Operation: Münster Viaduct, Germany

Date: 21st March 1945 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 75 (NZ) Squadron (motto: Ake ake kia kaha - 'For ever and ever be strong'), 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: NG449

Code: AA:T

Base: RAF Mepal, Cambridgeshire

Location: Haus Spital, Münster, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Jack Plummer DFC, 42451 RNZAF Age 29. KiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Maurice Fell 1892955 RAFVR Age? PoW * (2)

Nav: Fg Off. Arthur Leonard 'Tiny’ Humphries DFM, QSM, 428244 RNZAF Age 22. PoW No: 65026 * (3)

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Edgar John Holloway 429923 RNZAF Age 29. KiA

W/Op/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Joseph James ‘Joe’ Wakerley 169159 RAFVR Age 28. PoW ** (4)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Fg Off. Russell James Scott 428984 RNZAF Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Alexander Malcolm MacDonald 426070 RNZAF Age 24. Evaded (5)

* Stalag 11B Fallingbostel, Schleswig, Lower Saxony, Germany

** Oflag 79 at Waggum near Braunschweig (Brunswick) , Germany

Above front; (L-R) Flt Sgt. Alexander Macdonald, Fg Off. Edgar Holloway, Fg Off. Arthur Humphries, Flt Lt. Jack Plummer. Door; Fg Off. Russell Scott, Sgt. Maurice Fell. (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand )

REASON FOR LOSS:

NG449 took off from RAF Nepal at 09:45 hrs and joined 20 others from the Squadron as part of a force of 160 aircraft detailed to bomb the railway yards and a railway viaduct at Münster, Germany in order to prevent German reinforcements from hampering the allied push into Germany.

The aircraft carried a Bomb load of 1x4000 lb and 13x500 lb. Weather: clear with little cloud.

3 bombers from 75 squadron failed to return: The other two were:

Lancaster I RA564 AA:P Flown by Fg Off. Derek Singleton Barr 190947 RAFVR. KiA along with his crew;

Lancaster III LM773 AA:E Flown by Fg Off. Alfred Errol Brown 429139 RNZAF. He and one other from his crew were KiA and 5 were taken PoW.

NG449 was shot down by Flak over the target area and blew up in the air with the wreckage crashing near Haus Spital,

(1) Flt Lt. Plumer was awarded the DFC whilst with 75 Sqn. (London Gazette 6th February 1945). Citation reads:

“This officer has completed numerous sorties including a number of attacks on well defended targets in Germany and has invariably displayed the highest standard of determination in the execution of his allotted tasks. On one occasion, in October, 1944 he was pilot and captain of an aircraft detailed to attack Duisberg. Shortly after the bombs had been released the aircraft was hit in the nose by a high explosive shell. The inrush of air through the shattered windscreen caused great physical distress to the pilot. His hands became frozen and it was with the greatest difficulty that he was able to use them. Nevertheless, he held doggedly to his task. He came down considerably in altitude and afterwards flew the aircraft to base. In most painful and distressing conditions this officer displayed exceptional fortitude and determination”.

(2) Sgt. Fell was blown out of the aircraft and landed in a forest. He was quickly caught and beaten by German civilians, until being rescued by German Soldiers. Having been captured he was taken to Fallingbostel where his face was stitched by a Serbian Major,16 stitches being given without anaesthetic. A gash to his hand, a broken ankle and jaw were not treated. After liberation by the American army, he was treated by Sir Archibald McIndoe subsequently on return to the UK, from the 25th of April 1945, firstly at RAF Hospital Wroughton and then to Cosford, Halton.

(3) Flt Sgt. Humphries was awarded the DFM whilst with 75 Sqn (London Gazette 25th May 1945).

He was awarded the Queen's Service Medal (QSM) - No further details found.

