Operation: La Chappelle, France

Date: 20th/21st April 1944 (Thursday/Friday)

Unit No: 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND573

Code: KM:S

Base: RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire

Location: Described as ‘lost without trace’

Pilot: Fg Off. George Alfred Skinner 425232 RAAF Age 26. MiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Alan Farmer 2204356 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Nav: Sgt. William Thomas Freeman 917954 RAFVR Age 25. MiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. David Prewer 1681110 RAFVR Age 30. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Dudley Ward 1579650 RAFVR Age 21. MiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. John Younger Scott 1568179 RAFVR Age 20. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. William George Singfield 1261285 RAFVR Age 23. MiA (1)

Rear: Sgt. David Prewer, Fg Off. George Skinner, Sgt. William Singfield, Sgt. John Scott. Front: Sgt. William Freeman and Sgt. Alan Farmer.

May 2020 - Would Patricia Dunnage please make contact as her freeserve email is no longer in use
May 2018 - Relatives of Sgt. Prewer would like to make contact with any of the crew relatives.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22:44 hrs on a two (2) part bombing raid on the railway yards at La Chapelle, with an interval of one hour. 269 aircraft taking part. Bombing was considered very accurate as they were using a new target marking method. No reports were available as to actual damage and casualties in the target area.

ND573 was claimed by Maj. Wolfgang Thimmig, his 20th Abschuss from Stab NJG4 as a probable Lancaster near Morsang, 7 km NNE of Bretigny (i.Zus.Arb.) at 3,600m at 00:40hrs

Note: also claimed by Flak of gem. Flak Abt 496. (Lancaster Antony 00:35). Flak claimed ‘VNE’. The victory for Maj. Thimmig was confirmed on the 6th July 1944. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (23 June - 22 September) 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten)

Obstlt. Thimmig survived the war with 22 night and 1 day confirmed Abschüsse, He became West Germany’s Military Attache in Sweden. He passed away on the 6th November 1976 in Stockholm, Sweden, aged 64. (Luftwaffe ACES - Biographies and Victory Claims (Mathews and Foreman) - Volume 4)

The Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (No 1 MREU, No. 3 Section) tried to establish the location of the graves for these crew members and a report sent into the Air Ministry on the 7th June 1946. They established that a four engined aircraft had crashed in the Morsang-Sur-Orge area at 00:30 hrs on the 21st April 1944. The team visited the crash site but as it had since been cultivated no remains of the aircraft had been found apart from a relief valve with a serial number S/A/270 R.7622 by a local man Monsieur Cicchelero. No one in the area could state how many bodies were found but that they thought they had been taken away by the Germans to Bretigny-Sur-Orge. The team inspected that cemetery but nothing corresponded to this crash.

A further investigation took place on the 9th May 1947 to try and establish further information. Nothing definite was established and it was concluded that very few remains were found at the time of the crash as the aircraft had exploded. The Germans were unable to recover the engines after the crash as they were buried too deep. They stated that the remains found were possibly buried with others at Clichy cemetery.

One witness stated that he thought the pilot had tried to find open ground to crash to avoid hitting nearby homes.

(1)

Burial details:

Above: The Runnymede Memorial (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Fg Off. George Alfred Skinner. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 259. Born on the 21st November 1917 in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. Son of George Walter and Marion Eileen Skinner of Commercial Road, Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia.

He was an Instructor with the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia.

Sgt. Alan Farmer. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 229. Born circa 1923 in Somerset. Son of Harold William Pool and Alice (née Fry) Farmer of Burnley, Lancashire, England.

Sgt. William Thomas Freeman. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 229. Son of Arthur Albert and Ellen Freeman and husband of Vera Rosetta Freeman of Upper Stratton, Wiltshire, England.

Sgt. David Prewer. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 236. Son of Frederick John and Elizabeth Prewer of Penlon, Anglesey, Wales.

Sgt. Thomas Dudley Ward. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 239. Son of Cecil and Florence Iris Marjorie Ward of Handsworth, Birmingham, England.

Sgt. John Younger Scott. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 237. Son of David Baillie and Nan Younger Scott of Broughton, Peebles, Royal burgh in Tweeddale, Scotland.

Sgt. William George Singfield. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 237. Son of Albert and Rose Singfield of Five Elms, Dagenham, Essex, England. Husband of Jessie Eileen.

William Singfield was a machine operator before enlisting in the RAFVR on the 9th August 1940.

Researched for Aircrew Remembered by Linda Ibrom and dedicated to the crew and their families, with thanks to Patricia Dunnage (Daughter of William Singfield) for the many photographs submitted (May 2017). Thanks to John Jones for the Fighter and Flak claims update (Apr 2020). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered (Feb 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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