Operation: Ramrod, France

Date: 13th May 1944 (Saturday)

Unit No: 609 (West Riding) Squadron, 136 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon IB

Serial: MN414

Code: PR:?

Base: RAF Thorney Island, Sussex

Location: North of Fleury-devant-Douaument, France

Pilot: Fg Off. James Alexander ‘Jimmy’ Stewart DFC 128449 RAFVR Age 22. Id No: 78416 *, PoW No: 8069 **

* Buchenwald concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimer, Germany in July 1937.

** Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

REASON FOR LOSS

Two sections of four Typhoons from the squadron took off from RAF Thorney Island at 10:40 hrs on the 13th May 1944 to attack a column of Motor Transport (MT) and tanks proceeding westward to Boos which is about 10 km (6¼ mls) SE of Rouen in France.

The leader, Sqn Ldr. John Christoper Wells DFC 45883, on his first run was unable to locate the target but found stationary soft skinned MT in the area which were attacked with Rocket Projectiles (RP) resulting in the squadron claiming 6 vehicles destroyed. The aircraft returned to base at 12:10 hrs but Fg Off. Stewart and Flt Sgt. Fidgin failed to return.

Note: Acting Flt Lt. Wells was awarded the DFC whilst serving with 609 (WR) Squadron, Promulgated in the London Gazette on the 6th July 1943. Citation: “Acting Flight Lieutenant John Christopher WELLS (45883), No. 609 Squadron. This officer has completed many hours flying, involving sorties both by day and by night. He has achieved much success in attacks on enemy lines of communication, while in air combat he has destroyed at least 3 enemy aircraft, 2 of which he shot down in one engagement. Flight Lieutenant Wells has displayed commendable courage and tenacity”.

As an acting Sqn Ldr. he was awarded a Bar to his DFC whilst serving with 609 (WR) Squadron, Promulgated in the London Gazette 20th October 1944. Citation: “Squadron Leader Wells has led the squadron and, on other occasions, larger, formations of aircraft in many attacks on difficult targets. He has displayed the highest standard of skill and resolution and his leadership has been most inspiring. Among his achievements, Squadron Leader Wells has destroyed 6 enemy aircraft”.

It was reported that Fg Off. Stewart’s aircraft had been hit by accurate light Flak over Fleury-devant-Douaument and that he called up on the RT that his engine was failing, and he was baling out. His parachute was seen to open a moment later.

Note: The Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB) records that his aircraft as serial no. JR125 which is incorrect as this Typhoon was lost on the 18th August 1944.

Flt Sgt. Fidgen, flying Typhoon IB serial MN155, was not seen during the attack and was last seen way behind the others. The circumstances leading to the loss of his Typhoon and the death of Flt Sgt. Fidgen are not known.

Flt Sgt. Laurence Pritchard Fidgen 1579370 was KiA and laid to rest in the Marissel French National Cemetery in Grave 229.

After his release Fg Off. Stewart was interviewed by the French police after arriving at the Hôtel du Palais Royal at 4 rue de Valois in Paris. His statement described his evasion and the circumstances leading to his capture:

“As a fighter pilot, my plane was shot down during a mission on the morning of 13 May 1944 in the Fleury-la-Forêt area (Eure). I was able to parachute out without being wounded and stayed for a few days in a farmhouse.

The farmer then accompanied me to Paris and took me to people who might be able to help me.

I stayed with these people for a while, then went to stay with four different people, again in Paris, over a period of about six weeks.

Lastly, I was staying at Madame Rocher’s, 20 Bd Sébastopol, and I had been there for eleven days, when a French woman came to her house, accompanied by a man who introduced himself under the first name of "Jacques" and who, I later found out, called himself Jean Decan, I think it was a false identity.

Having found out what my situation was, he offered to take me to Spain and then back to England. This was towards the end of June 1944. As I didn't know anyone in France and wasn't in touch with any organisation that could look after me, I was very happy to hear him suggest I go to Spain, and I accepted.

On 7 July, Jacques picked me up on Bd Sébastopol in the evening, and took me on foot to the Place de la Concorde. A waiting car took us to a hotel near the Casino de Paris, where we spent the night.

I should point out that an American aviator had left with me, who was also staying with Mme Roche, and that, at the hotel near the Casino de Paris, we found an Australian aviator and a Canadian.

The next afternoon, the car came to pick up the four of us at the hotel. It was on Saturday 8 July by a driver whose name I don't know, and who was allegedly killed later by the Resistance.

