Operation: Laon, France

Date:19th May 1940 (Sunday)

Unit No: 142 Squadron, Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF), Bomber Command

Type: Fairey Battle I

Serial: K7696

Code: QT:I

Base: Faux-Villecerf, France

Location: near Bosmont-sur-Serre, east of Marle France

Pilot: Plt Off. Howard Hamilton ‘Squizzy’ Taylor 36153 RAF Age 21. PoW No. 584 * (1)

Obs: Sgt. Stanley Lang MiD, 561779 RAF Age 29. PoW No. 2692 ** (2)

Air Gnr: LAC. Herbert Long 615961 RAF Age 20. PoW No. 2665 ** (3)

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

** Stalag 8B (renamed Stalag 344 in 1943), Lamsdorf, now called Łambinowice in Silesia.

Above left Plt Off. Taylor and right as a PoW (Courtesy of his family)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Note: This aircraft, previously coded QT:M, having only returned to the Sqn seven (7) days earlier following repair by No.1 Service and Repair Sqn after damage suffered in an unrecorded night-landing accident at Berry-au-Bac on the 5th or 6th March 1940.

Three (3) aircraft took-off from Faux-Villecerf to attack targets west of Laon but all failed to return. K7696 was brought down by ground fire and belly-landed near Bosmont-sur-Serre, east of Marle at 10:45 hrs. All the crew taken PoW.

Short video describing the crew and the loss of Battle I K7696 QT:I (Courtesy of Tom Bowen, Michael Beckers and Pieter Schlebaum)

The other two (2) were:

Battle I L5226 - flown by Sgt. A.J. Godsell, shot down by ground fire. Sgt. Alfred James Godsell 518290 RAF (PoW No: 13109, Stalag 357). Flt Sgt. Barnett Alexander Hopgood 523148 (PoW No: 13089, Stalag 357). LAC. William Donald Boyle 618097 RAF was KiA;

Battle I P5238 - flown by Sgt. George Ebert, hit by ground fire and crash-landed. Sgt. Ebert and LAC. R.J. Utteridge were safe. Sgt. Tom Jones 561183 RAF was injured and died later that day.

Flt Lt. George Henry Ebert DFC, 49993 RAF was later KiA on an operation to Stettin when his 207 Sqn Lancaster I ED586 EM:F crashed in the target area on the night of the 5th/6th January 1944 (8 KiA);

LAC. Robert James Utteridge DFM, 536916 became a PoW (No. 741, Stalag Luft 6) on an operation to Rouen when his 142 Sqn Battle I L5474 was crash-landed on the 13th June 1940 (2 safe, 1 PoW).

(1) Plt Off. Taylor was captured that day and transported to Oflag 9A/H, Schloss Spangenberg ("Spangenberg Castle")in the small town of Spangenberg in NE Hesse, Prussia. He remained until February 1941 when the camp was closed and transferred to Stalag 20A in Thorn (Toruń), Poland until June 1941.

He was then transferred back to Oflag 9A/H, Schloss Spangenberg when it reopened. Three (3) months later in August 1941 he was transferred to Oflag 6B, SW of the village of Dössel (now part of Warburg) in NW Germany.

In September 1942 he was transferred to Oflag 21B in Szubina few miles SW of Bydgoszcz, Poland. In April 1943 the camp was cleared of all PoWs who were sent to Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan-Silesia, Germany.

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.

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. On the 2nd February he was amongst the North, East and remaining West compound PoWs who 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 which included Flt Lt. Taylor 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 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. Flt Lt. Taylor was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Howard Hamilton Taylor was born on 29th August 1918 in Nedlands, Perth, Western Australia.

He enlisted in the RAAF on the 21st August 1938 and was then transferred to the RAF on the 25th July 1938.

He was promoted to Fg Off. effective 23rd May 1940 (London Gazette 28th February 1941) and to Flt Lt. effective 23rd May 1941 (London Gazette 4th July 1941).

On the 23rd August 1943 he was relinquished his RAF commission on appointment to the RAAF as a Flt Lt., Service No: 297495 (London Gazette 5th October 1945).

He was repatriated to Australia on the 22nd November 1945.

Awarded the 1939-45 Star, War Medal 1939-45, Australian Service Medal 1939-45 and Returned from Active Service Badge.

His appointment with the RAAF was terminated on the 20th February 1946.

Howard passed away on the 19th Jul 1919 in Northcliffe, Western Australia.

(2) Sgt. Lang was captured in the Hirson district, France on the 19th May 1940. He was held at Stalag 21B/21D, Schubin (Szubin) near Posen in Poland from July 1940. In September 1940 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 1, Barth-Vogelsang. In September 1941 he was transferred to Stalag 8B, Lamsdorf.

In May 1942 during his transfer from Stalag 8B, Lamsdorf to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, he escaped along with WO. Hall 564838 by climbing out of the cattle truck. They were recaptured 36 hrs later by the German Civil Police.

Flt Sgt. Edgar Louis Graham Hall MBE(M), 564838 (PoW No. 13116) was the pilot of 102 Sqn, Whitley V N1376 DY:O which was hit by Flak on an operation to Gelsenkirchen on the night of the 19th/20th May 1940. (5 PoWs). WO. Hall was awarded the MBE(M) for his activities while being a PoW.

