Operation: Emden, Germany

Date: 6th/7th June 1942 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit No: 7 Squadron

Type: Stirling I

Serial: W7471

Code: MG:J

Base: RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire

Location: 9 km (5½ mls) NW of Dokkum, Holland

Pilot: Fg Off. Norman Leslie Tayler DFC 565003 RAF Age 20. PoW No: 560 * (1)

2nd Pilot: WO2. Clarence Francis Henigman R58530 RCAF Age 22. PoW No: 406 ** (2)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Sidney John McNamara 903218 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No: 513 ** (3)

Nav: Plt Off. Edward Joseph 'Ted' Earngey 402761 RAAF Age 27. PoW No: 557 * (4)

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. William Edward Goodman 1263380 RAFVR Age 20. PoW No: 503 * (5)

WOp/Air Gnr: Plt Off. Frank St. John Travis 104538 RAFVR Age 26. PoW No: 562 * (6)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Lt. Harry Douglas Spry 78865 RAFVR Age 30. PoW No: 559 * (1)

Air Gnr (Rear): WO. John Henry Arnold DFM 934266 RAFVR Age 30. PoW No: 560 *** (7)

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

** Stalag 357 Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland

*** Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland (now Šilutė in Lithuania)

Above 7 of the crew of Sterling I W7471 after capture (Courtesy of Gill Chesney-Green)

From left to right: WO. Arnold, DFM, Sgt. MacNamara, Plt Off. Travis, Fg Off. Tayler DFC, Sgt. Henigman, Plt Off. Earngey Sgt. Goodman. The missing crew member from this line-up was Flt Lt. Spry.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 23.59 hrs from RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire to bomb the city of Emden. A force of 233 taking part in the largest operation on this target for 7 months.

124 wellingtons, 40 Stirlings, 27 Halifaxes, 20 Lancasters, 15 Hampdens and 7 Manchesters making upi the bombers. Reports were made that the bombing had been accurate with proof from later reconnaissance photographs. 300 houses were destroyed, 200 seriously damaged. Casualties on the ground amounted to 17 killed with 49 injured. Some damage also reported in the docks area.The allies lost 11 aircraft with 45 crew members losing their lives, with a further 14 became PoWs.

Stirling W7471 was intercepted by Oblt. Ludwig Becker from 6./NJG2, his 21st Abschuss of the war (his second of three this night). The Stirling was shot down at 3.600 mtrs. coming down between Blija and Holwerd at 01.08 hrs.

Oblt. Ludwig Becker with a total of 44 victories by the time he was missing in action after combat with US aircraft on the 27/28th February 1943 north of Schiermonnikoog

(1) Flt Lt. Spry and Flt. Lt. Tayler were captured on the 6th [sic] and 7th June respectively and after the statutory visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel they were transferred to Stalag Luft 3 arriving there on the 16th June 1942.

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. He was amongst the PoW’s who 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.

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. He was amongst the PoWs from the North, East and a number of West Compound PoWs who, on the 27th January 1945, were sent to Marlag und Milag Nord at Westertimke.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager (Naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men, including Flt Lt. Tayler DFC and Flt Lt. Spry, and marched them out, heading east. The next day, at around at 10:00 hrs the column was strafed by RAF aircraft, and two PoWs were killed.

Over the next few days the column was attacked from the air several times. Finally the Senior British Naval Officer (SBNO), who was later killed in a strafing attack by RAF aircraft, offered the Germans the PoW’s parole, in return for being allowed to rest during the day and march at night. The Germans agreed.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag-Milag moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division.

The next day, the 28th April, the column finally arrived at Lübeck on the Baltic coast. They were liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on the 1st May 1945. Both Airmen were interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Norman Leslie Tayler was born on the 12th February 1914 in Hornsea, West Yorkshire, He enlisted in the Regular RAF on the 3rd September 1930. Norman Leslie Tayler passed away in February 1993.

