Operation: Heilbronn, Germany

Date: 4th/5th December 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 619 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM751

Code: PG:X

Base: RAF Strubby, Lincolnshire.

Location: 1 km SW of Baiersbronn, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Robert Harry Schaefer J35883 RCAF Age 22. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Leslie George Weir 1894060 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Philip Peter Awad J39979 RCAF Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. Frederick Leonard Meredith J38814 RCAF Age 21. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. John Lonsdale Swanson 1138377 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. John Ross Keilty R260204 RCAF Age 20. PoW (1)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John Edward Nicolaiff R254844 RCAF Age 18. PoW (2)

Above: Photograph taken of of six (6) of the crew posing in front of a Wellington. Standing left to right: Sgt. Swanson, Fg Off. Schaefer, Fg Off. Awad. Front left to right: Sgt. Keilty, Fg Off. Meredith, Sgt. Nicholaiff.

Left to right: Sgt. Weir, Fg Off. Meredith

REASON FOR LOSS:

A large raid with 282 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitos of 5 group taking part. A huge blow on Heilbronn which really was of little importance. Over 7,000 people on the ground were killed with over 351 acres of the town's built up area destroyed.

Twelve (12) Lancasters failed to return, eleven (11) of which were claimed by German night-fighters. The two claims that have no attributed identified bomber were shot down over the target and NW of the target. LM751 crashed some 94 km (58 mls) SW of the target.

The aircraft crashed at 19:45 hrs one (1) km SW of Baiersbronn and about five (5) km NW of Freudenstadt. Witnesses saw the aircraft circle the village two or three times before crashing. A wing hit the house at Sankenbachstraße 103 and the wreckage was strewn over a large area. The German found five (5) bodies in the aircraft wreckage and two (2) seriously injured.

One (1) of the two (2) was found in a water filled ditch and the other nearby. About four (4) hours later they were taken by ambulance to the hospital at Freudenstadt.

Of those, 5,000 were later buried in mass graves in the Ehrenfriedhof (cemetery of honour) in the valley of the Köpfer creek close to the city.

Heilbronn shrine at Heilbronn City Hall and right, Memorial garden.

To this day, a memorial is held annually in memory of those that died that day. As a result of the war Heilbronn's population shrank to 46,350.

(1) After he was found Sgt. Keilty was admitted to the hospital at Freudenstadt. He remained there until the 16th January 1945 when he was transferred Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving the next day.

The next day he was transferred to the Reserve Lazarett (hospital) in Hohemark before being moved to the Reserve-Lazarett 9C(b) at Meiningen on the 20th January. On the 25th January he was moved to Obermassfeld Hospital #1249, also known as Reserve-Lazarett 9C(a), Thuringia in Germany.

On the 17th February he was moved back to the Reserve-Lazarett 9C(b) at Meiningen from where he was liberated on the 2nd April 1945. He was interviewed on the 21st April 1945

John Ross Keilty was born on the 3rd June 1924 in Toronto, Ontario. John passed away on the 27th August 1992 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, aged 68.

(2) Sgt. Nicolaiff reported the following in his ‘Questionnaire for completion by RCAF returned evaders, escapers or PoWs’.

“I was the Rear Gunner. Just after the target, I do not know at what height we were at, we were hit by Flak, which took of one fin and rudder, and we went into a spin. We crashed and I lost consciousness (for about two weeks). German told me later that all my crew had been killed except Keilty, who was imprisoned at Nuremburg. I saw Keilty in hospital at Freudenstadt and he left in mid January 1945”.

John Edward Nicolaiff was born on the 7th December 1925 in Ottawa, Canada. John passed away on the 26th October 1985, aged 60.

Burial details:

The five (5) members of the crew who perished were initially buried in the Baiersbronn cemetery of the 6th December 1944.

Durnbach War Cemetery - The quality of these photographs shown here cannot be fully appreciated when the size is reduced for the web page. (courtesy of David Franklin) David has kindly provided us with permission to release high definition copies to relatives.

Fg Off. Robert Harry Schaefer. Durnbach War Cemetery, Grave 4.H.33. Grave Inscription: “ASLEEP IN JESUS”. Born on the 5th February 1922 in Hanover, Ontario. Son of Harry Daniel and Mabel (née Meldorf) Schaefer of Hanover, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. Leslie George Weir. Durnbach War Cemetery, Grave 4.H.32. Grave Inscription: “WORDS CANNOT TELL OUR GRIEF, MEMORIES ARE PRICELESS. SWEET REPOSE. MOTHER”. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1925 in Greenwich, Greater London . Son of Robert and Mary (née McEwan) Weir of Greenwich, London, England.

Fg Off. Philip Peter Awad. Durnbach War Cemetery, Joint grave 4.H.34-35. Born on the 5th November 1923 in Windsor, Ontario. Son of Paul and Catherine (née Chabal) Awad of Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Fg Off. Frederick Leonard Meredith. Durnbach War Cemetery, Joint grave 4.H.34-35. Grave Inscription: “HE GAVE HIS LIFE THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW FREEDOM”. Born on the 22nd January 1924 in Merrickville, Ontario. Son of Hubert Wellington (deceased in April 1935) and Clara (née Cameron) Meredith (deceased in 1926). Husband of Bernice Edna Meredith. Foster son and nephew of the Revd. Fred Roy Meredith of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt. John Lonsdale Swanson. Durnbach War Cemetery, Grave 4.H.31. Grave Inscription: “MAY GOD, IN HIS TENDER MERCY, GRANT HIM ETERNAL REST. REMEMBERED BY FATHER & FAMILY”. Born on the 21st July 1922 in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. Son of Albert and Lilian Swanson of Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, England.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families. Grave photographs added by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) (Apr 2018). Reviewed and updated with new information and map by Aircrew Remembered (Dec 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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: 24 December 2025, 08:34