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Kiel War Cemetery on the 14th May 1947.

Above: Kiel War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Sgt. Wilfred Alfred Spickett. Kiel War Cemetery 1.A.20. Grave Inscription: “GONE FROM OUR SIGHT BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN”. Born in the 2nd Qtr of 1914 in Canterbury, Kent. Son of William Henry and Elizabeth Jane (née Joy) Spickett of Canterbury, England.

Sgt. Ronald Leslie James Dutton. Kiel War Cemetery 1.A.19. No on-line personal or family information found.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Mar 2025)

Other sources listed below:

References:

1. Stalag Luft III - An official history of the “Great Escape” PoW Camp - Published by Frontline Books - ISBN: 978-1-47388-305-5.

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