A few kilometres outside Paris, we were stopped by a cordon of German Feldgendarmes [Military Police]. We were arrested and taken immediately to Fresnes”.

Note: Jean-Jacques was a Belgian traitor named Jaques Desoubrie (Jean-Jacques, Jean Decan, Jean Masson and Pierre Boulain were aliases) who had infiltrated the Réseau Comète (Comet Line) escape route in Brussels and Paris. He was responsible for the Nazis rounding up dozen of members of the Réseau Comète and Allied airmen. He was finally captured and stood accused at a French military trial in Lille. He was convicted and condemned to death for having participated in the capture and assassination of members of the resistance and for sending Allied military to their deaths in violation of the Geneva convention. He was executed by firing squad.

Note: The three airmen that were arrested with Fg Off. Stewart were:

Sgt. Edward Carter-Edwards R186108 RCAF;
T/Sgt. Frank K. Cowen 38444832 USAAF;
1st Lt. Marshall C. Crouch O-7744050 USAAF.

Fresnes prison was located to the south of Paris and was where French political prisoners were held and ordinarily Allied airmen, after questioning, were moved to a PoW Camp. In the summer of 1944, with the Allies having liberated Paris and closing in, the Gestapo guards started reducing the prison population by execution, and then relocating surviving prisoners to various concentration camps east of France. On the 15th August 1944 they were amongst 169 Allied PoWs and hundreds of French men and women who were packed into a freight train and transported to Buchenwald concentration camp on a journey lasting five days. Buchenwald was located 8 km (5 mls) north of Weimar, in the German province of Thüringen. It was established and administered by the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Fg Off. Joel Mathews ‘Tex’ Stevenson C27788 RCAF, the pilot of 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB727 VR:H escaped from the train and successfully evaded.

Sqn Ldr. Lamason and Fg Off. Chapman succeeded in getting all but two of the Allied PoWs transferred to Stalag Luft 3. Two airmen, 1st Lt. Levitt Clinton Beck Jr. O-736945, US AAF and Fg Off. Philip Derek Hemmens, 152583, RAFVR died in the sick barrack.

Recognition:

For decades the International Red Cross (IRC) had stated that there were no military personnel in Buchenwald despite the overwhelming documentary and anecdotal evidence. It was not until 1988 that the IRC eventually confirmed the airmen were illegally held at Buchenwald.

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments also consistently denied that any of their service personnel were ever held in concentration camps and refused to investigate the claims made by a 'mere’ handful of men.

Reparations were made to the British airmen who had been illegally held at Buchenwald in 1965. Eventually in 1988 the Australian, New Zealand and it is believed the Canadian governments acknowledged that their airmen had been illegally held in concentration camps.

American airmen were among those receiving compensation and the US Air force have acknowledged the Buchenwald airmen with an exhibit at the Air Force Museum, albeit the airmen are shown in uniform rather than in civilian attire. Furthermore, there is no mention of decades-long denial of their experiences by other branches of the government.

Fg Off. Stewart DFC was transferred to Stalag Luft 3, over the period 15th to 20th October 1944.

Above PoW photograph of Fg Off. Stewart

On the night of the 27th January 1945, with Soviet troops only 26 km (16 mls) away, orders were received to evacuate the PoWs to Spremberg which is to the West in Germany. The PoW’s were informed of the evacuation, which was on foot, at about 22:00 hrs the same night and were given 30 mins to pack and prepare everything for the March. The weather conditions were very difficult, with freezing temperatures, and it was snowing accompanied by strong winds. There was 15 cm (6 in) of snow and 2000 PoWs were assigned to clear the road ahead of the main groups.

The first groups of American PoW’s set out from the South Compound with the last PoW leaving at 23:00 hrs. The next group of American PoWs set out from the West Compound. At 03:45 hrs the North Compound left, followed by the Centre Compound. At 06:00 hrs the East Compound left. All the groups were accompanied by guards.

At first the groups of men were marching in close columns some 200 m. in length, which over the hours stretched to some 2 km. At the rear of the columns PoWs too exhausted to walk were on tractors with trailers and horse carts.

After a 55 km (34 mls) march, the PoWs arrived in Bad Muskau where they rested for 30 hours. The PoWs were then marched the remaining 26 km (16 mls) to Spremberg where they were housed in empty garages, storerooms and in military barracks. There they were provided with warm soup and bread.

During next days, PoWs were divided up according to Compounds, and they were led to railway sidings and loaded into tightly packed carriages. Fg Off. Stewart joined the PoWs from the West Compound that were sent to Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde, arriving there on the 5th February 1945.

