Operation: Amiens, France

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

Unit No: 158 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LV790

Code: NP:L

Base: RAF Lissett, East Riding, Yorkshire

Location: Argueil area, ENE of Rouen, France

Pilot: Plt Off. William Charles Reed DFC 174154 RAFVR Age 27. Evader (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Leslie Maxwell Byrne 1833328 RAFVR Age 19. Evader (2)

Nav: Flt Sgt. Cyril Worsley Nuttall 137476 RAFVR Age 22. Id No: 78366 * PoW No: 8060 ** (3)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. John Joseph Fernandez 1084999 RAFVR Age 23. Id No: 78352 *, PoW No: 8088 ** (3)

WOp/ Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Harold ‘Darky’ Squires 1500934 RAFVR Age? Evader (4)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. David Robert ‘Jock’ Arundel DFM 1567566 RAFVR Age? Evader (4)

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. George Titman DFM 643957 RAFVR Age? Evader (5)

* Buchenwald concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimer, Germany in July 1937.

** Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 12th/13th June 1944 25 aircraft from the squadron took-off from : RAF Lissett to join a force of 671 aircraft to attack communications, mostly railways, at Amiens/St-Roch, Amiens/Longeuau, Arras, Caen, Cambrai and Poitiers. against Amiens, France

Heavy Flak in the Ameins target area was slight to moderate. Several fighters were seen along the route just before the target and to the Channel on the return leg.

Two aircraft from the Squadron failed to return.

LV790 was claimed Ofw. Alfred Klaiber, his 5th Abschuss, from 1./NJG5, in the Argueil area, ENE Rouen, at 2500 m. at 01:55 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Ofw. Alfred Klaiber survived the war. LV790 was his last Abschuss. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

The night-fighter’s cannon set fire to the starboard wing and wounded Flt Sgt. Squires. All of the crew baled out from less than 7000 ft. The aircraft crashed in the Argueil area, ENE of Rouen, France.

The second aircraft was Halifax III MZ567 NP:B which crashed at Isneauville (Seine-Maritime, 6 km NE of Rouen. Plt Off. Reginald W. Sandover 189653 and his crew were KiA.

Note: There were two night-fighter claims by an Ofw. Reinhard Kollak from 8./NJG8, both 5-35 km N to NE of Rouen at 2000 m. at 00:35 hrs albeit both as Lancasters. One of the two was confirmed as 76 Sqn Halifax III LW644 and the other was not identified but both claims were confirmed on the 18th August 1944.

Further, the remains recovered from both aircraft included those of WO2. Adolpe J. Ricci R156946 RCAF, who was the navigator from Halifax III MZ567 NP:B.

(1)Plt Off. Reed baled out at 01:45 hrs and twisted his ankle upon landing near Ménerval. He hid his parachute in a pond, buried his harness and Mae West in a ditch and then began walking in a south-easterly direction. After a time he stopped and hid in a hedge until about 04:00 hrs on the 15th June. He then moved to some shrubbery in the grounds of a large house and remained there until the evening. He then spent the night in a summer-house in the grounds of the house.

The next morning he walked about ¾ km (½ ml) to two small farms and spent the night in a shed. On the morning of the 17th June he approached one of the farms and asked for help. He was given food and spent that night in a shed. The following he was provided with civilian clothes.

On about the 18th July a Sgt. Miller, Navigator, RAF from Pocklington who had baled out on about the 29th June, came to the house and remained there until about 7th August. He was then taken away by the local Resistance group. Later he was told that Sgt. Miller had left for England by air.

This was Sgt. John Arthur Miller 1583459 RAFVR the Navigator from 102 Sqn, Halifax III NA502 DY:S.

Later in the day on the 7th August a Frenchman came to the house and they both travelled by bicycle to Gournay-en-Bray, about 12 km (7½ mls) to the SE where he stayed in a house. Whilst there he made contact with Allied forces on the 30th August.

On the 4th September he was taken to Vernon and from there to Paris, a journey of about 129 km (80 mls). A car from the Forces of the French Interior (FFI) then drove him to Le Bourget aerodrome and he was flown out to RAF Northolt the next day.

Fg Off. Reed was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) awarded whilst with 158 Sqn. London Gazette 27th March 1945.

