Operation: Rhubarb

Date: 14th December 1941 (Sunday)

Unit No: 3 Squadron, RAAF

Type: P-40 Tomahawk IIb

Serial No: AN270

Code: CV:?

Location: 15 mls SW of Gazala in Libya

Base: LG-102, Sidi Heneish, Egypt

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Derek Scott 402147 RAAF Age 21. PoW No. 25019 *

* Stalag 8b, in 1943 renamed Stalag 344, Lamsdorf (now called Łambinowice) in Silesia

Above "A bloke with all the gear on. I only fly in shorts, shirt, helmet etc." Informal portrait of 402147 Flt Sgt. Derek Scott, 3 Sqn RAAF wearing a full khaki flying suit, flying helmet, oxygen mask and flying gloves.

Photograph is annotated on the reverse by Sqn Ldr. John Francis Jackson.

This image is from the collection of Sqn Ldr. John Francis Jackson DFC 493, RAAF. A distinguished fighter pilot, Sqn Ldr. Jackson served with 23 Sqn in Australia (1939), 3 Sqn in the Middle East (1940-1941), and 75 Sqn in Papua New Guinea (1942). He was killed in action on the 28th April 1942 during a flying battle over Papua New Guinea and is buried in Bomana War Cemetery.

On the 12th October 1941 3 Sqn RAAF took off together with Tomahawks of 2 Sqn SAAF on a protective fighter sweep over the army in the Sheferzen area. The Tomahawks were attacked by Bf109Es of 3./JG27. 2 Sqn lost one Tomahawk and pilot KiA, and three damaged. 3 Sqn also lost a Tomahawk and pilot KiA. Sgt. Scott’s Tomahawk IIb AK566 was one of two aircraft that crash landed after being damaged in the engagement but both pilots were safe.

On the 22nd November 1941 Sgt. Scott flying Tomahawk IIb AN305 claimed two probable B109Fs.

On the 30th November 1941 Sgt. Scott flying Tomahawk IIb AN374 claimed a G.50, a Ju87 and another Ju87 damaged. (A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945, Volume 1 – Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest - ISBN -13:97811908117076)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 14th December 1941 at 09:15 hrs six Tomahawks from 3 Sqn RAAF took off from LG-102 to undertake a Rhubarb mission through Martuba and to its west to 50 miles south of Ain el Gazala in Libya. About seven Ju87s and eight Bf109s were sighted and engaged, one Ju87 was reported as damaged.

Rhubarb – Mission to search for opportunity targets such as railway locomotives and rolling stock, aircraft on the ground, enemy troops, and vehicles on roads.

Flt Sgt. Derek Scott was shot down by a Bf109 near Martuba. He bailed out at about 3000 ft and his aircraft crashed 15 mls SW of Ain el Gazala in Libya.

The second loss from 3 Sqn was Tomahawk AN285. The pilot, Fg Off. Donald Erskine Knight 2762, was KiA.

The remaining four Tomahawk’s returned safely to base.

Flt Sgt. Scott was captured and held at an Italian PoW camp in Benghazi, next to an Aerodrome whilst it was being bombed by the RAF. He was then transported by Italian Destroyer to Crete. From here he was transported to Salonica in Greece where he was admitted to hospital suffering from Malaria.

Benghasi-Berca (aka Benghazi). There were six landing grounds around the port city. The only bombing that occurred in this time frame before Benghasi-Berca was evacuated by the Germans on the 23rd December 1941 was on the 17th December when 1xJu52 was destroyed on then ground. (Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Libya (Tripolitania & Cyrenaica) & Egypt - Henry L. deZeng IV).

There was an Italian transit PoW camp located in Benghazi with an adjoining PoW hospital. No further details have been found.

After arriving at Stalag 8b/Stalag 344 some time during August 1942 Flt Sgt. Scott exchanged identities with a Private (Pte) in the British Army and went out on a working party to Tarnowitz.

The British Army Pte was a Joseph Terry, PoW No. 4428. However, no further information about him has been found to date.

Tarnowitz/Tarnowskie Góry was listed as work-camp No. E479 which was some 90 kms from Lamsdorf and featured huge marshalling yards.

Some time at the end of March beginning of April 1943 Sgt. M.J. Wyllie joined the same working party, after he had exchanged identities with a Mordechai Melzer, and the pair made plans to escape together.

On the 20th April 1943 at about 10:30 hrs they just walked away and kept on the move all day and most of the night. They rested in the woods during the next day and started walking again at dusk.

In his affidavit WO. Scott described the events that transpired:

“About two o’clock in the morning we were walking along a railway line in the direction of Kraków, which was about 25 km away. We came to a level crossing. A civil policeman and a civilian came from behind a small shed and the policeman called to us to halt, We stopped and they both came over to us. The policeman asked us for out passports and I replied that we didn’t have any. He then asked us who we were and I told him we were British prisoner of war, He became very excited and began shouting. He pulled out his revolver and continued shouting. I couldn’t understand what he was saying. Wyllie and I were standing still the whole time and without any warning he shot Wyllie in the groin, Wyllie spun around on his feet and stumbled away from the policeman as he fell. The policeman then shot him in the back and he dropped on his face. He turned to me and told me to run. I stood still and he calmed down. He sent the civilian to search me and then marched me to the shed. He would not let me go near Wyllie and left the civilian to guard me and to march me back to Kressendorf (Krzeszowice) about 4 km away. I was placed in the civilian goal, I did not see Wyllie again, but subsequently obtained photographs of his grave.

The policeman was a man about 40 years of age, about 5' 9" of height and of medium build. The Polish guards at the civilian prison at Kressendorf (Krzeszowice) told me that they would find out his name and keep track of his movements as far as possible. I was taken to Kraków in the afternoon.

Later the German security officer at Stalag 344 told me that the policeman had been tried by German Authorities who dismissed the charges against him on the grounds that Wyllie was shot while attempting to escape. I was not called to give evidence.”

Flt Sgt. Scott was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) on the 1st May 1943 whilst a PoW.

He was liberated by US Army forces on the 26th April 1945 and returned to the UK. He then embarked for Australia on the 7th August 1945 and arrived in Sydney on the 9th September 1945.

WO. Scott was retrospectively commissioned and promoted to Plt Off. with effect 1st May 1942, to Fg Off. with effect 1st November 1942 and then to Flt Lt. with effect 1st May 1944.

Flt Lt. Scott was discharged from the RAAF on demobilisation on the 20th December 1945.

Derek Scott was born on the 29th August 1920 in Toowoomba, Queensland. He passed away on the 4th February 1988 in Sommerville, Victoria aged 67.

Above: Courtesy of the The Sydney Morning Herald, dated Saturday February 6th, 1988.

Burial details:

None – survived the war

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot.

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