Harry Douglas Spry was born on the 19th November 1911. He was a Printer by trade in Salford prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 15th March 1940. Harry Douglas Spry passed away in 1978.

The DFC was awarded to 565003 WO. Tayler whilst with 7 Sqn. London Gazette 9th January 1942.

Citation: ‘One day in December, 1941, a strong force of bomber aircraft carried out a determined attack on the German warships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst at Brest. The operation was carried out in the face of extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire and determined attacks by enemy fighters. Nevertheless the air crews engaged pressed home their attacks to the utmost and-succeeded in scoring hits on their objectives. Several enemy aircraft were shot down. The success of the operation, which demanded the highest degree of skill and courage, reflects the greatest credit on the efforts of the following officers and airmen who participated in various capacities as leaders and members of aircraft crews’.

WO. Tayler was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off. on the 6th February 1942 and to Fg Off. on the 1st October 1942.

(2) WO2. Henigman was captured near Groningen on the 7th June and after the statutory visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel he was transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan arriving there on the 17th June 1942. On the 12th June 1943 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug arriving there the next day.

He spent 4 weeks in a camp hospital, either at Stalag Luft 3 or Stalag Luft 6 after an operation for an intestinal obstruction.

In July 1944 Stalag Luft 6 was evacuated in the face of the Russian Army advances into the Baltic states from the north and east. He was with the compounds that were transported to Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn, arriving there on the 16th July 1944. The camp was then moved in September 1944 to Fallingbostel as it was commonly called, however, it was officially designated as Stalag 357 Oerbke.

On the 7th April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann, that the 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

On reaching the village of Gresse, 15 km NE of Lauenburg, at around 10:30 hrs on the 19th April 1945, 7 RAF Typhoons, the 8th aircraft (Some reports stated 6 Typhoons) wheeled away at the last moment, opened fire with rockets and bombs on the PoW column as they walked along a narrow country road amidst open fields. They were mistakenly identified as retreating columns of German troops. Upwards of 60 Allied PoW’s were killed, although only 42 have been identified, and many were wounded.

35 died on the 19th April either directly or later that day of their wounds. 7 others died of their wounds between the 20th April and the 30th April. Of the total known Allied deaths 14 were Army soldiers from the Commonwealth and South Africa. 1 unnamed American was amongst the dead.

WO2. Henigman and three other PoWs, all Warrant Officers (WO) decided that it would be safer for 4 PoWs on the road and took the opportunity to break off from the main column and continue to head northwards toward Lübeck in the hope to make it to Denmark. One of his fellow WOs had friends living there. For the next 24 hrs, although they met numerous German civilians, Wehrmacht soldiers and units, none showed any hostility and aided them with food and directions. It was not until they tried to secure overnight lodgings that they encountered a Wehrmacht Medical Officer (MO) who returned them to the main column.

It is believed that the PoWs were liberated by British units around the end of April 1945 near Lübeck. WO2 Henigman was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Clarence Francis Henigman was born on the 31st January 1920. He was a student in Victoria, British Columbia prior to enlisting in the RCAF on the 21st August 1940. He passed away on the 22nd April 1994.

(3) Sgt. Sidney John McNamara - Born on the 20th April 1920 - passed away 24th January 1978.

(4) Plt Off. Ted Earngey was captured on the 6th June 1942 in Blita, Holland and was not injured. After the statuary visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel he was transferred to Stalag Luft 3 arriving there on the 16th June 1942.

He had a role in the planning and implementation of the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft 3. Many of the smaller tools used in the escape preparation were kept concealed in the library in Block 110 in books, whose insides had been carefully cut out to fit implements by Block 110’s Ted Earney, who was the block’s "Little S".

Each "Little S" was responsible for organising security around his block and recruiting stooges who would mount a round-the-clock watch on guards and 'ferrets'.

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 then Flt Lt. Ted Earngey was amongst the PoW’s who 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.

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. He was with the last of the PoWs from the West Compound who were sent to Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde arriving there on the 4th February 1945.

