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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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83 crest
29/30.08.1944 83 Squadron Lancaster III PB249 Sqn Ldr. Sparks

Operation: Königsberg (now Kalingrad)

Date: 29th/30th August 1944 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Unit No: 83 Squadron (motto: 'Strike to Defend'), 5 (PFF) Group

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB249

Code: OL:C

Base: RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Zielkeim (now known as Petrovo)

Pilot: Sqn Ldr. Ernest Neville Monkhouse 'Ned' Sparks 43633 RAF Age 32. PoW * (1)

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Lawrence George Batchelor 1735257 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No. 749 ** (2)

Nav: Sqn Ldr. Robert Henry Schofield 120349 RAFVR Age 33. MiA

Bom Aimer: Fg Off. William Edgar Pearson DFC J21611 RCAF Age 22. PoW No. 5296 * (3)

Spec Op: Flt Lt. Edwin John Clessie Richardson DFM 113496 RAFVR Age 36. MiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Leonard John Daniels 174043 RAFVR Age 23. PoW * (4)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Fg Off. John Hudson Wilkinson DFC 400444 RAAF Age 30. MiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. George William Chesters 636624 RAFVR Age? PoW No. 768 ** (5)

* Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang, today situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Coningsby at 20:21 hrs. for an operation against Königsberg (Now named Kaliningrad).

Hit by Flak, which killed Fg Off. Wilkinson RAAF. With the others who died, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Crashed at Zielkeim (Now Petrovo, Poland) 12km North West of Königsberg (Kaliningrad).


(1) Sqn Ldr. Sparks had only recently resumed operational flying since evading in the wake of the Mailly-le-Camp raid on the 3rd/4th May 1944. His Lancaster III JB402 OL:R was claimed by Oblt. Dietrich Schmidt of 8./NJG4 at 00:46 hrs near Missy Condé, France. Six of the crew evaded with two taken PoW. With assistance from the Burgundy Line he returned to England on the 22nd June 1944.

Sqn Ldr. Sparks was captured near Königsburg the same day. He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 1st September and interrogated. He was then transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar on the 14th September. On the 18th September he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the about the 22nd September.

On the 30th April 1945, the prisoners were ordered to evacuate the camp in the face of the advancing Soviet Red Army, but the Senior American Officer (SAO), Col. Hubert Zemke, refused to give the order. After negotiations between Zemke and Commandant Oberst (Col) Gustav Warnstedt, it was agreed that to avoid useless bloodshed the guards would go, leaving the PoWs behind. The next day, the first Soviet troops arrived.

The Western Allied prisoners took over the camp into self-administration on the 1st May 1945. After protracted negotiations between the Western Allies and the Soviet leadership, the evacuation of the 8,498 inmates of Stalag Luft 1 finally took place between the 12th and 14th May 1945. The former PoWs had repaired a runway at the Barth Air Base and aircraft of the 8th Air Force undertook a massive airlift called "Operation Revival". Hundreds of PoWs had meanwhile made their own way west.

RAF PoWs were flown back to England and the American PoWs were flown to Camp Lucky Strike in Le Havre, France. Sqn Ldr Sparks was interviewed on the 10th May 1945

He was awarded the DFC which was promulgated in the London Gazette on 25th January 1946. Effective from the 28th August 1944.

A DSO followed whilst he was the Officer Commanding (OC) 356 Squadron. promulgated in the London Gazette on the 2nd October 1945.

Wg Cdr. Sparks was awarded the AFC which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 1st January 1952.

His brother, Wg Cdr. George Bryan Noble Sparks DSO, C1492, sadly died on active service with 356 Sqn in India on the 11th August 1945. The cause of death was Viral Encephalomyelitis (Viral infection of the brain/spinal cord).

Emigrated to Canada with his mother Mabel and brother Charles aboard Alaunia arriving at Quebec on 6 May 1928. His father Francis had earlier arrived in Canada. 'Ned' Ernest Neville Monkhouse Sparks was born on the 17th February 1912 in Lewisham, London. He enlisted in the RAF on the 10th January 1928. He passed away on the 21st August 1980 Winterbourne Gunner, Salisbury Wiltshire.