William Charles Reed was born on the 16th July 1916 in the New Forest, Hampshire. He was a Builder’s labourer in Southampton prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 11th November 1939. He passed away on the 12th November 1992 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.

(2) The Escape and Evasion report for Sgt. Byrne has not survived. All that is known is that he was liberated in France by the London Rifles on the 29th August 1944. Returned to the UK by Dakota on the 2nd September 1944.

London Rifles is believed to be the 8th battalion, Rifle Brigade (Price Consort’s Own) (London Rifle Brigade).

(3) Flt Sgt. Nuttall landed in a field at about 01:50 hrs, not far from the town of Forges-les-Eaux, some 36 km (22½ mls) NE of Rouen. He immediately hid his parachute etc. in a ditch and while doing so he saw a parachute coming down in the next field. He walked over and found this was Flt Sgt. Fernandez.

They then headed west and after walking about 3 miles hid up near a farm which they watched for about 3 hours. They moved in a hay loft and remained there until the farmer came out alone at which time they revealed ourselves. He immediately took them into his house where they stayed for 8 days.

On the second day they were visited by a member of the local French resistance movement. During the next day few days various members of this organisation also came to the house and were provided with civilian clothes.

On the 21st June they were taken by truck to Sérifontaine, 32 km (20 mls) to the SE, where they were hidden in a butcher’s shop for the next 10 days. Then they moved 10 km (6¼ mls) due south to Gisors where they stayed with a local dentist for 2 nights. They then moved 8 km (5 mls) east to Noyers where they remained for the next 4 weeks. In the same house were five other evaders including Fg Off. Hoffman (RCAF), Sgt. Pierson, and Sgt. Bryden (RAF).

Fg Off. Charles R. Hoffman J20263 RCAF was the Bomb Aimer aboard 432 (Leaside) Sqn, RCAF Halifax III, LW143 QO:N;

Sgt. Frank Peirson 1549847 RAFVR and Sgt. Robert Bryden 1825512 RAFVR were the Wireless Operator and Mid-Upper Gunner respectively aboard 76 Sqn, Halifax III MZ524 MP:P.

On the 1st August the seven evaders were taken to the river Seine in a van and escorted by several Gendarmes. They crossed the river by rowing boat and were met by another vehicle which took them to a garage on the Paris to Caen road.

Here they were taken to a flat on the ground floor where they met a Frenchman who spoke no English but with him was an interpreter who spoke excellent English. The evaders were told that they might return to UK by air from an airfield near Orléans or alternatively by way of Spain.

A short time later he and Fg Off. Hoffman were taken by the interpreter to a dilapidated hotel about 30 min ride on the Metro where they stayed overnight. The next morning they were visited by another Frenchman who spoke some English who told them that they would most probably fly out from an airfield near Orléans.

In the early afternoon of the 2nd August 1944 the man who they had originally met at the flat arrived in a car and took them to an open space in the city where they joined 5 other evaders. A little later when a covered truck arrived with the interpreter, Flt Sgt. Nuttall noticed a German soldier arrive and when the Frenchman whispered in his ear the soldier laughed. The truck drove off and deposited the evaders in the courtyard of Gestapo Headquarters and then transferred to Fresnes prison located to the south of Paris.

This was where French political prisoners were held and ordinarily Allied airmen, after questioning, were moved to a PoW Camp. In the summer of 1944, with the Allies having liberated Paris and closing in, the Gestapo guards started reducing the prison population by execution, and then relocating surviving prisoners to various concentration camps east of France. On the 15th August 1944 he was amongst 169 Allied PoWs and hundreds of French men and women who were packed into a freight train and transported to Buchenwald concentration camp on a journey lasting five days. Buchenwald was located 8 km (5 mls) north of Weimar, in the German province of Thüringen. It was established and administered by the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Fg Off. Joel Mathews ‘Tex’ Stevenson C27788 RCAF, the pilot of 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB727 VR:H escaped from the train and successfully evaded.

Sqn Ldr. Lamason and Fg Off. Chapman succeeded in getting all but two of the Allied PoWs transferred to Stalag Luft 3. Two airmen, 1st Lt. Levitt Clinton Beck Jr. O-736945, US AAF and Fg Off. Philip Derek Hemmens, 152583, RAFVR died in the sick barrack.

