Operation: Gelsenkirchen, Germany

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

Unit No: 625 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ED938

Code: CF:C

Base: RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire

Location: Near Spanbroek, North Holland

Pilot: Plt Off. Alexander Gregory Scott 54182 RAFVR Age 26. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Alfred Ronald Williams 637452 RAF Age 24. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Charles Stirling Dundas Tainsh 418583 RAAF Age 26. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Jeffrey Gordon Lane 25514 RAAF Age 21. KiA

Wireless Op/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Raymond Francis Ridge 417891 RAAF Age 22. PoW No. 233 * (1)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Leonard Thomas Victor Suffield 1586836 RAFVR Age 23. KiA (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. John David Lindsay 419074 RAAF Age 18. PoW No. 174 * (3)

* Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S." (O.S. standing for Oberschlesien, Upper Silesia). Today called Bąków nr. Kluczbork (Poland).

Above left to right: Flt Sgt. Tainsh and Flt Sgt. Lane from their Service Records

Above: Flt Sgt. Raymond Francis Ridge (Courtesy of Helen King)

Above left to right: Sgt. Suffield (Courtesy of Ivor Coster), Flt Sgt. Lindsay from his Service Record

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 12th/13th June 1944 625 Squadron launched 19 aircraft to join a force of 303 aircraft detailed to carry out the first raid of the new oil campaign. The target was the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant (German designation Gelsenburg A.G.) at Gelsenkirchen in Germany.

Of the 17 Lancasters lost on this raid 625 Squadron only lost ED938.

Flt Sgt. Lindsay reported that the aircraft was home bound when they were hit by Flak and then attacked by a night-fighter which caused an uncontrolled fire to break out. Plt Off. Scott ordered the crew to bale out. Flt Sgt. Lindsay baled out from the rear hatch at about 7000 ft. as the aircraft was in a steep dive blazing furiously.

He presumed that the rest of the crew had been injured and could not bale out because he saw no other parachutes, although later he met Flt Sgt. Ridge at Stalag Luft 7. He was told by a German interrogation officer that four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage.

ED938 claimed by Hptm. Adolf Breves, his 2nd Abschuss, from Stab IV./NJG1 over Spanbroek, 32 km north Amsterdam at 1500 m. at 01:50 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Hptm. Breves survived the war and was credited with 11 confirmed Abschüsse with 6 awaiting confirmation. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

The aircraft crashed near Spanbroek, North Holland, some 9 km (5½ mls) NW of Hoorn.

(1) Flt Sgt. Ridge’s parachute caught fire from the flames of the burning Lancaster. As he was descending he could hear the parachute burning. He suffered burns to his face, both hands and also to the back of his left leg. After he landed he managed to get to a farm where he was found and helped by the owners of the farm. They fetched a doctor from the village who tended to his burns but later the Germans found him and took him away. He was admitted to the Queen Wilhelmina Hospital in Amsterdam, believed to be Luftwaffe Lazarett (o) 1/VI, from the 13th June 1944 until the 1st July 1944.

After a brief visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel in Frankfurt where he was not interrogated he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S., arriving there on the 4th July 1944. Whilst there he was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO).

On the 19th January 1945, 1,500 prisoners including WO. Ridge marched out of the camp in the bitter cold. They crossed a bridge over the river Oderon the 21st January, reached Goldberg on 5th February, and were loaded onto a train. On the 8th February they arrived at Stalag 3A, located about 52 km (32 mls) south of Berlinnear Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners, consisting mainly of soldiers from Britain, Canada, the US and Russia.

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army. The camp 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. WO. Ridge was Interviewed on the 14th May 1945.

Raymond Francis Ridge was born on the 23rd January 1922 in Peterborough, South Australia. He was employed as a Body Trimmer in the motor industry in Adelaide, South Australia prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 18th July 1942 in Adelaide, South Australia. He was discharged from the RAAF on the 6th February 1946 on demobilization.

