Operation: Le Mans, France

Date: 13th/14th March 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 78 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LW517

Code: EY:Y

Base: RAF Breighton, Yorkshire

Location: Target area

Pilot: Plt Off. Kenneth Fred Withers 406893 RAAF Age 24. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Andrew Currie 1566601 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Sgt. Arthur Alec Jeffries 1557416 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No: 3782 * (1)

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. George Tipping 1437929 RAFVR Age 21. PoW No: 3461 * (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Ernest Buckland 1314518 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Allan Cantle-Jones 1387255 RAFVR Age 23. KiA (3)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Douglas William McMillan DFM, 1672812 RAFVR Age 26. KiA (4)

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

Above: Plt Off. Kenneth F. Withers (from his Service Record), Sgt. Andrew Currie (Courtesy of Bernard Currie)

It is hoped to place a memorial to this crew in May 2020 relatives are invited to contact us for further information.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Breighton in Yorkshire at 22:41 hrs to bomb the railway facilities at Le Mans. The idea was to try and cripple the rail networks in the occupied countries. The operation part of the "Transportation Plan" was listed as a success with the station hit, rail lines cut and two factories severely damaged. Sadly local French civilians were among the many casualties this night.

LW517 was hit by Flak whilst flying at 14,000 ft and crashed in the area of Le Mans.

(1) Sgt. Jeffries was injured either aboard the aircraft or in baling out of the aircraft. He was captured that day and admitted to a Hospital in Le Mans where he remained until the 22nd March. He was then transferred to a Hospital in Paris for further treatment and remained there until the 6th May 1944.

He was then transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel for the statutory solitary confinement and interrogation. He was then transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug in Memelland arriving there on the 19th May 1944.

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, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland.

On the 1st September 1944 the PoWs were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) in Poland to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B. The camp was commonly known as Stalag 357, Fallingbostal but officially the designation was 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. 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. ‘Dixie’ Deans confronted OberstOstmann and bluntly gave him a choice, to be captured to the Russians or the British. Ostmann 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.

The then Flt Sgt. Jeffries was interviewed on the 9th May 1945

Arthur Alec Jeffries was born on the 21st June 1921 Darlington, County Durham. He was employed as a Clerk in Local Government in Darlington, County Durham, prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 2nd October 1941. Arthur passed away ion the 13th November 1982 after a long illness in Darlington, County Durham.

(2) Sgt. Tipping evaded capture for two days before being apprehended in Bourgueil some 78 km (48½ mls) due south of Le Mans

He was interrogated by the Gestapo in Tours and then Angers before being transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel. In April he was then transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug in Memelland.

His journey to Stalag 357, Oerbke after leaving Stalag Luft 6 was the same as that for Flt Sgt. Jeffries (Ser 1). However it appears that he remained at Stalag 357, 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.

Flt Sgt. Tipping was interviewed on the 29th April 1945.

George Tipping was born on the 9th December 1922 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. He was and Electrical Engineer’s Apprentice prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 11th June 1941. George passed away on the 14th September 1978 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.

(3) The older brother of Sgt. Cantle-Jones, Fg Off. John Cantle-Jones 184201 was killed on the 9th October 1945. He was flying as and air gunner on Stirling IV LJ622 with 1665 HCU when the aircraft stalled and crashed. All six (6) crew were killed as well as the village Postmaster when the aircraft came down in the village of Tockwith, Yorkshire.

Fg Off. John Cantle-Jones. Harrogate cemetery (Stonefall) Sec. G, Row K, Grave 10. Grave inscription: "ALWAYS IN MY HEART, DARLING. GOD BLESS YOU". Husband of Margaret Grace Cantle-Jones, of Kenton, Middlesex, England.

(4) 1672812 Sergeant Douglas William McMiLLAN, RAFVR, 78 Squadron was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) on the 15th February 1944 (London Gazette 11th February 1944)

Citation: “This officer and airman were air bomber and mid-upper gunner -respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack Magdeburg. On the outward flight the aircraft was attacked by a fighter and damage was sustained. In spite of this, the mission was continued and the target was successfully attacked. On the homeward flight, whilst over the North Sea the petrol supply became exhausted and the aircraft had to be brought down on to the sea. This was skilfully accomplished but the violence of the waves broke the aircraft in two and the dinghy drifted away. Undaunted, Flying Officer Marston and Sergeant McMillan discarded most of their equipment, plunged into the water and swam towards the dinghy. They succeeded in reaching it and, although almost exhausted, scrambled aboard. Although numb with cold and greatly fatigued they struggled valiantly against the violent seas to return to the sinking aircraft but their efforts were in vain. In most distressing circumstances this officer and airman displayed great courage and resolution and their conduct was worthy of the highest praise”.

Fg Off. Norman Allan MARSTON 136912, RAFVR, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

Note: Fg Off. Marston was KiA along with his crew on the night of the 24th/25th May 1944 when their 78 Sqn Halifax III LV905 EY:W was shot down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Aachen.

The operation described by the citation above was on the 21st/22nd January 1944 aboard, Halifax LW300 EY:H. Five (5) of the crew were posted MiA and are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.

Burial details:

Plt Off. Kenneth Fred Withers. Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1939-45 Row C, Grave 3. Grave inscription "THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE". Born on the 27th August 1919 in Freemantle. Son of George Frederick and Mary Withers of Kirup Western Australia.

Sgt. Andrew Currie. Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1939-45 Row C. Grave 2. Grave inscription: "HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS". Son of John and Elizabeth Currie of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sgt. Ernest Buckland. Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1939-45 Row B, Grave 24. Grave inscription: "I HAVE SET MY COURSE, I HAVE REACHED MY GOAL, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH". Born in the 4th Qtr of 1923 in Buckinghamshire. Son of Frederick Ernest and Ivy Elizabeth (née Howes) Buckland of Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

Sgt. Allan Cantle-Jones. Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1939-45 Row C, Grave 1. Grave inscription: "BLESSED HOPE, THAT IN JESUS IS GIVEN, I SHALL SEE MY LOVED ALLAN AGAIN". Son of Frank and Bertha Cantle-Jones of Wembley Park, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Douglas William McMillan DFM. Le Mans West Cemetery, Plot 38, 1939-45 Row B, Grave 25. Grave inscription: "A SMILE FOR ALL, A HEART OF GOLD, ONE OF THE BEST THIS WORLD DID HOLD". Son of Douglas and Mary McMillan of St. Boswells, Roxburghshire, England.

Researched by Kelvin Young (Webmaster) and dedicated to the crew and their relatives (Feb 2019). Reviewed and updated by Aircrew Remembered with thank to Bernard Currie for the image of Sgt. Currie (Jan 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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