Recognition:

For decades the International Red Cross (IRC) had stated that there were no military personnel in Buchenwald despite the overwhelming documentary and anecdotal evidence. It was not until 1988 that the IRC eventually confirmed the airmen were illegally held at Buchenwald.

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments also consistently denied that any of their service personnel were ever held in concentration camps and refused to investigate the claims made by a 'mere’ handful of men.

Reparations were made to the British airmen who had been illegally held at Buchenwald in 1965. Eventually in 1988 the Australian, New Zealand and it is believed the Canadian governments acknowledged that their airmen had been illegally held in concentration camps.

American airmen were among those receiving compensation and the US Air force have acknowledged the Buchenwald airmen with an exhibit at the Air Force Museum, albeit the airmen are shown in uniform rather than in civilian attire. Furthermore, there is no mention of decades-long denial of their experiences by other branches of the government.

Flt Sgt. Nuttall and Flt Sgt. Fernandez were transferred to Stalag Luft 3 over the period 15th to 20th October 1944.

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages.

Flt Sgt. Nuttall joined PoWs from the North, East and remaining West compound PoWs and sent to the Marlag und Milag Nord PoW camp at Westertimke in Lower Saxony.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager (naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, Flt Sgt. Nuttall was amongst the over 3,000 men mustered and marched out, heading east.

The next day, at around at 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed. Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag und Milag Nord camp moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe north of Hamburg, on the 18th April 1945.

On the 27th April the camp was liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division. The next day, the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945.

On the 31st January, the South Compound prisoners including Flt Sgt. Fernandez plus 200 men from the West Compound were sent to Stalag 7A at Moosburg followed by the Centre Compound prisoners on the 7th February.

In early 1945, some 1,000 PoWs from the Stalag 8C and Stalag Luft 3 were brought to Stalag 3A, and also PoWs from the Stalag 21C in Wolsztyn In February 1945 prisoners from Stalag 3B Furstenberg were evacuated to Stalag 3A, adding to the already overcrowded and unhygienic conditions.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army.

Stalag 3A was turned over to the Americans on the 6th May at which time the Senior American Officers (SAO) took over the running of the camp until all the PoWs were evacuated.

(4) This crew were short of an Air Gunner after their Mid-Upper Gunner was bizarrely injured prior to this mission. Sgt. Arundel was the only spare gunner on the Sqn and was detailed to fly with this crew for the mission.

The mission went well until when leaving the target area the Rear Gunner suddenly called out “Corkscrew Port”. At that moment Sgt. Arundel saw tracers and cannon fire heading for his Mid-Upper Turret. He was hit in the right eye and neck, and was briefly knocked unconscious but came around in time to see another member of the crew indicating that it was time to bale out.

He landed in a field a good way from the aircraft wreckage. He was in considerable pain from his wounds and bleeding very heavily, and crawled into a ditch at the edge of the field. His eye was beginning to swell up and he found that it was also festering. He knew that he needed to seek medical attention and made his way to a nearby farmhouse. After a brief misunderstanding the farmer took him to met a fellow evader who turned out to be Flt Sgt. Squires. The farmer’s wife bathed his damaged eye with disinfectant but could do no more and was concerned of the consequences should the Germans find them at the farm and therefore, the two airmen decided to move on.

In view of the curfew the farmer told them that he would fetch help. He returned with the gamekeeper of the estate of the Duc de Polignac, who lived at the Château de Mercastel. Squires went to the Château and Squires went the home of the curé (priest) of Villers-Vermont, about a 1 km from the Château. About 3 gardens from the priest’s home was “Tom” an American Co-pilot of a Flying Fortress. (Ref 1: pp 300-301)

This was 2nd Lt. Tom L. LeMond Jr. O-759470 the Co-Pilot from B-17G 42-37913 (418th Bombardment Sqn/ 100th Bombardment Group) which was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17G 39830 ‘Berlin Playboy’ (Bombardment Sqn/ 100th Bombardment Group) on the 18th March 1944. From 2nd Lt. LeMond’s B-17 there were 8 KiA, 1 PoW, 1 Evd and from the ‘Berlin Playboy’ there were 9 KiA, 1 Evd.

