Operation: Nürnberg, Germany

Date: 28th/29th August 1942 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 115 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Wellington III

Serial: X3675

Code: KO:D

Base: RAF Marham, Norfolk

Location: Grand-Hallet, 15 mls (24 km) NW of Huy in Belgium

Pilot: WO. John George Smith 742471 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Observer: Sgt. Jack Edward Cope DFM, 1377332 RAFVR Age 22. Evader (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Norrice John Mackenzie 41596 RNZAF Age 26. PoW No: 26875 * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. William John Sharpe 798575 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Leslie George Carr 1330310 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

* Stalag 8B, Lamsdorf, now called Łambinowice in Silesia.

Above: Sgt. Jack Edward Cope (Courtesy of John Cope)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 28th/29th August 1942 fifteen (15) aircraft from 115 Sqn took-off from RAF Marham join a force to bomb targets in Saabrucken and Nürnberg in Germany. Five (5) of the aircraft were to bomb Saabrucken with X3675 and the other nine (9) to bomb Nürnberg.

X3675 was claimed by Hptm. Ludwig Bietmann from 5./NJG1, his 5th abschuss, 1 km SE Grand-Hallet, Liège at 3.000 m. at 23:12 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (30 May - 31 December 1942) The Early Years Part 3 - Theo Boiten).

Hptm. Bietmann was KiA in a crash on the night of the 10th/11th September 1942 in a crash 1½ km NW or WSW of Marbaix after air combat. He was credited with six (6) confirmed Abschüsse. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten).

The aircraft was hit by a long burst of incendiary shells which set fire to a section of fuselage and hydraulic system. Only Sgt. Cope and Sgt. Mackenzie successfully baled out. It is believed that Sgt. Carr, the rear gunner, was killed during the fighter attack.

The aircraft crashed at 23:03 hrs at Grand-Hallet, 15 mls (24 km) NW of Huy in Belgium.

Three (3) others from the Sqn failed to return and one (1) crash landed return from the operation:

Wellington III X3464 KO:B – Hit By Flak over Prüm at 10,000 ft. Successfully force-landed and before the crew were captured and became PoWs they managed to destroy the aircraft’s secret equipment;

Wellington III X3647 KO:A – Crashed at Attigny in the Ardennes on the south bank of the river Aisne, 15 km ESE of Rethel in France. Flt Sgt. William Stansfield Allen 1126560 RAFVR and four (4) of his crew were KiA. Sgt. Willaim Desmond Haddleton R94764 RCAF became a PoW at Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug;

Wellington III BJ688 KO:R – Shot down by a German night-fighter and crashed at Eich, 13 km NNE of Worms. Plt Off. Clifford Wilbert Pafford J8215 RCAF and his crew were KiA;

Wellington III Z1607 KO:T – Crashed on landing due to petrol shortage at 04:58 hrs at Barton Bendish, 7 mls WSW of Swaffham in Norfolk. No injuries reported.

(1) Sgt. Cope evaded capture through France, Spain and Gibraltar with the assistance of the Comet Line. He was No. 54 on the list of evaders. He left Gibraltar by air on the 5th October 1942 and arrived at RAF Hendon the next day.

Flt Sgt. Cope was awarded the Distinguish Flying Medal (DFM) whilst with 115 Sqn (London Gazette 18th May 1943).

Citation: “In most hazardous circumstances, during an operational flight, this airman displayed conduct in keeping with, the highest traditions of the Royal Air Force”.

Flt Sgt. Cope was appointed to a commission and promoted to 169973 Plt Off. effective 28th November 1943 (London Gazette 4th February 1944). He was promoted to Fg Off. effective 28th May 1944 (London Gazette 23rd June 1944).He was promoted to Flt Lt. (War Substantive) effective 28th November 1945 (London Gazette 21st December 1945).

Jack Edward Cope was born on the 24th May 1920 in Hampstead, Middlesex, England. Jack passed away in June 1994 in Maidstone, Kent, England.

(2) After he was captured Sgt. Mackenzie was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there on the 3rd September. After the statutory solitary confinement and interrogation he was transferred to Stalag 8B, Lamsdorf on the 10th September arriving there on the 12th September. On the 9th October 1942 some 1500 British and Canadians, irrespective it would seem of whether or not they had been captured at Dieppe, had their wrists tied with string from Red Cross parcels.

