Operation: Kiel, Germany

Date: 16th/17th August 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 420 (Snowy Owl) Sqn, RCAF, 6 Group

Type: Halifax III

Serial: MZ687

Code: PT:L

Base: RAF Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire

Location: Approximately 112 km (70 mls) off the Dutch coast.

Pilot: Fg Off. Gordon Featherstone ‘Torchy’ Pritchard J86684 RCAF Age 20. MiA

2nd Pilot: Plt Off. Robert Henry Davies J87194 RCAF Age 20. MiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Edwin Alfred James Proud 545163 RAF Age 24. PoW No 676 * (1)

Nav: Fg Off. Francis Wilfred Moffit J24555 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Dalton Irvon Block J27283 RCAF Age 20. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: WO2. Dennis Budd Herman Lorenz R155256 RCAF Age 26. KiA

Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Kenneth George Boucock R275242 RCAF Age 19. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): WO1. Charles Pittman Surles R145092 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Antonio George Roski R147167 RCAF Age 23. MiA

* Stalag Luft 7 Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S." (O.S. standing for Oberschlesien, Upper Silesia). Today called Bąków nr. Kluczbork (Poland).

Above: Left to right: Fg Off. ‘Torchy’ Pritchard, Plt Off. Davies, Fg Off. Moffit - from their service records

Above: Left to right: Fg Off. Block, WO2. Lorenz, Plt Off. Boucock, Plt Off. Roski - from their service records

REASON FOR LOSS:

The squadron detailed 15 aircraft to join a force of 348 bombers on a raid on Kiel in Germany. The raid was only partially successful with serious damage caused to the docks area and to many local shipbuilding firms, but it was reported that a large number of bombs fell outside the target area particularly to the NW causing a number of deaths and casualties to the civilian population.

The crew complement for this mission included Plt Off. Davies as 2nd Pilot and Flt Sgt. Boucock as an Air Gunner. Both had been posted onto the squadron from 61 Base with Plt Off. Davies arriving on the 31st July 1944 and Flt Sgt. Boucock on the 5th August 1944. As relatively new to the squadron it is surmised that they were added to Fg Off. Pritchard’s crew for experience on a long duration mission. The core crew of seven were embarking on their 35th mission with Fg Off. Moffit on his 36th.

The force lost 3 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters with MZ687 the only bomber from the squadron that failed to return. MZ687 was intercepted on the homebound leg after successfully dropping their bombs on the target.

MZ687 was claimed by Oblt. Arnold Brinkmann, the Staffelkäpitan of 8./NJG3, his 7th Abschuss and 2nd of the night, to the west of Heligoland at 03:15 hrs, some 112 km (70 mls) NNE of Kiel.

Note: The claim was not officially listed by the OKL, nor listed in the OKL/RLM. Confirmed by 8./NJG3. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (24 July 1944 - 15 October 1944) Part 4 - Theo Boiten)

Sgt. Proud commended the devotion to duty of WO1. Surles, who was the Mid-Upper Gunner, in that, despite being severely wounded in the leg, he remained at his post and returned the enemy’s fire, even when ordered to his ditching station.

With two engines knocked out and the aircraft on fire it was decided that parachuting would be suicidal so Fg Off. Pritchard instructed the crew to prepare for ditching. He managed to keep the aircraft on an even keel and ditched some 112 km (70 mls) off the Dutch coast on the 17th August at about 02:07 hrs.

When the aircraft hit the water Sgt. Proud escaped through the roof hatch and swam around for about 3 hours to see if anyone else had escaped. In the end he had to give up as he was injured and exhausted.

The bodies of Fg Off. Moffit, Fg Off. Block and WO1. Surles were washed ashore on the west beach of the Friesen island of Sylt some 21 km (13 mls) due west off the coast of Northern Germany. Fg Off. Moffit, Fg Off. Block and WO1. Surles were buried in Graves 92, 99 and 102 in Block L, respectively, at the Sylt-Westerland municipal cemetery.

A later cemetery schedule dated 29th January 1949 stated that it was possible that the remains in Grave 99, Block L were removed by the American Graves Registration Services (GRS) but there is no record of any attempt made to locate the remains of Fg Off. Block and he was therefore commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

The body of WO2. Lorenz was washed ashore on the Friesen island of Langeneß some 13 km (8 mls) due west off the coast of Northern Germany and was buried in the municipal cemetery near the Church of Langeneß.