The following is an extract from the Escape and Evasion report submitted by 2nd Lt. LeMond Jr:

“My B-17 collided with another on the 18th March 1944 near Campeaux and I bailed out at 10,000 ft. I landed in a field and two Frenchmen advised me to hide in nearby woods and await help. French provided food and civilian clothes and sheltered me for five months in Villers-Vermont. A week after D-Day I was joined by two British Other Rank (OR) airmen and we three were taken by truck to Noyers. After a week there we were driven in a car to Paris by an American Indian. Soon after reaching the city we stopped at a vacant house where the Indian left us and two Frenchmen, one well-dressed, the other wearing what appeared to be an American flying jacket, took over”.

Note: The appearance of the Frenchman wearing the American flying jacket is typical of Jean-Jacques:

Jean-Jacques was a Belgian traitor named Jaques Desoubrie (Jean-Jacques, Jean Masson, Jean Decan and Pierre Boulain were aliases) who had infiltrated the Réseau Comète (Comet Line) escape route in Brussels and Paris. He was responsible for the Nazis rounding up dozen of members of the Réseau Comète and Allied airmen. He was finally captured and stood accused at a French military trial in Lille. He was convicted and condemned to death for having participated in the capture and assassination of members of the resistance and for sending Allied military to their deaths in violation of the Geneva convention. He was executed by firing squad.

“They promptly drove us to a Gestapo HQ in a street whose name I don't know and turned us over to the Germans.

The Gestapo took all our belongings except our money and put us through a clumsy interrogation in which a woman, either French or German, acted as interpreter. We gave our names, ranks and serial numbers and upon our refusal to answer questions like: “here is your home?" “Are you married?" one German slapped the English Sergeant in the face. After the interrogation we were transferred to Luftwaffe HQ for one night, then to Fresnes prison 5 miles SW of Paris on the Chartres-Orléans road. We were placed in one cell but treatment was correct. In Fresnes we met 15 British PoWs, mostly Indian Army, who had been held in Fresnes since Tobruk.

Note: There were some 2,500 Indian Army soldiers amongst the 32,200 Allied prisoners taken during the fall of Tobruk in June 1942.

They were forced to handle ammunition and to dig emplacements for 37 mm guns. We entered Fresnes on the 17th August and were liberated by French Forces of the Interior (FFI) on the 24th August. I know of no other Allied prisoners in that prison”.

For some reason they were not held in cells with all the other captured airmen who were sent to Buchenwald commencing on the 15th August 1944.

On the night of the 20th August a French warder open their cell door and told them in French “Leave. Here. Quickly”. They followed him and other warders out of the rear of the prison and into the street. Once outside they were point in the direction of where the Allied forces would come. They kept walking until daylight and then hid awaiting the Allies.

After celebrating the Liberation of Paris they decided to enjoy a tour of the various battle fronts before handing themselves into the authorities. They were taken to an Army camp near Caen and were told that they could be back in England in 8 hrs. They decided this was to long to wait and made their way to the nearest airstrip and hitch a flight home on a RAF Dakota to RAF Northolt.

After the required debriefing Flt Sgt. Squires was interviewed and sent on his way whilst Sgt. Arundel required needed further treatment to his eye and was driven by staff car to RAF Hospital at Halton. He was then sent to Harley Street where a specialist informed him that there were still splinters in his eye and he would not regain his sight. (Ref 1: pp 300-301).

Flt Sgt. Squires was appointed to a commission and promoted to 177365 Plt Off. with effect 15th May 1944. London Gazette on 25th July 1944,

Fg Off. Squires was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 158 Sqn. London Gazette 27th March 1945.

Sgt. Arundel DFM was the Rear Air Gunner aboard Halifax III LV792 NP:E on the night of the 2nd/3rd June 1944 which was severely damaged on a mission to Trappes. Sgt. Arundel was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) for his actions on this mission.

(5) The Escape and Evasion report for Flt Sgt. Titman is not currently available, consequently the details of his evasion in France are not known. What is known is that he returned to the UK from Paris on the 31st August 1944.

Flt Sgt. Titman was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 158 Sqn. London Gazette 27th March 1945.

Burial details:

None - all crew survived

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Jun 2024).

Other sources listed below:

Reference:

1. RAF Evaders - Oliver Clutton-Brock

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2026 Last Modified: 12 May 2025, 05:29