After the failed raid at Dieppe on the 19th August 1942, the Germans claimed to have found evidence of the ill-treatment of German prisoners, and also of atrocities committed during a Commando raid on Sark on 4th October 1942.

German propaganda made much of the capture and the killing of the German soldiers and claimed that they still had their hands bound when they were found. This together with a copy of an operational order, illegally carried and dropped by a Canadian senior officer, discovered on the beach after the Dieppe Raid on the 19th August 1942 formed the rationale for Hitler’s Kommandobefehl.

It should be noted that the operational order concerning the 'binding' of prisoners was directed at Canadian forces participating in the raid and not the British commandos.

Four (4) days later a further 800 were similarly bound so tightly was the string drawn in some cases that the circulation of blood to the hands was cut off, causing some harm. After strong protests the string was replaced by shackles and handcuffs, but so expert were some of the prisoners at lockpicking (the key from sardine tins was a favourite tool) that within seconds the restraints had been removed. Thereafter the shackling became a nuisance rather than a punishment, and it officially ended on the 22nd November 1943.

In 1943, the Lamsdorf camp was split up, and many of the PoWs and Arbeitskommando (Working parties) were transferred to two new base camps Stalag 8C Sagan (Żagań) and Stalag 8D Teschen (Český Těšín). The base camp at Lamsdorf was renumbered Stalag 344.

On the 22nd January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced into Germany, many of the PoWs were force-marched westward in groups of 200 to 300. He was amongst the PoWs who arrived at Stalag 8A Görlitz in Lower Silesia, east of the River Neisse (now Zgorzelec, Poland).

On the 10th February 1945 he was amongst the PoWs were marched out of the camp westward in advance of the Soviet offensive into Germany. The evacuation process was carried out gradually through to May 1945. The evacuation took place on foot with all means of transport driving in front of the people for military purposes. He arrived at Stalag 9A Trutzhain in the territory of Ziegenhain in Germany arriving there on the 12th February.

On the 30th March 1945, the camp was Liberated by the Patton’s 3rd Army. The now Warrant Officer (WO) Mackenzie was interviewed on the 11th April 1945.

Norrice John Mackenzie was born on the 13th November 1915 in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. He was a hotel manager in Canterbury, New Zealand prior to enlisting in the RNZAF on the 9th January 1941. Arthur passed away on the 14th November 1989.

Burial details:

Above: Grave marker for WO. John George Smith - (Courtesy of and in memory of Fallen Graver Marcell Rosvelds - FindAGrave)

WO. John George Smith. Heverlee War Cemetery 9.A.6. Grave Inscription: “IN OUR HEARTS HE LIVES YET WE LOVED HIM TOO DEARLY TO EVER FORGET. JOSEPHINE, MUMS, DAD”. Born on the 2nd March 1919 in Bristol. Son of Walter William and Alice Louisa Smith. Husband of Josephine Winifred Smith of Tickenham, Somerset, England.

Above: Grave marker for Sgt. William John Sharpe - (Courtesy of and in memory of Fallen Graver Marcell Rosvelds - FindAGrave)

Sgt. William John Sharpe. Heverlee War Cemetery Joint grave 9.A. 7-8. Grave Inscription: “GRANT HIM ETERNAL REST, O LORD; AND LET LIGHT PERPETUAL SHINE UPON HIM”. Son of Robert and Alfreda Sharpe of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.

Above: Grave marker for Sgt. Leslie George Carr - (Courtesy of and in memory of Fallen Graver Marcell Rosvelds - FindAGrave)

Sgt. Leslie George Carr. Heverlee War Cemetery Joint grave 9.A. 7-8. Grave Inscription: “YOU NEED NO MEDALS, CROSSES, BARS, YOUR NAME IS WRITTEN ON THE STARS”. Born on the 19th November 1921 in Wandsworth, London. Son of George Lewis and Ellen Lavinia Carr of Twickenham, Middlesex, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape from Aircrew Remembered as dedicated to this crew and their families with thanks to John Cole for the photograph of Sgt. Cole. (Aug 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 - 2025 Last Modified: 29 August 2025, 15:42