In April 1943 he was transferred as a Warrant Officer (WO) to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland which was then a Stalag Luft for enlisted men when British and Canadian NCOs (non-commissioned officers) arrived.

In early 1944 the Russian Army were advancing into the Baltic States from the North and the East preparation for evacuating the camp was being made he was amongst the PoWs who were transferred to Stalag 357, Fallingbostel.

On the 19th April 1944 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.

During the evacuation from Stalag 357 he and WO. Hall escaped from the column. They hid in woods for six (6) days but were recaptured by a German Army Unit whilst attempting to obtain food. It appears that they were returned to Stalag 357.

The camp 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. WO. Lang was interviewed on the 21st April 1945.

Stanley Lang was born on the 26th February 1911 in New Malden, Surrey, England. He enlisted in the regular RAF on the 30th June 1927.

LAC. Lang was Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) which was promulgated in the London Gazette on the 18th February 1938. Awarded for distinguished services rendered in connection with the operations in Waziristan, North West Frontier of India between 25th November 1936 and 16th January 1937.

WO. Lang was appointed to a commission and promoted to 58642 Fg Off. with effect 14th November 1946 in the Equipment Branch. (London Gazette 14th February 1947).

Fg Off. Lang, at his own request, retired from the RAF retaining the rank of Flt Lt. on the 7th April 1948 (London Gazette 13th April 1948).

He was then appointed to a commission as a Fg Off. (Permanent) with the same Service No. in the Equipment Branch on the 14th January 1949 (London Gazette 10th May 1949). On the 22nd February 1951 he was promoted to Flt Lt. (London Gazette 23rd February 1951). Flt Lt. Lang retired for the second time on the 31st March 1957 retaining the rank of Sqn Ldr. (London Gazette 26th April 1957).

Stanley Lang passed away in the 3rd Qtr of 1998 in Southampton, Hampshire.

(3) LAC. Long was captured in the Hirson district, France on the 19th May 1940. He was held at Stalag 21B/21D, Schubin (Szubin) near Posen in Poland from June 1940. From his arrival to June 1941 he was detailed for work parties in Posen.

In May 1942 he was transferred to the newly opened Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan, Lower Silesia. In July 1943 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 6 in Heydekrug, Memelland as a Warrant Officer (WO).

In early 1944 the Russian Army were advancing into the Baltic States from the North and the East preparation for evacuating the camp was being made. PoWs from Stalag Luft 6, the camp closest to the Russian advance, were in the "northern route" of the force-marches, and were transported to Stalag 20A by train in July 1944, and from there took part in the forced-march.

It was estimated that 100,000 PoWs took the northern route. It went to Stalag Luft 4 at Groß-Tychow, Pomerania then via Stettin to Stalag 9B and Stalag 357 at Fallingbostel.

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.

He was amongst the PoWs who were forced-marched from here at the end of the war towards Lübeck. After ten (10) days they arrived at Gresse, east of the Elbe. There they were issued with Red Cross parcels, but were then unfortunately strafed by British Typhoonfighter-bombers, mistaking them for German troops. Sixty (60) PoW were killed and many wounded.

WO. Lang escaped from the marching column with WO. Cross, WO. Perritt and Sgt. Parker by hiding out at Gresse on the 20th April 1945. They were recaptured at Greese when foraging for water by German troops.

Sgt. Albert Cross 534022 RAFVR (PoW No. 179, Stalag 357) was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner from 44 Sqn Hampden I P4375 which collided with a barrage ballon cable over Hamburg on the 28th/29th July 1940 (1 KiA,3 PoW);

Sgt. Douglas John Perritt 543189 RAFVR (PoW No. 284, Stalag 357) was the Air Gunner from 144 Sqn, Hampden I P4291 lost on an operation to Merseburg on the night of the 16th/17th August 1940 (2 KiA, 2 PoW);

Sgt. Percy Stephen Parker 366176 RAFVR (PoW No. 91593, Stalag 357). He was captured on the 24th November 1940. No further information found.

WO. ‘Dixie’ Deans confronted OberstOstmann and bluntly gave him a choice, to be captured to the Russians or the British. Ostman provided WO. Deans with a pass and a German guard, and they headed west to contact the advancing British troops. On the 1st May WO. Deans and his guard were sheltering in a house east of Lauenbergwhen they heard over the radio the news of the death of Adolf Hitler. The next morning the house was overrun by troops of the British 6th Airborne. WO. Deans was taken to the commander of VIII Corpsand explained the situation. He was given a captured Mercedes car and drove back to Gresse. Two days later the PoW column marched back across the British lines. WO. Lang was interviewed on the 3rd May 1945.

Herbert Long was born on the 7th January 1920 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. He was a Telephone Worker in Nottingham prior to enlisting in the regular RAF in July 1938. Herbert passed away in the 4th Qtr of 1977 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire.

Burial details:

None - crew survived.

Researcher Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered. Photographs from the Michel Beckers collection (Nov 2016). Thanks to Tom Bowen, Michael Beckers and Pieter Schlebaum for the video, also to the relatives of Flt Lt. Taylor for his photographs. The report has been extensively researched again by Aircrew Remembered and updated with new information (Jul 2025)

Other sources listed below:

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