Operation: Circus 32, Béthune, France

Date: 4th July 1941 (Friday)

Unit No: 609 (West Riding) Squadron, RAuxAF, 11 Group, Fighter Command

Type: Spitfire VB

Serial No: X4664

Code: PR:?

Base: RAF Biggin Hill, Kent

Location: Near St. Omer, France

Pilot: Fg Off. Alfred Keith ‘Skeets’ Ogilvie DFC 42872 RAF Age 25. PoW No. 1409 *

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

Fg Off. Ogilvie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 609 Squadron, which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 11th July 1941.

Citation reads: “This officer has displayed great keenness and determination in his efforts to seek and destroy the enemy. He has shot down at least five hostile aircraft”.

Above: Fighter claims by Fg Off. Alfred Keith ‘Skeets’ Ogilvie

On the 4th July 1941 the Squadron took off in the afternoon on a Circus 32 mission. The Kuhlmann Works and Power Station at Bethune was the target for 12 Blenheims, from 226 Squadron for which Biggin Hill acted as Escort Cover.

609 Sqn in the rear, encountered Me109s from just before the target area onwards. Some of these were in small patrols, but one formation of about nine (9) passed over the squadron before going to attack the bombers, and another of twelve (12) were sighted above in line astern over the target area.

Two (2) of these came down and remained below cloud, two (2) others came down as cover, and as they went up again a further four (4) came right through our formation. Sqn Ldr. Robinson fired a full deflection shot at all four (4) below as they passed through his sights, and the last one emitted black smoke.

Sqn Ldr. Michael Lister Robinson DSO, DFC, MiD 37300 RAF;

The then Wg Cdr. Robinson was the Tangmere Wing leader with 340 Sqn was posted MiA on the 10th April 1942 when his Spitfire Vb W3770 ML:R was shot down by Fw190s of JG26 during a fighter sweep off Boulogne.

Flt Lt. Richey was attacked by one of several Me109s manoeuvring above and behind. He succeeded in getting behind it, and after a burst of cannon saw it emitting glycol. After rejoining his formation, Flt Lt. Richey saw two (2) Me109s dive past to attack two (2) Spitfires of 74 Sqn. He fired at the second of these and it emitted brown smoke continuously as it dived after its leader.

Flt Lt. Paul Henry Mills Richey DFC & Bar 39757 RAF.

Two (2) other 609 Sqn pilots fired without result, and there were a number of near-collisions owing to the number of friendly fighters in the vicinity. A Spitfire had been seen going down near the target area emitting glycol and flames and also a parachute but not necessarily from the same aircraft. It was later reported by his wingman that several Me109s dived on them from behind, and that he saw Plt Off. Ogilvie half-roll to the left, but after that he blacked out. When they returned to RAF Biggin Hill, Fg Off. Ogilvie was missing.

One Blenheim was seen to suffer a direct hit from Flak on the way out in Dunkirk area.

This was Blehheim IV V6365 MQ:? from 226 Squadron (2 KiA, 1 PoW)

Six (6) weeks later Lord Haw-Haw broadcast over the German radio that Fg Off. Ogilvie was a prisoner of war.

A personal comment in the Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB) described: “Hard as he had worked, in the air and on the ground, he had always remained cheery. Many a time and oft had a Canadian wisecrack from him ended a period of tension. Ironically, he was just about to depart on a well-earned period of leave, and he has probably laughed quite a lot since about that”.

Fg Off. Ogilvie was shot down by an Me109 from JG26 near St. Omer. He was wound in the left arm and shoulder but managed to bale out and was subsequently captured near Lille that day.

He was admitted to the Albert Calmette Hospital in Lille on the 4th July and on the 21st August he was transferred to the Institute Bordet Hospital in Brussels, Belgium. On the 17th January 1942 after 7 months in hospital he bypassed Dulag Luft, Oberursel and was sent to Oflag 9A/H, Schloss Spangenberg (Spangenberg Castle) in the small town of Spangenberg in NE Hesse, Prussia.

On the 30th April 1942 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia. Flt Lt. Ogilvie was one of the Parcels Officer for the North Compound. They were responsible for seeking loopholes in the German system for censoring parcels and snuggling contraband articles into the Compound without arousing suspicion. (Ref 1, p.232)

He was promoted to War Substantive Flt Lt. on the 25th May 1942 which was promulgated in the London Gazette, 16th October 1942.

Flt Lt. Ogilvie was the seventy-eighth (78) man out of the tunnel just before 05:00 hrs. He was wearing an Army battle-dress and a shortened RAF airman’s greatcoat. He joined Flt Lt. Reavell-Carter in the woods where they awaited the other members of their party of ten (10).

A few minutes later Flt Lt. Shand left the tunnel and crawled about half-way when a German sentry on patrol came across the tunnel exit, fired a shot and started shouting. Flt Lt. Reavell-Carter jumped up and shouted to him. The sentry ordered him to put up his hands and walked toward him. Whilst the sentry was distracted Flt Lt. Ogilvie took the opportunity to wriggle further into the cover of the woods and crawl away. After about fifty (50) yards he began to run in a westerly direction and a while later he turned south. As dawn was breaking he found a hiding place where he remained until it was dark that evening.

At dawn on the 26th March whilst heading south he was captured by a members of the German Volkssturm (Home Guard) near Halbau and taken to a police station. He managed to destroy his forged documentation and discard them along with his money. After being held at the police station he was taken to a nearby inn where he was interrogated. About 2 hours later Flt Lt. Thompson, Flt Lt. Hall and Flt Lt. Evans arrived. At 09:00 hrs they were taken to the civilian prison at Görlitz where he was placed in a cell with Flt Lt. Royle and Flt Lt. Hall. On the 29th March they were moved to the military prison at Görlitz.

On the 29th March at about 15:00 hrs he saw several officers in the corridor including Sqn Ldr. Cross, Flt Lt. Casey and Flt Lt. McGill. He, Flt Lt. Royle and Flt Lt. Hall were returned to the civil prison and on 4th April he along with Flt Lt. Royle, Flt Lt. Thompson and Flt Lt. Armstrong were taken by train back to Stalag Luft 3. (Ref 1, pp.207-208)

Flt Lt. Charles P.E. Hall, Flt Lt. Brian Evans, Sqn Ldr. Ian K.P. Cross, Flt Lt. Michael J. Casey and Flt Lt. George E. McGill were amongst the fifty (50) officers murdered by the Gestapo.

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 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. It is not known whether Flt Lt. Ogilvie was amongst those mustered or amongst those who hid either in the camp or in the surrounding countryside.

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. Ogilvie was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945

After returning to the UK Flt Lt. Ogilvie was transferred to the RCAF retaining his rank on the 24th November 1944 which was promulgated in the London Gazette, 10th August 1945. Alfred passed away on the 26th May 1998 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Above: Obituary for Sqn Ldr. Ogilvie (Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen, dated 27th May 1998)

Alfred Keith Ogilvie was born on the 14th September 1915 in Ottawa, Ontario. He was working as a Stock-Broker and decided to enlist in the RCAF but his application was not approved. He then applied to joined the RAF on a Short Service Commission on the 10th August 1939.

Burial details:

None – Survived the war

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this Pilot.

Reference:

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

Other sources listed below:

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