Raymond passed away on the 8th December 1980 in Port Pirie, South Australia.

(2) Sgt. Suffield’s body was found next day, in a farm vegetable plot not far from where Flt Sgt. Lindsay was captured. Although he had been seen to abandon the aircraft by Flt Sgt. Lindsay he did not see any parachutes in the air so it possible that his parachute failed to open or it also caught fire and he subsequently perished.

(3) Flt Sgt. Lindsay suffered numerous cuts to his face and pulled a thigh muscle either aboard the aircraft or whilst parachuting. He was captured near Hoorn by civilians and handed over to the Germans.

He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel in Frankfurt arriving there on the 19th June 1944. On the 21st June 1944 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg O.S., arriving there on the 28th June 1944. He was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) whilst at Stalag Luft 7.

His story from this point onward is the same as that for WO. Ridge. See Ser (1) above.

John David Lindsay was born on the 2nd May 1924 in Yea, Victoria. He was employed as a Bank Clerk prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 29th June 1942 in Melbourne, Victoria. He was discharged from the RAAF on the 8th February 1946 on demobilization.

John passed away on the 26th January 2006 in Chirnside Park, Victoria, Australia just 10 months after his wife Doris passed away.

Burial details:

Above: Wreath laying on the five Commonwealth War graves in the Spanbroek Churchyard on the 4th May 2024 Remembrance Day by Municipality of Opmeer (Courtesy of T. Schouwe)

From left to right: Sgt. Leonard T.V. Suffield, Plt Off. Alexander G. Scott, Sgt. Alfred R. Williams, Flt Sgt. Jeffrey G. Lane, Flt Sgt. Charles S.D. Tainsh

Plt Off. Alexander Gregory Scott. Spanbroek Churchyard, Joint Grave 79. Grave Inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM’. Son of Alexander and Jessie Scott of West Drumoyne, Glasgow, Scotland.

Sgt. Alfred Ronald Williams. Spanbroek Churchyard, Joint Grave 79. Grave Inscription: ‘"FOLD HIM IN THINE ARMS, O LORD, NOW THAT HE IS THINE" SADLY MISSED BY US ALL’. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1920 in Alcester, Warwickshire. Son of Albert and Lena Mary Louise (née Pethard) Williams of Redditch, Worcestershire, England.

Flt Sgt. Charles Stirling Dundas Tainsh. Spanbroek Churchyard, Joint Grave 80. Grave Inscription: ‘AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE REMEMBER’. Born on the 15th June 1917 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Son of Charles Stirling Dundas Tainsh and Helen Tainsh; husband of Dora May Tainsh, of Carnegie, Victoria, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Jeffrey Gordon Lane. Spanbroek Churchyard, Joint Grave 80. Grave Inscription: ‘HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED’. Born on the 8th January 1923 in Lismore, New South Wales. Son of Frank Charles and Margaret Ellen Lane, of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia.

Above left: Greet Schouten who was an eyewitness to the crash of the aircraft at the grave of Sgt. Leonard Suffield in 2011. Above right: Photograph taken on the 80th Anniversary of crash the 13th June 2024. Bouquet requested by Ivor Coster and supplied by the daughter of Greet Schouten (Courtesy of T. Schouwe)

Sgt. Leonard Thomas Victor Suffield. Spanbroek Churchyard, Grave 78. Grave Inscription: ‘ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE LOST CAN TELL THE PAIN OF A PARTING WITHOUT FAREWELL’. Born on the 6th July 1920 in Edmonton, Essex. Son of George Bliss and Kate Caroline Eliza (née Rowley) Suffield of Broadstairs, Kent, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to the crew and their families (Aug 2024). Thanks to Ivor Coster, the cousin of Sgt. Suffield, for the photographs and contributions to the narrative. Thanks also to Helen King, the daughter of Flt Sgt. Ridge, for her father’s photograph (Aug 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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