Along with Fg Off. Block the bodies of Fg Off. Pritchard, Plt Off. Davies, Plt Off. Boucock and Plt Off. Roski who were lost at sea and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

(1) Sgt. Proud was rescued from the North Sea on the 19th August, 2 days after the ditching.

After the statutory visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel where he was interrogated he was then transferred to Stalag Luft 7 arriving there on the 26th August 1944.

On the 19th January 1945, he joined the 1,500 prisoners that were marched out of camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oder on the 21st January, reaching Goldberg on 5th February where they were loaded onto a train. On the 8th February they reached Stalag 3A located about 52 km (32 mi) south of Berlin near Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the United States and Russia.

Finally, as the Russians approached the guards fled the camp leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army on the 22nd April 1945. He was interviewed on the 20th May 1945.

Sgt. Proud was appointed to a commission and promoted to 55954 Plt Off. with effect 7th July 1944 and was promoted to Fg Off. with effect 7th January 1945. He resigned his commission on the 22nd April 1948 (retaining the rank of Fg Off). It appears that he remained in the RAF with the rank of Master Aircrew (MAcr).

Note: The Master Aircrew (MAcr) rank is the equivalent to the rank of Warrant Officer (WO) in ground trades. As he was a Flight Engineer his specialist title was Master Engineer (MEng).

Above: Master Engineer (MEng) Edwin Alfred James Proud (Courtesy of Vanessa (née Proud) Day).

Edwin Alfred James Proud was born on the 19th February 1920 and was living in Chelsea, London prior to enlisting in the RAF on the 14th October 1937. Edwin passed away on the 10th December 1996 in Northampton, England.

Burial details:

Above: Runnymede Memorial

Fg Off. Gordon Featherstone ‘Torchy’ Pritchard. Runnymede Memorial Panel 248. Born on the 14th November 1923 in Ontario, Ontario. Son of Harold Morgan and Irene Scott (née Lytle) Pritchard of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Plt Off. Robert Henry Davies. Runnymede Memorial Panel 249. Born on the 5th April 1924 in Great Falls, Montana, USA. Son of Maldwyn Whittington and Sarah Victoria (née Henderson) Davies, of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada.

Fg Off. Francis Wilfred Moffit. Recovered and finally laid to rest in the Kiel War Cemetery 3.C.13 on the 1st July 1947. Grave inscription: ‘THAT FREEDOM SHOULD NOT PERISH, HE GAVE HIS ALL’. Born on the 11th August 1923 In Winnipeg, Manitoba. Son of Louis Wilfred and Margaret Will (née Stewart) Moffit, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Fg Off. Dalton Irvon Block. Runnymede Memorial Panel 245. Born on the 19th March 1924 in Waterloo, Ontario. Son of Irvon and Lydia (née Litwiller) Block of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

WO2. Dennis Budd Herman Lorenz. Recovered and finally laid to rest in the Kiel War Cemetery 5.C.8 on the 5th September 1947. Grave Inscription: ‘REMEMBRANCE. THE ONLY IMMORTALITY WE KNOW’. Born on the 29th March 1918 in Waterloo, Ontario. Son of Frank and Annie Julia (née Clayfield) Lorenz. Husband of Mary Ivanovna (née Serduik) Lorenz, of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

Plt Off. Kenneth George Boucock. Runnymede Memorial Panel 249. Born on the 3rd June 1925 in Merritton, Ontario. Son of Fuller Brock and Mary (née Wells) (deceased in 1933) Boucock, of Merritton, Ontario, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Boucock was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J92616 Plt Off. with effect 15th August 1944.

Plt Off. Charles Pittman Surles. Recovered and finally laid to rest in the Kiel War Cemetery 3.C.17 on the 1st July 1947. Grave Inscription: 'GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALWAYS'. Born on the 6th December 1921 in Georgetown, Georgia, USA. Son of James Cluren (deceased November 1940) and of Mary Reddick (née Bell) Surles of Tampa, Florida, USA.

WO1. Surles was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J89305 Plt Off. with effect 15th August 1944.

Plt Off. Antonio George Roski. Runnymede Memorial Panel 248. Born on the 22nd May 1921 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Son of Tony and Rosie (née Wonsowicz) Roski of Tyndall, Manitoba.

Flt Sgt. Roski was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to C89022 Plt Off. with effect 15th August 1944

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Jan 2024). Many thanks to Vanessa (née Proud) Day the daughter of WO. Proud, for permission to use his photograph in this report (Jan 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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