Operation: Berlin

Date: 30/31st January 1944 (Sunday/Monday)

Unit: No. 156 Squadron (Motto: 'We light the way'). 8 Group (Pathfinder)

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: JA702

Code: GT-Z

Base: RAF Warboys, Cambridgeshire

Location: Marknesse, Netherlands

Pilot: P/O. John Edward Rule NZ/416543 RNZAF Age 28. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Edward Arthur Shorter 1726836 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Nav: Sgt. William Winston Cottam 1510799 RAFVR PoW No: 566 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Richard Ball 658450 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Patrick Coyne 972772 RAFVR PoW No: 564 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Johnstone Sloan 1552498 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Albert Race 998929 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

534 aircraft without diversionary raids detailed to bomb Berlin, 16 Lancasters from 156 squadron.

Initial German attempts to intercept with night-fighters failed and the bomber stream was well on the way to Berlin before they met with any resistance.

JA 702 took off at 17:08 hrs loaded with 5 x 2000 lb HE bombs.

Complete cloud-cover over Berlin but concentrated damage in the centre nonetheless with additional widely scattered bombs. At least 1000 deaths on the ground, 2 industrial premises completely destroyed and a further 15 seriously damaged. The Propaganda Ministry was hit, as was the railway infrastructure.

Claimed by Oblt. Hans-Heinz Augenstein of 7/NJG1 at 21:49 hrs. The aircraft crashed in the eastern IJsselmeer in the vicinity of where the village of Marknesse on reclaimed land.

Sgt. Cottam and Sgt. Coyne survived because the aircraft exploded soon after being attacked and they were thrown clear.

Sgt Cottam didn't remember what happened afterwards, but apparently he was lucky that he fell out of the broken plane. In his next memory he fell down, activated his parachute and landed safely on the polder floor. His first thought 'No bacon and eggs tonight' turned out to be all too true afterwards. After half an hour's walk to the east, he heard a genuine Irish curse from the stumbling gunner Coyne. The two of them continued, but each along a different side of a canal. At a wooden bridge they saw three men, who later turned out to be the resistance, who were looking for the survivors of the crash. They brought these two to a camp. They stayed in this camp for a few days before going through the police station in Vollenhove, where they had to return all their things that could betray their British origin.

Above L-R: Sgt. Edward Shorter, Sgt. George Race, Sgt. John Sloan, P/O. John Rule, Sgt. Frederick Manley, Sgt. Charlie Reeves and Sgt. Patrick Coyne

Strangely enough in their uniforms, they were transported by ambulance to Bergum in Friesland. Only then did they receive civilian clothes and were given shelter for 6 months by the local doctor Mr. van Leeuwen. They arrived by train at the end of July via Leeuwarden and Zwolle in 's Hertogenbosch, from where they eventually crossed the Belgian border by train and bicycle. They were transported by tram to the employees of an escape line to Antwerp where they eventually fell into the hands of the SS due to treason on the 07th of August 1944. After a one-week interrogation in Belgium, they were held prisoner of war in camps in Germany until the end of the war.

The squadron lost another crew:

Lancaster III JB302 GT-W Flown by W/O. Philip Batman 171381 RAFVR - PoW with 2 others, 4 crew killed.

Burial details:

Those who perished were initially buried at Vollenhove (Stad-Vollenhove) General Cemetery on 10 February 1944.

P/O. John Edward Rule. Vollenhove cemetery (Stad-Vollenhove). Plot 3, Row 4. Grave 622. Born on the 28th April 1916 in Mastertone. Educated at at Seddon Memorial Technical College, Auckland in 1930, 1931 and after that he continued his studies by night classes at the same institution. Employed in the hairdressing trade and was employed by his father. Enlisted on the 30th of November 1941. Pilot badge awarded on the 15th June 1941 and promoted to sergeant on the 05th of September 1941. Embarked for the United Kingdom on the 16th of September 1942. Arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 19th of November 1942. On the 06th August 1943 posted to No. 103 Squadron, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire. Joined 156 Pathfinder squadron 0n the 05th of October 1943. Son of Edward (died 12th September 1949) and Elizabeth Annie (née Allen - died 07th August 1961), of Auckland City, New Zealand. 702 flying hours logged and on his 25th operational sortie.

Sgt. Edward Arthur Shorter. Vollenhove cemetery (Stad-Vollenhove). Plot 3, Row 4. Grave 623. Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Shorter, of Slough, Buckinghamshire, England. Epitaph: 'He Gave His Today For Our Tomorrow'.

Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Richard Ball. Vollenhove cemetery (Stad-Vollenhove). Plot 3, Row 4. Grave 624. Son of Ernest R. and Araue Ball, of Gravesend, Kent, England. Epitaph: 'Ever In Our Thoughts. Mum, Dad, Irene And Muriel'.

Sgt. John Johnstone Sloan. Vollenhove cemetery (Stad-Vollenhove). Plot 3, Row 4. Grave 621. Son of Robert and Margaret Sloan, of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Epitaph: 'Resting, Where No Shadows Fall'.

Sgt. George Albert Race. Vollenhove cemetery (Stad-Vollenhove). Plot 3, Row 4. Grave 620. Son of Albert and Laura Race, of East Moor, Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. Epitaph: 'All You Had Hoped For, All You Had, You Gave, So Till We See You Again, God Bless'.

L-R: Rear; W.D Holmes, H.W Benge, W.M Mulholland, J.O O'Driscoll, W.J Porter, T.D Brewer, B.C Jeffares, W.B Lambert, G.W Allen, R.H Lowry.
3rd row; R.B Johnston, J.R Zaney, W.E Burgess, R.H Trangmar, J.B Turner, J.B Monk, A.M Wilkinson, K.A McGregor, R.I Graham, T.B Watt.
2nd row; G.B McLeod, M. Jenkins, R.W Galley, S.C Houghton, C.C Trugland, A. Cruikshank, J.E Rule, J.H.R Carey, R.W Gash, E.W Briggs.
Front; R.W Jury, S. Mogford, A.L Henry, J.C Smith, J.E Cambourne, W.H.J Henley, T.K Parker, S.M White, T.M Tredrea, A.E Caisley, J.P Wilson, H.A Hogg. (Courtesy Air Force Museum of New Zealand)

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air 27-1042-2, Air 27-2152-13 National Archives, Air Museum of New Zealand. John Jones.

Other sources as quoted below:

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