As of 1st January 1945, this camp housed 45,942 PoWs, including 24,996 French, 12,517 Soviet, 4,093 Serbian, 1,499 American, 1,433 British, 1,310 Italian, 86 Polish and 8 Romanian.

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.

Fg Off. Stewart remained in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) to interrogate SS officers involved in the capture of evading airmen. He left Brussels on the 12th May 1945 arriving in England the next day.

Prior to being posted to 609 Squadron Fg Off. Stewart DFC served with the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (MSFU).

The Personal Combat Report submitted by Fg Off. Stewart describes an engagement against an enemy aircraft on the 28th July 1943 flying a Hurricane Mk 1A ‘Hurricat’.

‘I left Gibraltar on 23rd July aboard CAM Ship "SS EMPIRE DARWIN" in convoy bound for UK. At 19:30 hrs on 28th July 1943 enemy activity was reported and I was ordered to readiness. At 19:38 hrs I was signalled to launch, and did so successfully. I then received from the FDO the instruction "Bandit at 9 o’clock" and immediately made visual contact.

I recognised it as a Fw 200 flying at 1,000ft and gave chase, he was flying north but turned and flew south for minute then proceeded eastward and reducing height to about 200ft. I had no difficulty overtaking at 6¼ boost, 2600 revs and at approximately 250 MPH and made my attack on the port quarter out of the sun. My attack was delivered from 40° to 15°, opening fire at 300yds and closing to almost point blank. I aimed at the cockpit giving 1½ to 1 ring deflection and gave a five second burst. I could see strikes in the sea round the nose, then a vivid white flash from near the turret, return fire was very heavy and uncomfortably close, but I could not see any strikes on my aircraft. Having broken away to port I repeated the attack but my guns ceased firing after about ½ second. However, I continued making dummy attacks but gave up when I saw I was drawing well away from the convoy and returned.

I last saw him flying eastward towards a bank of cloud about 10 miles away. On my return to the convoy I started circling at 1000ft but reception on the RT had broken down. As I reached the port side of the convoy I observed the escorts opening fire at another Fw 200 which was making a bombing run from west to east at height 800 ft. I saw two near misses on HMS Scylia and started climbing, I caught up with it at 700 ft and made a few dummy attacks, then following him until he disappeared into cloud about 20 miles from the convoy. Having once more returned to the convoy I gave the appropriate signal to indicate that I was baling out, climbing to about 4500 ft about 3 miles ahead. I cleared the aircraft successfully and everything functioned perfectly. I was in the water for about 15 mins before being picked up by HMS Leith where I received every consideration including a hot bath and glass of whisky.

The ships officer’s also referred to the fact that they had seen the flash from the enemy aircraft’.

The Fw 200 ‘Kondor’ he claimed as a ‘probably destroyed’ came from I./Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG 40) which was operating the Fw 200 in this region. No further information regarding the fate of the aircraft and/or crew has been found.

Note: The “SS Empire Darwin” was a ship of Convoy MKS 18G, which departed from Gibraltar on the 23rd July 1943 and rendezvoused with Convoy SL 133 at sea on the 26th July. This was the last convoy to operate with Catapult Aircraft Merchant Ship (CAM) ships, which were being withdrawn. This was also reported to be that last action flown off a CAM ship.

For this action Fg Off. Stewart was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) (no accompanying citation posted). Promulgated in the London Gazette on the 1st October 1943. His Obituary can been read on the Humphrey’s Funeral Home site.

On the 2nd February 1944 Fg Off. Stewart had a lucky escape. His Typhoon IB, EK121, PR:U was destroyed in accident when the aircraft stalled on landing at RAF Manston.

It appeared that he opened the throttle again after a dubious touch-down somewhat cross-wind, but the wing tip went down and struck the ground. The centre of the aerodrome was strewn with smouldering parts of the Typhoon. The emergency crew expected to find him dead, but he was sitting upright in the cockpit with only slight cuts on his left cheek and eyebrow.

At the end of his service with the RAFVR his documented tally was a Hurricane, two Typhoons and a Fw 200 ‘Kondor’. It is believed that there was a second Hurricane, which has yet to be identified.

Flt Lt. Stewart relinquished his commission with the RAFVR on the 26th April 1954 upon enrolment in the RCAF.

James Alexander Stewart was born on the 16th January 1922 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He passed away on the 17th April 2019 in St. Stephen, Charlotte, New Brunswick in Canada.

Burial details:

None - The pilot survived

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to this pilot and his family (Jun 2024).

Other sources as quoted below:

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