Operation: Trappes, France

Date: 2nd/3rd June 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 640 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: MZ677

Code: C8:G

Base: RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire

Location: Boutigny sur Opton (Boutigny Prouais), France

Pilot: Flt Lt. John Walrod Seymour Skinner 108951 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Clarence Arthur Partridge 1623818 RAFVR Age 31. MiA

Nav: Sgt. Peter Adrian Tannen 1323466 RAFVR Age 20. PoW * (1)

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. B.H. Wright 1339374 RAFVR Age? PoW No 202 * (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. J.R. Martin 1397310 RAFVR Age? Evader (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Eric Dudley Foulkes 1852446 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. George William Dennis Scott 2209627 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

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

March 2025 - An updated comprehensive report on Stalag 3A: To read the report on conditions and evacuation of Stalag 3A during the period of liberation from April - May 1945 click here

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 2nd June 1944 15 aircraft from the squadron were tasked on a mission to bomb the railway yards at Trappes in France. There was very strong German night-fight opposition and a bright moon.

MZ677 was one of 3 aircraft from the squadron that failed to return.

MZ677 was claimed by Oblt. Ernst-George Drünkler, his 10th Abschuss, from 1./NJG5, 5 km north of Nogent le Roi at 1,700m at 01:04. (Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Part 3 – Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Drünkler, survived the war and was credited with 27 confirmed Abschüsse

The aircraft crashed at Boutigny sur Opton (Boutigny Prouais) 18 km (11 mls) east of Dreux.

The other two aircraft that failed to return were:

Halifax III MZ541 C8:U (7 KiA);

Halifax III LW434 C8:H (5 KiA, 2 PoW).

(1) Sgt. Tannen was captured on the 4th June near Chartres. He was held in solitary confinement for 5 days in a civilian jail in Chartres. He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel where he spent another 5 days in solitary confinement.

He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau nr. Kreuzburg arriving there in early July 1944.

The circumstances leading to the capture of Sgt. Wright are unknown. However, what is know is that he was at Stalag Luft 7 along with Sgt. Tannen so it is probable that from Stalag Luft 7 onwards their stories are the same.

On the 19th January 1945, 1,500 prisoners 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 reached Stalag 3Alocated 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.

Finally, as the Russians approached the guards fled the camp leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army

On the 22nd April 1945 as the Russians approached the camp the guards fled leaving the prisoners to be liberated by the Red Army.

Stalag 3A 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. Flt Sgt. Tannan was interviewed on the 21st May 1945.

Peter Adrian Tannen was born on the 25th September 1923 in Hackney, Greater London where he was a Draughtsman prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 12th August 1941.

(2) The details of Sgt. Martin’s evasion in France are not available at this time. What is known is that he made contact with Allied Forces and returned to England on the 26th August 1944.

Burial details:

Above The Dreux-Communal-Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Flt Lt. John Walrod Seymour Skinner. Dreux Communal Cemetery, Row 1 Collective Grave 27-29. Grave inscription: ‘FOR JUSTICE AND FREEDOM’. Born during 1913 in Barbados. Son of Herbert Seymour and Gladys Cottle (née Catford) Skinner of St. Michael, Barbados, Caribbean.

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

Sgt. Clarence Arthur Partridge. Runnymede Memorial Panel 235. Born on the 4th February 1913 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. Son of Walter John and Lily (née Bramley) Partridge. Husband of Hilda (née Chapman) Partridge, of Evenwood, County Durham, England.

Sgt. Eric Dudley Foulkes. Dreux Communal Cemetery, Row 1 Collective Grave 27-29. Born in 1st Qtr of 1925 in Radford, Nottinghamshire. Son of Charles Joseph and Jessie (née Rose) Foulkes from Reading, Berkshire, England.

Sgt. George William Dennis Scott. Dreux Communal Cemetery, Row 1 Collective Grave 27-29. Born on the 15th December 1924 in The Wirral, Cheshire. Son of George and Rose (née Potter) Scott of The Wirral, Cheshire, England.

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

Other sources listed below:

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