Operation: Gardening (Artichoke)

Date: 4th February 1941 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 106 Squadron

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AD750

Code: ZN:?

Base: RAF Finningley, Yorkshire

Location: Pont St Martin, Nr. Nantes, Loire

Pilot: Fg Off. William Kelman Burr Thomas 72251 RAF Age 26. KiA

Observer: Plt Off. George Harold Frederick Inniss 43036 RAF Age 24. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Arnold Colson 553425 RAF Age 18. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Jack Lewis Franco 652586 RAF Age 24. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the evening of 4th February 1941, Hampden AD750 ZN:? of 106 Squadron with a crew of four took off from RAF Finningley, at 17.30 hrs to take part in a mining laying operation off the port of St Nazaire, Loire, France.

The Hampden crashed later that day close to the small town of Pont St Martin, near Nantes, Loire. As a result of the excavations done to retrieve parts of the bomber it appears that the plane came down nose first killing all the crew. The body of Sgt. Franco was found some 100 metres away from the crash. Bernard Poisson, then aged 16, together with friends buried the bodies of the crew in shallow graves close to the site with the Germans stationed close by.

Above left to right: Fg Off. Thomas, Plt Off. Inniss (Courtesy of Peter Burton) and Sgt. Colson

Fg Off. Thomas had an escape earlier on the 29th November 1940. Again whilst serving with 106 Squadron on a training exercise out of Bodney. Took off at 17.20 hrs in a Hampden I L4183 ZN:P. swung during take off on a night flying exercise and crashed into the bomb-dump area, all crew escaped injuries it is understood.

They are all now buried in the cemetery at Pont du Cens, Nantes, alongside the crew of Wellington R1374 (also listed on this website).

Burial Details:

Fg Off. William Kelman Burr Thomas. Nantes (Point-du-Cens) Communal Cemetery. Plot L. Row A. Joint grave 16. Born in April 1914 in Oban the son of Alfred Ernest Thomas and Christina M.S. Burr. Christina was born in Linlithgow but Alfred was born in Merthyr Tydfil.

Kelman went to University in Scotland and got a degree in modern languages. Spoke fluent French and German. The archives in Pont St Martin contain photographs of the parents of Flying Officer Thomas visiting his grave in 1946. One of the photos includes the young Father Bernard Poisson. A jersey was removed from the wreckage of the plane and kept safe and was shown to Kelman’s parents and his mother identified it as one she had knitted for him herself.

Plt Off. George Harold Frederick Inniss. Nantes (Point-du-Cens) Communal Cemetery. Plot L. Row A. Grave 15. Inscription: 'UNKNOWN, UNHERALDED, HE WENT WITH JUST ONE THOUGHT, THE DUTY TO BE DONE'. Born on the 31st May 1916 in Barbados, the son of Charles H. Inniss and Caroline Inniss.

He was an Arts Graduate of Durham University

Sgt. Frederick Arnold Colson. Nantes (Point-du-Cens) Communal Cemetery. Plot L. Row A. Joint grave 16. Born in 1923, the son of Frederick and Ada Colson and again traced through genealogy websites. Born in Norwich, Norfolk.

He was actually 18 years old when he died. He had put his age up to join the RAF.

Sgt. Jack Lewis Franco. Nantes (Point-du-Cens) Communal Cemetery. Plot L. Row A. Grave 14. Born 1917 was the son of Emile Franco and Ada Lee.

Finding relatives of Sgt Franco was proving very difficult. It was discovered from passenger lists that he travelled to and from South Africa before the war and there was something found on his body, of which we are unaware, which suggested that he came from Cape Town, but unfortunately in spite of a great deal of research no relatives were found.

Researched by Pat Harris. With the search for relatives of this crew undertaken by Jonathan Ives for Aircrew Remembered. Thanks to Peter Burton for the new image of Plt Off. Inniss (May 2023).

Other sources listed below:

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