Operation: Magdeburg, Germany

Date: 16th/17th January 1945 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 51 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LW461

Code: MH:Y

Base: RAF Snaith, Yorkshire

Location: Dalum, 9 km (5½ mls) NE of Lingen, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Ernest Malcolm Popplewell 151802 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. John Joffre Atkinson 1591782 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. David Lewis Johns 1423534 RAFVR Age 26. KiA

Bomb Aimer: WO2. Andre Jean Julius Hisette R189240 RCAF Age 22. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Arthur Alfred Muddiman 752418 RAFVR Age 24. KiA (1)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Richard Alan Boydell 2211803 RAFVR Age 20. PoW * (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Leslie Annis 1676376 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

* Stalag 13D, Nuremberg, (Nürnberg Langwasser), Germany

Above: WO2. Andre Jean Julius Hisette (from his Service Record)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Left RAF Snaith at 18:48 hrs to bomb the city go Magdeburg with 370 other aircraft from 4, 6 and 8th groups. The allies claimed the operation a success with over 44% of the built up area destroyed.

There were ten (10) Halifaxes claimed by German night fighters and five (5) by the Hannover- Braunschweig Flak defences all of which were contested by Nachtjäger. None of those that cited position information were in the vicinity of the crash site of LW461. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (1 January 1945 - 3 May 1945) Part 6 - Theo Boiten).

(1) Arthur Muddimans service number indicates that he had been accepted for pilot training with the pre-war RAFVR though as will be realised, he was to subsequently qualify as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner.

(2) Sgt. Boydell managed to bale out of the stricken aircraft and landed near Lingen which is some 18 km (11½ mls) due south of the crash site. After the statutory visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel he was transferred to join the PoWs from Stalag Luft 3 at Stalag 13D, Nuremberg, (Nürnberg Langwasser), Germany, arriving there on the 4th February 1945.

Between the 2nd and 12th April 1945 large numbers were marched to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Bavaria. On the 17th April 1945 he escaped from the marching column at Fürht near Nuremburg along with Flt Sgt. J. Bax, Flt Sgt. Shirley and Flt Sgt. Wood.

Flt Sgt. John Horace David Bax 1802755 RAFVR. He was the Flight Engineer from 102 Sqn, Halifax III LL597 DY:X which was shot down by a night-fighter on the night of the 5th/6th January 1945 on an operation to Hannover (5 KiA, 3 PoWs);

Flt Sgt. Roy Kenneth Shirley 1391257 RAFVR. He was the Mid-Upper Gunner from 582 Sqn, Lancaster III PB141 6O:F (Insert Link) which was shot down by a German night-fighter on the 23rd December 1944 on an operation to Cologne (Köln), Germany. (1 Murdered, 6 PoW);

Flt Sgt. Thomas Richard Wood 975880 RAFVR. He was the Rear Gunner from 166 Sqn, Lancaster III ME296 AS:V which was lost on the night of the 16th/17th January 1945 on an operation to Zeitz (2 KiA, 5 PoW).

Sgt. Boydell was captured after twelve (12) hours whilst Sgt. Boydell and the others were captured after three (3) days by two (2) SS men in woods west of Nuremburg.

He was then transferred to Stalag 7A, Moosburg in Bavaria arriving there on the 17th April. The camp was liberated on the 29th April 1945 by elements of the US 14th Armoured Division. Sgt. Boydell was interviewed on the 12 May 1945.

Richard Alan Boydell was born on the 19th October 1924 in Stockport, Cheshire. He was an Apprentice Fitter prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 12th May 1943. Richard passed away on the 28th January 1985 in Stockport, Cheshire.

Burial details:

Those that perished were initially buried in Heseper Moor in an isolated grave, some 16 km (10 mls) from the crash site before finally being laid to rest at the Becklingen War Cemetery on the 22nd May 1947.

Above: Initial Collective Grave marker for the crew of LW461

Fg Off. Ernest Malcolm Popplewell. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Grave Inscription: ‘TO DEAREST MALCOLM. LOVED THEN, NOW AND IN ETERNITY’. Born on the 6th December 1920 in York, Yorkshire. Son of George Ernest and Jane Anne (née Wrightson) Popplewell. Husband of Margaret Lund (née Caffrey) Popplewell of Elvington, Yorkshire, England.

Flt Sgt. John Joffre Atkinson. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Born on the 20th January 1916 in Bridlington, Yorkshire. Son of William and Mary Elizabeth (née Walker) Atkinson of Bridlington. Both his parents predeceased him in September 1934 and October 1930 respectively. Husband of Dorothy N. (née Newlove) Atkinson of Bridlington, Yorkshire, England

Flt Sgt. David Lewis Johns. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Born in 1919 in Pontypridd, Wales. Son of Evan Joseph (deceased in March 1942) and Catherine ‘Katie’ (née Williams) Johns of Pontypridd, Glamorganshire, Wales.

Plt Off. Andre Jean Julius Hisette. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Grave Inscription: ‘REST IN PEACE’. Born on the 13th November 1911 in Paris, France. Son of Georges and Germaine (née Lavoisy) Hisette. Husband of Edna May (née Bates) Hisette of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Canada.

WO2. Hisette was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J95273 Plt Off. effective 15th January 1945.

Flt Sgt. Arthur Alfred Muddimanl. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Born on the 17th August 1920 in Northampton. Son of Alfred and Evelyn (née Wright) Muddiman of Northampton, Northamptonshire, England

Sgt. Leslie Annis. Becklingen War Cemetery, Collective grave 13.D.9-14. Born on the 4th April 1924 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Son of Harry Bernard and Elsie (née Rickells) Annis. Brother of Peter, Elsie, Joan, Noreen and Betty of Grimsby, England.

He is remembered on a plaque dedicated to all those that worked at the Grimsby Post Office and lost their lives during the war.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered volunteer, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. With thanks to Martin Cuthbert and the Annis family for photographs and information. Also to Gareth Hansen for sending the photo of the pilot and his wife - January 2018. Also to the York Evening Press. Reviewed and updated with new information by Aircrew Remembered (Jun 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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