Operation: Berlin, Germany

Date: 24th/25th March 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 156 Squadron, 8 Group (PFF), Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JB667

Code: GT:T

Base: RAF Warboys, Huntingdonshire

Location: Großbeuthen, 4 km (2½ mls) NNW of Trebbin, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Ronald Richmond 143906 RAFVR Age 31. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. George Patrick Rae 1016155 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Harold Leslie Bird 1577133 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No. 3396 * (1)

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Raymond Kearney 141566 RAFVR Age? KiA

Wireless Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. James Alfred Green 1499229 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Reginald James Faulkner 1660558 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Kenneth Arthur Ward 1819348 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

* Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland.

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 24th March 1944 Bomber Command mounted an 811 bomber raid on Berlin. The aircraft comprised 577 Lancasters, 216 Halifaxes and 18 Mosquitoes. Of this force 44 Lancasters and 28 Halifaxes were lost.

This night became known in Bomber Command as ’the night of the strong winds’. A powerful wind from the north carried the bomber streams to the south at every stage of the outbound leg. The bomber stream became very scattered, particularly on the homebound leg and radar-predicted Flak batteries at many places were able to score successes. It was estimated that approximately 50 of the 72 aircraft lost were from Flak and most of the remainder were lost to German night-fighters.

JB667 was the only 156 Sqn aircraft that failed to return. Homebound the aircraft was in combat with a Bf109 and a Ju88 and crashed at Großbeuthen, 4 km (2½ mls) NNW of Trebbin after they were attacked by German night-fighters.

JB667 was claimed by two German night fighters (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (16th March 1944 - 11th May 1944) Part 2 - Theo Boiten):

Lt. Glaass, his 2nd Abschuss, from 9./JG301, over Trebbin at 6.700 m at 22:50 hrs. JG301 was a ‘Wilde Sau’ unit flying Bf109 G-6 fighters.

Lt. Glaass survived the War and was credited with three (3) confirmed Abschüsse (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Heinz-Horst Hissbach his 10th Abschuss, from 5./NJG2, 20-30 km SW of Berlin at 6.000 m at 22:50 hrs.

Hptm. Hissbach was KiA on the night of the 14th/15th April 1945 when he was shot down by American AAA at Gelnhausen after destroying eight vehicles in a ground-attack mission against a US Column. He was credited with twenty-nine (29) confirmed and two (2) unconfirmed Abschüsse. (Luftwaffe ACES - Biographies and Victory Claims (Mathews and Foreman) - Volume 2)

The victories for both Lt. Glaass and Hptm. Heinz-Horst Hissbach were confirmed on the 7th September 1944.

(1) Flt Sgt. Bird was captured in Berlin and must have baled out well before the aircraft crashed at Großbeuthen, which was some 19 km (12 mls) SW of the of the outer suburbs of Berlin, and was the only one of the crew who survived.

He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland on the 5th April 1944 arriving there on the 10th April. On the 15th July 1944 he was transferred to Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) arriving there on the 18th July.

On the 1st September 1944 the PoWs were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) to the site of the former Stalag 9D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoWs from Stalag 9B. The camp was commonly known as Stalag 357, Fallingbostal but officially the designation was Stalag 357, Oerbke.

In early April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

It is believed that Flt Sgt. Bird was not amongst those marched out of the camp. He remained there until the camp was liberated on the 16th April 1945 by British troops from “B” Squadron 11th Hussars and the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. They were met at the main gate of Stalag 357 by a guard of Airborne troops, impeccably attired and led by RSM Lord. Flt Sgt. Bird was interviewed on the 4th May 1945.

Harold Leslie Bird was born on the 5th April 1921 in Staffordshire. Prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 22nd July 1941 he was employed by the General Post Office (GPO) as a Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist in Cannock, Staffordshire.

Burial details:

The crew were initially buried in the Gutsfriedhof at Großbeuthen, recovered and finally laid to rest in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery on the 17th April 1947.

Above: The Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC))

Flt Lt. Ronald Richmond. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.3. Born on the 7th June 1913 in Wetherby, Yorkshire, West Riding. Husband to Roma Estelle (née Moore) Richmond of Wetherby, Yorkshire West Riding, England.

Sgt. George Patrick Rae. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Joint grave 8.J.32-33. He was born in Bothwell, Lanarkshire and is remembered on the Roll of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial. No further Next of Kin details found.

Fg Off. Raymond Kearney. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.28. No further Next of Kin details found.

Sgt. James Alfred Green. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Joint grave 8.J.32-33. Grave Inscription: ‘IN GOD'S KEEPING’. Son of James Herbert and Ada Green, of Morecambe, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. Reginald James Faulkner. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.28. Son of Walter James Faulkner and Kathleen Ellen (née Marsh) Faulkner of Gloucester, England.

Sgt. Kenneth Arthur Ward. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, 8.J.30. Grave Inscription: ‘GOD KEEP HIM SAFE TILL WE MEET AGAIN. LOVING WIFE AND SON’. Son of Albert Edward and Susan Ward; husband of Rene Ward, of Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to the crew and their families (Aug 2024). Correction to PoW narrative and update to fighter claims (Feb 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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