Above: Wg Cdr. Ernest Neville Monkhouse 'Ned' Sparks DSO, DFC, AFC (Courtesy of Bob Parsons)

(2) Flt Sgt. Batchelor was captured 30 km east of Königsburg on the 1st September 1944. After the statutory visit and interrogation at Dulag Luft, Oberursel he was transferred to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau on the 22nd September with Truppe 33.

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 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. 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. Batchelor was interviewed on the 15th May 1945.

Lawrence George Batchelor was born on the 19th May 1922. He was a Clerk in the employment of the Keresley Drapery Stores in Keresley, Coventry prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 22nd November 1941

(3) Fg Off. William Edgar Pearson was awarded the DFC on the 28th August 1944, whilst with 97 Squadron.

Fg Off. Pearson was captured near Königsburg the same day suffering with a sprained ankle from his parachute jump. He was initially held at the Luftwaffe Königsburg-Devau airfield, some 4 km ENE of Königsburg itself.

He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 31st August and interrogated. He was then transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar on the 5th September. The next day he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the 10th September.

His story from this time onwards is the same as that for Sqn Ldr. Sparks, Serial (1) above. Fg Off. Pearson was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

William Edgar Pearson was born on the 18th April 1922. He was a student in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada prior to enlisting in the RCAF on the 28th January 1942. He passed away on the 15th October 2018, aged 96.

(4) Fg Off. Daniels was captured near Königsburg the same day. He was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel on the 30th August and interrogated. He was then transferred to the nearby transit camp at Wetzlar on the 13th September. On the 17th September he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang arriving there on the about the 21st September.

His story from this time onwards is the same as that for Sqn Ldr. Sparks, Serial (1) above.

Fg Off. Daniels was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

Leonard John Daniels was born on the 25th May 1921. He was a Clerk for Railway, Shipping & General Carrier company in Newcastle-on-Tyne prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 11th August 1940

(4) Flt Sgt. George William Chesters arrived at Stalag Luft 7 on 25th September 1944.

His story from this time onwards is the same as that for Flt Sgt. Batchelor, Serial (2) above.

Burial details:

Almost certain those killed were buried at Königsberg but the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit (MREU) post war were not permitted access by the Russians to recover the crew remains.

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

Sqn Ldr. Robert Henry Schofield. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 201. Also remembered at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn. Son of Henry Schofield and of Helena May Schofield (née Holgate) and husband of Helen Schofield, of West Brompton, London.

He flew 28 operations with 49 Squadron. Also remembered at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn.

Flt Lt. Edwin John Clessie Richardson DFM. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 203. Born on the 29th February 1908. Son of Edwin Waters (died 2nd June 1936, age 69) and Catherine Beatrice Richardson, (née Thomas) of 2 Woodland Place, Ochrwyth, Risca, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Flt Lt. Richardson had flown his first tour with 54 Squadron. 747981 Sgt. Richardson was awarded the DFM which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 6th June 1941

Fg Off. John Hudson Wilkinson DFC. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 257. Born on the 18th February 1914 at Rutherglen. Enlisted 2nd September 1940. Son of Hudson Hall Wilkinson (Died 27th July 1961, age 56) and Mary Ann Wilkinson, of Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia. Chemist.

Awarded DFC whilst with 83 Squadron. London Gazette 19th September 1944. Citation Reads:

'P/O. Wilkinson is an Air Gunner of great ability and determination. He has taken part in a large number of operational sorties, many of which have been against some Germany’s most heavily defended targets.On one occasions, in March 1944, when engaged in an attack on Stuttgart, Junkers 88 attacked the aircraft five times, but P/O. Wilkinson, by his accurate directions to his captain and coolly aimed return fire, drove off the enemy aircraft in a badly damaged condition. At all times his unwavering devotion to duty and constant alertness have inspired confidence in his crew'.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster), with contributions from John Jones, and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to John Jones, Oliver Clutton-Brock - 'The Long Road' and 'RAF Evaders', Risca Branch The Royal British Legion. (Oct 2021). Thanks to John Jones for the additional Bio information for Sqn Ldr. Sparks (Oct 2022). Thanks to Bob Parsons for the correct photograph of his grandfather, Sqn Ldr. Sparks (May 2024). PoW information updates by Aircrew Remembered (May 2024). Thanks to David Vincent for the correction to the enlistment date for Fg Off. Wilkinson (Aug 2024)

Other sources as quoted below:

RS 20.08.2024 - Corrections

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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