Operation: Mannheim, Germany

Date: 18th/19th November 1943 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit No: 622 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Stirling III

Serial: EF128

Code: GI:D

Base: RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk

Location: Lachalade (Meuse), 30 km (18½ mls) west of Verdun, France

Pilot: Flt Sgt. William James Morcombe 415264 RAAF Age 20. KiA

2nd Pilot: Flt Sgt. Harold Leslie Raymond Richards 42457 RNZAF Age 28. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Arthur Ernest Sly 1632077 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Donald Sinclair Smith 658902 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Robert Harper 1533559 RAFVR Age 33. Id No: 78414 *, PoW No. 8094 ** (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Stanley Alan Thomas 915352 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Reginald Matthew Conroy 426317 RAAF Age 24. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Alan Andrew Ough 1812760 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

* Buchenwald concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimer, Germany in July 1937.

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

Above: Flt Sgt. Reginald Matthew Conroy from his service file

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 18th/19th November 1943 Stirlings from 622 Sqn joined a force of 395 aircraft on a major diversionary raid, the main raid was to Berlin, to Mannheim, Germany.

Of the 9 Stirlings lost on this raid 2 from 622 Sqn failed to return:

Stirling III EJ113 GI:Q. Flt Sgt. S. Owen and his crew were KiA. The bomber was claimed by Ofw. Reinhard Kollak, his 31st Abschuss and 2nd of this night from 8./NJG, NE Chalons-sur-Marne at 21:40 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 September - 31 December) 1943 Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

EF128 was claimed by Hptm. Helmut Bergmann, his 18th Abschuss and second of this night, from 8./NJG4, at la Chalade, NE of St. Menehould at 4.200 m at 19:49 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 September - 31 December) 1943 Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Bergmann was KiA on the night of the 6th/7th August 1944 in the area of Avranches-Mortain when his Bf110 G-4 3C+CS was shot down by 604 Sqn Mosquito NF.XIII MM449 flown by Flt Lt. Surman and Plt Off. Weston. He was credited with 33 confirmed Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Note: Flt Lt. Surman and Plt Off. Weston were awarded the DFC whilst with 604 Sqn. London Gazette 27th October 1944. Citation: “Flight Lieutenant John Clarke SURMAN (64929), RAFVR, 604 Sqn. Pilot Officer Clarence Edwin WESTON (178927), RAFVR, 604 Sqn. These officers have set a fine example of determination and devotion to duty. Their keenness to engage the enemy has been a great feature throughout their tour. They have destroyed 5 enemy aircraft at night”.

The aircraft crashed at Lachalade (Meuse), 30 km (18½ mls) west of Verdun, France.

(1) The details of Sgt. Harper’s evasion are unknown until he met Sgt. Ian Robb, RAF and his party of evaders and helpers at the Reims railway station on the 1st December 1943.

This was Sgt. Ian Alexander Robb 1397341 who was the Flight Engineer from 218 (Gold Coast) Sqn Stirling III BK650 HA:T shot down by a German night-fighter on the night of the 30th/31st August 1943 on a mission to Mönchengladbach, Germany (4 KiA, 2 PoW, 1 Evd).

It was here that the party was spilt up with Sgt. Harper and Sgt. Robb remaining in Reims until the 31st December 1943, when the Gestapo arrived early in the morning and arrested them. Both were held in the Military prison in Reims until May 1944 and then transferred to a prison in Châlons-sur-Marne (Châlons-en-Champagne) some 40 km (25 mls) SE of Reims.

They were then transferred to Fresnes prison which was located to the south of Paris and was where French political prisoners were held and ordinarily Allied airmen, after questioning, were moved to a PoW Camp. In the summer of 1944, with the Allies having liberated Paris and closing in, the Gestapo guards started reducing the prison population by execution, and then relocating surviving prisoners to various concentration camps east of France. On the 15th August 1944 he was amongst 169 Allied PoWs and hundreds of French men and women who were packed into a freight train and transported to Buchenwald concentration camp on a journey lasting five days. Buchenwald was located 8 km (5 mls) north of Weimar, in the German province of Thüringen. It was established and administered by the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Fg Off. Joel Mathews ‘Tex’ Stevenson C27788 RCAF, the pilot of 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB727 VR:H escaped from the train and successfully evaded.

Sqn Ldr. Lamason and Fg Off. Chapman succeeded in getting all but two of the Allied PoWs transferred to Stalag Luft 3. Two airmen, 1st Lt. Levitt Clinton Beck Jr. O-736945, US AAF and Fg Off. Philip Derek Hemmens, 152583, RAFVR died in the sick barrack.

