Operation: Cap Gris-Nez, France

Date: 19/20th May 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron, 8 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND736

Code: MG:G

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: 1½ km (1 ml) SE of Ferques, France

Pilot: Sqn Ldr. Ivor Douglas Oliver DFC, MiD 84308 RAFVR Age 28. PoW * (1)

2nd Pilot: Flt Lt. Robert Bell Hunt J21890 RCAF Age 34. KiA

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Alan Douglas Heath 994607 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Ronald Stuart Roe 144200 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Plt Off. Alan Field Grant Smart 137311 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: WO. Allan Little 927007 RAFVR Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Plt Off. William Hamish MacDonald 417219 RNZAF Age 21. KiA (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Fg Off. Edmund Thornley Lund 158000 RAFVR Age 29. KiA (3)

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

Above: Flt Lt. Robert Bell Hunt from his service Record

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 22:58 hrs, one of ten (10) aircraft sent to bomb the Radar Station at Cap Gris-Nez Pas-de-Calais in France. Forty-four (44) aircraft were sent to bomb various locations in France during this night.

ND736 was hit by Flak from 1.-4./gem. Flak Abt. 5901and was the only aircraft lost on this operation. The aircraft wreckage crashed 1½ km (1 ml) SE of Ferques at 00:10 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Translation: Crashed on the 22nd or 23rd May 1944 – 22:30hrs 500 metres east of Hydrequent near Calais, northern France Type: Lancaster. Note: the crash site was some 1½ km (1 ml) SE of Ferques.

Above. Images of the crash site for ND376 (provided by John Jones from the service record of Flt Lt. Robert Bell Hunt)

(1) Fg Off. Oliver was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 106 Sqn on the 23rd December 1941 (London Gazette 19th December 1941). Flt Lt. Oliver was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 2nd June 1943. Flt Lt. Oliver retired from the RAF retaining the rank of Sqn Ldr. on the 21st April 1963 (London Gazette 30th April 1963).

The nephew of Ivor Oliver informed us that his uncle usually undid his seat harness after take-off but for some very lucky reason he didn’t do so on this operation. On their bombing run over the target their bombs hung up. On the second attempt Flak found the aircraft and the bomber exploded in mid-air. Sqn Ldr. Oliver was blown out of the cockpit roof still attached to his seat. He unbuckled himself from his seat, pulled the rip-cord and safely landed, albeit with some severe burns to the right side of his face.

He was treated in a hospital in Lille from the 20th May 1944 until the 24th June. He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 25th June. Whilst there he was threatened with being turned over to the Gestapo which did not happen.

On the 29th June 1944 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia arriving there on the 30th June 1944

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.

Sqn Ldr. Oliver was amongst PoWs from the West Compound were sent to Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde arriving there on the 4th February 1945. 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. Sqn Ldr. Oliver was interviewed on the 23rd May 1945.

Ivor Douglas Oliver was born on the 16th February 1916 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. He was an accountancy Assistant prior to enlisting in the RAFVR in August 1939. Ivor passed away on the 7th February 1973 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, aged just 57. Cremated at Chilterns Crematorium in Amersham, Chiltern District, Buckinghamshire, England.

(2) William Hamish MacDonald was educated at Wanganui Collegiate. A farmer on his father's farm at Mangamahu. Enlisted at Levin as Wireless Operator/Air Gunner under training on the 27th December 1941, Embarked for Canada on the 2nd March 1942. Air Gunners Brevet and promoted to Sergeant on the 4th December 1942, Embarked for England on the 29th December 1942. 75 Squadron on the 15th June 1943. Appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 8th November 1943. Joined 7 squadron on the 24th March 1944.

Burial details:

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

Flt Sgt. Alan Douglas Heath. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Grave 25. Grave Inscription: 'THE TRUMPETS SOUNDED FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE'. Son of Hainsworth and Jane Elizabeth Heath of Foxholes, Driffield, Yorkshire, England.

Fg Off. Ronald Stuart Roe. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Joint grave 23. Grave Inscription: 'ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS'. Son of Stanley Henson and Mabel Kate Roe. Husband of Edith Elizabeth Roe of Crewkerne, Somerset, England.

Flt Lt. Robert Bell Hunt. Calais Canadian War Cemetery, Plot 2, Row H, Grave 12. Born on the 9th November 1910 in Alberta. Son of Harry Bell (died 14th January 1944) and Harriet Ann (née Wright) died 18th August 1964) Hunt . Husband of Alice Mildred Eleanor (née Thresher) Hunt; Later Gregory - died 29th August 1994) of Coutts, Alberta, Canada.

Initially buried in Marquise Communal Cemetery in grave 58. Finally laid to rest at the Calais Canadian War Cemetery on the 14th August 1945.

Plt Off. Alan Field Grant Smart. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Grave 24. Grave Inscription: 'IN EVERLOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR ALAN. HONOURED AND REMEMBERED ALWAYS'. Son of Peter Grant and Kate Grant Smart. Husband of Violet Lilian Grant Smart of Thorpe Bay, Essex, England.

WO. Allan Little. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Grave 22. Grave Inscription: 'UNTIL THE DAY BREAKS'. Son of William Herbert and Alice Maud Little of Carlisle, England.

Plt Off. William Hamish MacDonald. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Grave 23. Born on the 6th September 1922 in Wanganui. Son of William Alexander (died 20th May 1945) and of Marjorie Leila (née Campion), MacDonald of Wangaehu Valley, Wellington, New Zealand.

Fg Off. Edmund Thornley Lund. Marquise Communal Cemetery, Plot 1, Row B, Grave 26. Grave Inscription: 'THY WILL BE DONE'. Son of Charles Edward Lund, and of Ruth Lund, of Nelson, Lancashire, England. Son of Charles Edward Lund, and of Ruth Lund, of Nelson, Lancashire, England.

Appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 23rd July 1943. Completed a tour with 61 Sqn before going 7 Sqn.

Researched aby Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to John Jones and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”,New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland (Jan 2023). Reviewed, updated with corrections and new images by Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2026). Thanks to Martin Reeve, the nephew of Sqn Ldr. Oliver, for the additional information (Feb 2026).

Other sources as listed below:

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