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. He was eventually evacuated on the 20th May and was interviewed on the 24th May 1945.

Edward Joseph 'Ted’ Earngey was born on the 19th July 1914 in Sydney. Prior to enlisting in the RAAF on the 14th October 1940 he was an accountant in Sydney.

(5) William Goodman's daughter takes up his story:

After skulking around for a while they eventually made contact with men who tried to help them evade capture - but, unfortunately, their movements around the village/town had been spotted and they had to allow themselves to be captured.

After some questioning at Leeuwarden Luftwaffe Fighter Base they were taken to the Dulag and onto Stalag Luft 3 and over the next few years dad was moved to other camps at Heydekrug, Thorn and Fallingbostel... and then came a long march! at one point being ‘strafed’ by an RAF Typhoon... and although he was unhurt there were a number of deaths of his fellow prisoners. He was lucky in that he’d dived into a ditch behind the bole of a tree and this saved him from harm.

Eventually, he got back to England in a Dakota and ended up at RAF Weeton, just outside Blackpool. He was there until he was de-mobbed on 1st Jan 1948 - the day on which he married my mother, Eileen.

Above: Sgt. 'Bill' William Edward Goodman (courtesy Gill Chesney-Green)

He used to fly home to England every year - but the final occasion was in 1997 when he had another heart attack at the wheel of his car. He was given first-aid by one of his former cadet officers (having trained him in Longsight) and after a worrying three days in a coma he came round – apparently no worse for wear!

He wasn’t able to return to Australia because of his medical condition and so lived out his remaining life enjoying a full social life attending RAFA and various other functions – and writing his memoirs – until his death in 2002.

I believe that he wanted his family to know of his life, but when I found and read them I eventually realised that the account of his wartime experiences were too interesting to be kept just for his family!

So the sections of the book relating to the war entitled – ‘Of Stirlings and Stalags: an air-gunner’s tale’ and had them published as a permanent memorial to him, and to all the brave young men who fought (and, too often, died) in the defence of King and Country.

William Edward Goodman was born in Maidstone, Kenton the 26th April 1922 . He was the older child of Arthur and Lavinia Goodman

His childhood was happy and spent in both Carlisle (where his father was sent to run a shoe shop for GW Morton) and later, as a teenager in 1939 at the age of 17, back in Maidstone as his father was posted back again.

After leaving school he got “a job with a wholesale firm of radio, electrical, cycle and motor factors named H.E. Kettle Ltd, with a retail side with shops throughout Kent, Sussex, Surrey and south London under the name CycoRado. My position was accounts clerk and my own responsibility was keeping books relating to all purchases, their costs and payment to obtain maximum discounts for prompt payment, which was usual then.”

Above: Sgt. 'Bill' W.E. Goodman his parents, Lavinia and Arthur.

However, a few months after he turned 18 he decided that he wanted to ‘do his bit’ for the country and went off to Aircrew Selection Centre at RAF Uxbridge joining the RAF. His training took him to Blackpool, Lossiemouth, wireless training in Blackpool again, then to RAF Yatesbury for further wireless training, Bircham Newton in Norfolk, gunnery school at Stormy Down, South Wales and finally, back to Lossiemouth for final training and crewing up.

William Edward 'Bill' Goodman passed away on the 14th June 2002

(6) Plt Off. Travis was captured near Leeuwarden the same day. After the statuary visit to Dulag Luft, Oberursel he was transferred to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan arriving there on the 16th June 1942.

Plt Off. Travis was the head of the engineering department that provided a variety of tools for constructing the tunnels for the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft 3. Because of his mining background he was a genius at improvising digging tools. He also devised a little portable stove and metal water bottles for the escapees. He made a little printing press and stamps for the forgery department.

He had initially joined the tunnelling team for a while but he suffered badly from claustrophobia since he had once been trapped 1200 metres down a Gold mine by a fall of rock.

