Operation: Amiens, France.

Date: 12th/13th June 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 78 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: MZ631

Code: EY:Y

Base: RAF Breighton, Yorkshire.

Location: Varengeville-sur-Mer, Seine Maritime, France

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Stanley Allen Rae 423420 RNZAF Age 29. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Ronald Edward Miles 1192828 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Harry Sager J29415 RCAF Age 23. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Frederick George Tomlinson 1301516 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Harry George Colwell 1600445 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Frank Edwin Spinks 1625934 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Thomas Gilmartin 520265 RAF Age? KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22:21 hrs. from RAF Breighton to bomb the communication / rail facilities at Amiens. 671 aircraft took part in this and other raids during the night. Bombing of this target had been classed as reasonably accurate.

The losses from Bomber Command though were huge with 30 aircraft lost. A total of 140 aircrew were killed, 22 being made PoW however, a further 31 managing to evade capture. 78 Squadron lost 3 aircraft during this raid, the other two were:

Halifax III LV915 EY:H Flown by Fg Off. John Frederick Wyllie RCAF - Killed with all 6 crew;
Halifax III LV820 EY:F Flown by Fg Off. Henry Thomas Hills RAFVR - Killed with all 6 crew.

The crew had completed their bombing run and were on their way home. This crew had only completed 4 operations, with the first on the eve of the 'D' day landings just the week before.

MZ631 was claimed by Hptm. Gerhard Raht, his 36th Abschuss, from Stab I./NJG2 - Over Northern French coast: 1,500m at 00:53. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Raht Survived the war as was credited with 40 confirmed Abschüsse and a further 16 awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Liberation of Varengeville

Opening introduction by the Mayor of Varengeville, Patrick Boulier in the Special Newsletter commemorating the 80th Anniversary: D-Day the Battle of Normandy.

80 years ago, Varengeville regained its freedom after five years of war. Those who lived through this dramatic period were deeply marked by deprivation, humiliation, hunger and fear!

At my request, Alison Dufour and Philippe Clochepin have agreed to share with us part of their research on the Second World War. Our warmest thanks to them!

I'm sure you'll find these few pages, rich in information, of great interest. May it also help us to appreciate how fortunate we have been to live here in Varengevillle for 80 years without war, without forgetting that just a few hours by plane from this haven of peace, bombs are falling daily on women, children, the elderly and destitute men.

Burial details:

Above: Longueil Churchyard, Seine-Maritime, France.

Memorial placed by the Commune of Longueil, Seine-Martime (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Translation:

THE COMMUNE OF LONGUEIL
GRATEFUL
TO RAF ALLIED AIRMEN

Harry SAGER (Canada)

Harry George COLWELL (GB)

Ronald Edward MILES (GB)

Stanley Allan RAE (NZ)

Frank Edwin SPINKS (GB)

Frederick George TOMLINSON (GB)

Died for France on June 13, 1944

Above: Grave marker for Flt Sgt. Stanley A. Rae (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Flt Sgt. Stanley Allen Rae. Longueil Churchyard, France. Grave 2. Son of William Michael and Lucy Caroline Rae, of Auckland City, New Zealand, husband of Thelma Alice Rae, of Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.

Above: Collective grave marker for Sgt. Ronald E. Miles and Sgt. Frederick G. Tomlinson (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Sgt. Ronald Edward Miles. Longueil Churchyard, France. Coll. grave 3-5. Grave inscription: ‘NEVER WILL HIS MEMORY FADE, SWEET THOUGHTS EVER LINGER WHERE HE IS LAID’. Son of Edward Charles and Jessica Gertrude Miles, husband of Alice Irene Miles, of Hawtonville, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England.

Above: Grave marker for Fg Off. Harry Sager (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Fg Off. Harry Sager. Longueil Churchyard, France. Coll. grave 3-5. Grave Inscription: ‘OUR BELOVED SON AND BROTHER SO FAR AWAY. OUR HEARTS WILL FOREVER BE WITH YOU’. Born on the 26th January 1921 in Montreal, Canada. Son of Moe and Mary (née Socransky) Sager, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Sgt. Frederick George Tomlinson. Longueil Churchyard, France. Coll. grave 3-5. Grave Inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER HIM’. Son of Frederick Wilson Tomlinson and of Phoebe Amelia Tomlinson (nee Shipley), husband of Mary Tomlinson, of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England.

Above: Collective grave marker for Sgt. Harry G. Colwell and Sgt. Thomas Gilmartin (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Sgt. Harry George Colwell. Longueil Churchyard, France. Coll. grave 3-5. Grave Inscription: ‘"THY WILL BE DONE" IS HARD TO SAY WHEN THOSE WE LOVE ARE CALLED AWAY’. Son of Harry George and Fanny Constance Colwell, of Betchworth, Surrey, England.

Above: Grave marker for Sgt. Frank E. Spinks (Courtesy of Alison Dufour)

Sgt. Frank Edwin Spinks. Longueil Churchyard, France. Grave 1. Grave Inscription: ‘IN PROUD AND EVER CHERISHED MEMORY OF OUR LOVED ONLY SON FRANK’. Son of Frank Alfred and Elsie May Spinks, of Southfields, Surrey, England.

Sgt. Thomas Gilmartin. Longueil Churchyard, France. Coll. grave 3-5. Next of kin details not currently available - can you assist?

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Kate Tame. Thanks also to RAF Commands Forum for notifying us of the correct Squadron code. Thanks to John Jones for the German night-fighter claim (Apr 2021). Many thanks to Alison Dufour for the new images of the grave markers, memorial and Newsletter for the crew (Sep 2024).

Other sources listed below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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