Recognition:

For decades the International Red Cross (IRC) had stated that there were no military personnel in Buchenwald despite the overwhelming documentary and anecdotal evidence. It was not until 1988 that the IRC eventually confirmed the airmen were illegally held at Buchenwald.

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments also consistently denied that any of their service personnel were ever held in concentration camps and refused to investigate the claims made by a 'mere’ handful of men.

Reparations were made to the British airmen who had been illegally held at Buchenwald in 1965. Eventually in 1988 the Australian, New Zealand and it is believed the Canadian governments acknowledged that their airmen had been illegally held in concentration camps.

American airmen were among those receiving compensation and the US Air force have acknowledged the Buchenwald airmen with an exhibit at the Air Force Museum, albeit the airmen are shown in uniform rather than in civilian attire. Furthermore, there is no mention of decades-long denial of their experiences by other branches of the government.

He was transferred to Stalag Luft 3 over the period 15th to 20th October 1944. He was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) whilst he was a PoW.

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. WO. Harper was amongst the West Compound PoWs that were sent to Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde.

In early 1945, some 1,000 PoWs from the Stalag 8C and Stalag Luft 3 were brought to Stalag 3A, and also PoWs from the Stalag 21C in Wolsztyn. In February 1945 prisoners from Stalag 3B Furstenberg were evacuated to Stalag 3A, adding to the already overcrowded and unhygienic conditions.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated. WO. Harper was interviewed on the 15th May 1945.

Robert Harper was born on the 10th March 1911. He was a Lorry driver and a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service in St. Helens, Lancashire prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 16th July 1941. Robert Harper passed away in the 4th Qtr of 1977 in Salford, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, England.

Burial details:

Above: Monument erected at the crash site in honour of the crew (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Above: There are only seven Commonwealth graves in the Lachalade Churchyard which are located near the west wall.

From left to right: Flt Sgt. Conroy, Flt Sgt. Morcombe & Sgt. Ough, Flt Sgt. Richards & Sgt. Sly, Flt Sgt. Smith & Sgt. Thomas (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Above left to right: Collective grave markers for Flt Sgt. William J. Morcombe & Sgt. Alan A. Ough; Flt Sgt. Harold L.R. Richards & Sgt. Arthur E. Sly; Flt Sgt. Donald S. Smith & Sgt. Stanley A. Thomas. (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Flt Sgt. William James Morcombe. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Grave inscription: ‘SO DEARLY LOVED’. Born on the 10th January 1923 in Ceduna, South Australia. Son of Philip Thomas and Stella Alison (née Sage) Morcombe, of Armadale, Western Australia.

Flt Sgt. Harold Leslie Raymond Richards. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Born on the 11th April 1919, West Coast, New Zealand. Son of Walter and Mary Beatrice (née Boykett) Richards. Husband of Gwendoline Veda Richards, of Westport, Nelson, New Zealand.

Sgt. Arthur Ernest Sly. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Was living in Peterborough. Left effects to a Charles William Sly. No further information found.

Flt Sgt. Donald Sinclair Smith. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Son of John and Martha Smith of Blackpool, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. Stanley Alan Thomas. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Grave Inscription: ‘NEVER HAS SO MUCH BEEN OWED TO SO FEW BY SO MANY. NOT DIVIDED. BLESS YOU, DARLING’. Born in 1st Qtr of 1919 in Southwark, London. Son of Arthur and Ivy Mary (née Day) Thomas. Husband of Elsie (née Jenning) Thomas of Lambeth, London, England.

Above: Grave marker for Flt Sgt. Reginald M. Conroy (Courtesy of the TWGPP)

Flt Sgt. Reginald Matthew Conroy. Lachalade Churchyard Grave 1. Grave Inscription: ‘REST IN PEACE. EVER REMEMBERED’. Born on the 13th December 1918 in Pittsworth, Queensland. Son of Matthew and Ivy Mary (née Rafter) Conroy of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.

Sgt. Alan Andrew Ough. Lachalade Churchyard Coll. Grave 2-4. Grave Inscription: ‘"THINE FOR EVER" MUM AND DAD’. Born in 2nd Qtr of 1924 in Fulham, London. Son of Benedict George and Lilian Miriam (née Oats) Ough of Fulham, London, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Jul 2024). Thanks to ‘The War Graves Photographic Project’ for their great work.

Other sources listed below:

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