Due to his claustrophobia he was not one of the 200 PoWs selected to escape.

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. He was amongst the PoW’s who 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.

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. He was amongst the PoWs from the North, East and a number of West Compound PoWs who, on the 27th January 1945, were sent to Marlag und Milag Nord at Westertimke.

Marlag is an acronym for Marinelager (naval prisoner of war camp), Milag is short for Marine-Internierten-Lager (Naval internment camp), and Nord is German for ‘north’.

On the 2nd April 1945 the Commandant announced that he had received orders to leave the camp with most of his guards, leaving only a small detachment behind to hand over the camp to Allied forces, who were already in Bremen.

However, that afternoon a detachment of over a hundred SS-Feldgendarmerie entered the camp, mustered over 3,000 men, and marched them out, heading east. Many prisoners avoided the forced-march by hiding in the camp or in the surrounding woods. The then Flt Lt. Travis was one those who avoided the forced-march.

On the 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag-Milag moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April 1945.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division.

Flt Lt. Travis was interviewed on the 4th May 1945.

Frank St. John Travis was born on the 24th September 1915 in Rhodesia. He was a Gold Mining Engineer prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 10th August 1940. Frank St. John Travis passed away in 1978.

(7) WO. Arnold DFM was captured on the 7th June in Utrecht. The Dutch family he contacted were reluctant to help him and handed him over to the Germans.

Note: his PoW questionnaire does not provide any dates for his various moves to PoW camps. It is there assumed that his transferred followed the general timings for the various evacuations.

After the statutory visit to Stalag Dulag, Oberursel he was transported to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan. Whilst here he was a member of the informally termed the 'Tally ho Club' and was involved in unsuccessful tunnelling escape attempts prior to the "Great Escape".

He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug. Whilst here he attempted to bribe a lorry driver with cigarettes in an attempt to escape but that failed.

In July 1944 Stalag Luft 6 was evacuated in the face of the Russian Army advances into the Baltic states from the north and east. He was with the compounds that were transported to Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn, arriving there on the 16th July 1944. The camp was then moved in September 1944 to Fallingbostel as it was commonly called, however, it was officially designated as Stalag 357 Oerbke.

In early April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. The men marched from the camp in columns of 2,000.

However, it is not known if he was on this forced-march and may have remained at the camp which was liberated on the 16th April 1945 by British troops from B Squadron 11th Hussars and the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. They were met at the main gate of Stalag 357 by a guard of Airborne troops, impeccably attired and led by RSM Lord. He was interviewed on the 11th May 1945.

John Henry Arnold was born on the 26th June 1911. He was a transport driver in Cardiff prior to enlisting in the in the RAFVR on the 26th June 1940. He passed away in 1993.

The DFM was awarded to 934366 Sgt. Arnold whilst with 7 Sqn. London Gazette 17th April 1942

Citation: ‘934266 Sergeant John Henry ARNOLD, No. 7 Squadron. On the night of 28th March, 1942, this airman was the rear gunner of an aircraft which took part in an attack on Lubeck. During the return journey, whilst over the Heligoland Bight, the aircraft was intercepted by an enemy fighter. Sergeant Arnold gave skilful evading directions which enabled his captain to out-manoeuvre the enemy pilot. Sergeant Arnold was thus able to deliver an accurate burst of fire, causing the enemy aircraft to break away and dive towards the sea, with both engines on fire. By his courage and fine shooting, this airman contributed materially to the safe return of his aircraft’.

Burial details:

None - against all odds the crew survived the war

The majority of this research has been carried out by Bill Goodman - his daughter, Gill Chesney-Green, has sent it to us so his story and that of his crew can be told. Thanks to Gill Chesney-Green for the crew photograph (Apr 2024). Other updates and new information by Aircrew Remembered (Apr 2024).

Oher Sources listed below:

Other information on this loss is held in our archives but we feel that we should withhold it to allow readers to purchase a copy of his memoirs. Also available as an 'E Book.'

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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