Plt Off. Humphries was captured that day in Münster and was initially held at Stalag 6F in Münster until the 2nd April after which he was transferred to Stalag 11B in Fallingbostel, Schleswig, Lower Saxony, Germany. The camp was liberated by British troops from the 11th and 8th Hussars on the 16th April 1945. Plt Off. Humphries was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Arthur Leonard Humphries was born on the 15th June 1922 in Invercargill. He was a farmer in Mataura, Southland, New Zealand prior to enlisting in the RNZAF on the 13th July 1942.

He passed away on the 25th of September 2010, age 88. His wife Doreen Lucy Humphries, passed away on the 24th May 2010, at the age of 92. Both are interred in the Eastern Cemetery, Invercargill, 3 SA Ashes, Plot 153A.

(4) Fg Off. Wakerley was captured that day in Münster and was initially held at Stalag 6F in Münster until the 29th March after which he was transferred to Stalag 11B in Fallingbostel, Schleswig, Lower Saxony, Germany arriving there on the 31st March.

On the 7th April he was then transferred to Oflag 79 at Waggum near Braunschweig (Brunswick) arriving there on the 9th April. The camp was liberated by the US 9th Army on the 12th April 1945. Fg Off. Wakerley was interviewed on the 24th April 1945.

Joseph James Wakerley was born on the 15th April 1916. He was employed in Advertising and Publicity with a firm in Ormskirk, Lancashire prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 18th July 1940.

He flew his first tour of operations with 106 Squadron at RAF Coningsby and the RAF Syerston between June and December 1942 flying with pilot Sgt. James Ronald 'Jock’ Cassels, 1347906 (later Flt Lt. Cassels DFC & Bar, 128680).

(5) Flt Sgt. Macdonald was also blown out of the aircraft, despite suffering burns to his face he managed to evade capture. No details of his evasion have been found except that he returned to the UK on the 7th of April 1945.

Alexander Malcolm Macdonald was born on the 19th of June 1921. Alexander passed away on the 18th September 2001, are 80. His wife, Alison Mary Macdonald passed away on the 30th of April 1998, at the age of 76. Both Greenpark RSA Cemetery, Dunedin, Otago. Block 1A, Plot 204.

Burial details:

The dead were initially buried in the PoW Cemetery in Haus Spital - reinterred after war end.

Above: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Flt Lt. Jack Plummer. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 12.G.10. Born on the 20th of January 1916 in Wellington. Son of Horace Howell Plummer (died 17th January 1932, age 64) and Ethel Beatrice Plummer (died 27th June 1963, age 80), of Wadestown, Wellington City, New Zealand.

Worked as a clerk for the Land and Income Tax Department Enlisted at Levin on the 11th of January 1942. Trained in Canada. Pilot badge awarded on the 9th October 1943 and appointed to a commission as a Plt Off. A total of 1323 flying hours logged and completed 30 operational sorties.

Fg Off. Edgar John Holloway. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 12.G.12. Born on the 25th of October 1915 in Onehung. Son of John Noel and Beatrice Marie Louise Holloway (née Brind), of Hokitika, Westland, New Zealand. Husband of Margaret Catherine Holloway (née Hughes) and father of two daughters, of Christchurch, New Zealand.

Worked as an attendant at Sea View Mental Hospital, Hokitika. Enlisted at Nelson on the 24th of August 1942. Trained in Canada and awarded Air Observer badge and appointed to a commission as a Plt Off. on the 1st October 1943. A total of 337 flying hours logged and completed 27 operational sorties.

Fg Off. Russell James Scott. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 12.G.11. Born on the 24th of November 1921 in Dunedin. Worked as a linoleum layer for Christie and Son of Wellington. Son of Edward Russell Victor Scott and of Gladys Victoria Scott (née Mcdowell), of Morington, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand.

Enlisted at Masterton on the 1st August 1942. Trained in Canada Air Gunner badge awarded on the 23rd December 1943 and appointed to a commission as a Plt Off.

Researched Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire 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, Air-27-648-5/6 National Archives, the great 75 (NZ) Squadron website (Feb 2023). Thanks to Clive Smith for the 1st tour information for Fg Off. Wakerley (Dec 2024). Reviewed and updated with new information by Aircrew Remembered (Dec 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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