Operation: Frankfurt, Germany

Date: 12th/13th September 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 622 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: NF965

Serial: GI:S

Base: RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk

Location: 1¼ mls (2 km) NE of Sessenheim, France

Pilot: Fg Off. George William Owen 157392 RAFVR Age 25. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Walter Andrew Drewett 1620920 RAFVR Age 28. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. John Robert Umphelby Jamieson 424417 RAAF Age 20. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Philip John Tofield 154207 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Clifford Alexander Vieritz 434128 RAAF Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Sgt. Stanley Minnis 1796309 RAFVR Age? KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Douglas Thomas Forrest 1826053 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Above left to right: Fg Off. John R. U. Jamieson, Flt Sgt. Clifford A. Vieritz (Courtesy of their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 12th/13th September 1944 thirteen (13) aircraft from the squadron were detailed to join a force of three-hundred and seventy-eight (378) Lancasters and nine (9) Mosquitoes on the last major operation against Frankfurt in Germany.

Of the seventeen (17) Lancasters that failed to return two (2) were from the Squadron.

NF965 or 625 Sqn Lancaster III LM512 was claimed by Hptm. Gerhard Friedrich from Stab I./NJG6, his 15th Abschuss, NE of Strasbourg at 5.100 m. at 22:46 hrs. Both aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed at 22:50 hrs. The OKL reports for the 12th September 1944 recorded that the cause of the loss of NF965 was ‘Nachtjäger’ (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten).

The second aircraft was Lancaster I LM291 GI:F, flown by Fg Off. Edward D. Alexander who was KiA along with his crew. LM291 was claimed by Hptm. Martin Becker from 2./NJG6, his 41st Abschuss, SW of Frankfurt at 4.500 m. at 22:45 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten).

It was found that the debris of both aircraft was removed by the Germans so it was not possible to locally identify the crash of the two bombers as Lancasters LM512 and NP965 as the two aircraft that collided in mid-air, caught fire and exploded.

Both aircraft crashed about 1¼ mls (2 km) NE of Sessenheim, 19 miles (30½ km) NE of Strasbourg, at about 20:00 hrs, killing the crews from both aircraft. Fourteen (14) bodies were recovered from the crash site and buried by the Germans in a single grave without coffins. There was a single cross bearing the following translated inscription:

AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN, SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS
D.S. TEINTON. NO MLE 177489
ASKIE. NO MLE 1399198
C L. CORNISH.H.N. METH 417807
BREWETT WALTER ANDREW 1620820
OFFICER SRGT. ROSS
G.W. OWEN.157392
E. EWANS.1581757
CL. JAMIESON JOHN 424417
SGT. STANLEY MINNIS. 1796309
SGT. FORREST D.I. 1826053

A fifteenth (15th) body was found six (6) months later on the right bank of the river Moder near Stattmatten and was subsequently buried in a small box in the same grave.

The river Moder near Stattmatten is about 1 mile (1½ km) due south of the crash site.

Records of the identity of the crews were apparently deposited at the Sessenheim City Hall by the Germans. Unfortunately all records were lost when the City Hall was destroyed by fire during the battle for the village some time later.

The identification of the remains proved to be challenging, however, eventually it was possible to register the identities of eleven (11) crew members and the remaining four (4) collectively. Although one of those registered was supposedly identified as that of Fg Off. Tofield, his remains were recovered from the Neuville en Condroz American Cemetery and finally laid to rest at the Hotton War Cemetery on the 16th April 1947.

At this time it has not been possible to resolve this mystery but it appears that his remains were exhumed by the American Graves Registration service and logically could only have been the remains in the separate box, however, no records have been found to confirm this premise.

Burial details:

Above: There are only fourteen (14) Commonwealth War Grave Commission grave in the Sessenheim Communal Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Fg Off. George William Owen. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 11. Grave Inscription: “IN LOVING AND TREASURED MEMORY”. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1919 in Kings Norton, Warwickshire. Son of George William and Lucy May (née Beard) Owen of Birmingham. Husband of Aurian Viva (née Beard) Owen of Quinton, Birmingham, England.

Sgt. Walter Andrew Drewett. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 4. Born on the 25th April 1916 in East London. Son of Walter Andrew and Alice Maud (née Hall). Husband to Lillian Margaret (née German) Drewett of Shoreditch, Middlesex, England.

Fg Off. John Robert Umphelby Jamieson. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 8. Grave Inscription: “THOU HAST GIVEN ALL THAT THOU HADST”. Born on the 28th June 1924 in Roseville, New South Wales. Son of Robert Marshall and Constance Marzetti Jamieson of Roseville, New South Wales, Australia.

Above: The Hotton War Cemetery (Courtesy of the CWGC)

Fg Off. Philip John Tofield. Hotton War Cemetery 1.C.11. Grave Inscription: “MORNING THOUGHTS, EVENING MEMORIES. HIS LOSS A SILENT GRIEF. MUM AND DAD”. Son of Herbert Ralph and Nellie Elizabeth Tofield of Allbrook, Eastleigh, Hampshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Clifford Alexander Vieritz. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 1. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE”. Born on the 17th August 1924 in Brisbane, Queensland. Son of Gustav Adolf and Jessie Millar Vieritz of Darra, Queensland, Australia.

Sgt. Stanley Minnis. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 9. No further information has been found.

Sgt. Douglas Thomas Forrest. Sessenheim Communal Cemetery, Grave 7. Born in 1925 in Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Son of Robert and Dorothy (née Paterson). Husband to Annie Deans (née Kings) of Kirkconnel, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their relatives (Mar 2026).

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