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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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525 squadron badge
30.01.1946 No. 525 Squadron DC-3 Dakota KN500 Fl/L. Shephard DFC

Operation: Returning to England from North Africa.

Date: 30th January 1946. At around 18:15 hrs (1)

Unit: No. 525 Squadron RAF (Transport Command) (+ crews from 187 squadron - we understand that they are either about to transfer to 525 squadron or were attached)

Type: DC-3 Dakota.

Serial: KN500.

Coded: WF- ?

Location: 7 miles South of Le Mans, France.

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Harry Raymond Shephard DFC. 106979 RAFVR Age 23. Killed.

Co/Pilot: Fl/Lt. Stephen Maurice Tugwell 158016 RAFVR Age 25. Killed.

Navigator: F/O. James Stephen 181480 RAFVR Age 25. Killed.

Passengers:
W/Op/A/GNR: W/O. Joseoh Edmund Edwards. 1425499 RAFVR Age 23. Killed.
Pilot: F/O. Victor Albert Bain. 196750 RAFVR Age 27. Killed.
W/Op: Fl/Sgt. Eric Edward Bartlett. 1851891 RAFVR Age 20. Killed.
Navigator: F/O. Norman Leslie Brown. 184107 RAFVR Age 25. Killed.
Navigator: Fl/Lt. Lancelot Benjamin Albert Elias. DFC 134167 RAFVR Age 24. Killed.
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Victor Frank Funnell. 89804 RAFVR Age 31. Killed.
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Thomas Knowles. 141092 RAFVR Age 24. Killed.
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Arthur William Atkinson Scott. 154713 RAFVR Age 22. Killed.

REASON FOR LOSS:

This aircraft crashed in a storm after entering cloud 7 miles south of Le Mans, returning to its base at Membury, Berkshire, on a flight from North Africa. There were eleven airmen on board all from 525 squadron, 6 pilots, 3 navigators, and 2 W/Op/Air/Gnr's, all were tragically killed.

Above as described



The splendid memorial placed to the crew and passengers

Graves 1946 and today

The selection above and below show the original funeral service and also some of the memorial service held on the 3rd May 2008 to the crew and passengers of this tragic accident.

(1) Although this loss occurred post war - many of this crew had distinguished war service we decided to place a special "Honour Page" to them. (We are adding further material for post war air accidents as and when researched or contacted by relatives)

BURIAL DETAILS:

All those killed were buried at Le Grand-Luce War Cemetery, France. (Row C is the back row on the right in the photo "graves 1994")

F/O. Victor Albert Bain. Row C. Grave 11. Son of George William and Elenora Emily Bain, husband of Bessie Bain, of 20 College Road, Brighton, Sussex, England. Grave inscription reads: "God Takes Our Loved Ones From Our Homes But Never From Our Hearts".

Fl/Sgt. Eric Edward Bartlett. Row C. Grave 2. Son of William John and Bertha Gwendoline Bartlett, of Upper Parkstone, Dorsetshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "Till We Meet At The Golden Gates. R.I.P"

F/O. Norman Leslie Brown. Row C. Grave 9. Son of Sidney and Edith Brown, of Walthamstow, Essex, husband of Mary Jane Brown. of Walthamstow, London, England. Grave inscription reads: "In Everloving Memory Of My Dear Husband. Time Passes But Memories Linger".

W/O. Joseoh Edmund Edwards. Row C. Grave 7. Son of Joseph John and Gertrude Alice Edwards, of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. Grave inscription reads: "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Him"

Fl/Lt. Lancelot Benjamin Albert Elias. Row C. Grave 4. Son of Trevor William and Eleanor Maud Elias, of Hereford, England. In November 2014 we were contacted by a Mrs Claire Morgan-Jones, who advised us that he attended Hereford Cathedral School. Hoping to receive additional information. Grave inscription reads: "A Devoted Son. A Precious Memory".

Fl/Lt. Victor Frank Funnell. Row C. Grave 5. Son of Thomas Henry and Kate Elizabeth Funnell, of East Sheen, Surrey, England, husband of Winifred Madge Funnell. Grave inscription reads: "Not Just To-Day But Every Day We Lovingly Remember Him. Wife, Mother And Dad"

Fl/Lt. Thomas Knowles. Row C. Grave 1. Son of Thomas Hugill and Constance May Knowles, of Old Trafford, Manchester, England, husband of Margaret Eve Knowles. Grave inscription reads: "No Saint Or King Hath Tomb So Proud As He Whose Uniform Becomes His Shroud".

Fl/Lt. Arthur William Atkinson Scott. Row C. Grave 10. Son of Arthur and Lilian Scott, of Folkestone, England. Grave inscription reads: "Treasured Memories Of Our Dearly Loved Only Son. Mother & Dad, Folkestone, England"

Fl/Lt. Harry Raymond Shephard DFC. Row C. Grave 3. Son of Herbert and Gladys Ethel Shephard, of Tring, Hertfordshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Them".

F/O. James Stephen. Row C. Grave 8. Son of Thomas and Annie Lavery Stephen of Glasgow; husband of Eliza Gillette Stephen, of Glasgow, Scotland. Grave inscription reads: "He Left Lovely Memories".

Fl/Lt. Stephen Maurice Tugwell. Row C. Grave 6. Son of Ernest and Eva Tugwell, of Cardiff, husband of Mary Elizabeth Tugwell, of Alberton, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Grave inscription reads: "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Him".

We appreciate the great assistance of Colin Bain, son of Victor Bain, for supplying us with a great deal of information and photographs. If any other relative of the crew members would like to contact us and supply information to this loss we would greatly appreciate it. In July, 2013 we were then contacted by the nephew, Mr Bill Green of the navigator

On the 3rd May 2008 a memorial service was held in memory of this tragic loss. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Gerard Chartier for the photographs used regarding this.

Some amazing photographs have recently been sent to Aircrew Remembered and we are extremely pleased to be able to co-operate with Colin Bain (Son of Victor Bain) and also some superb French Researchers including a Mr. Gérard Chartier. These people donate hours and hours of their time (and indeed money) to assist in the memory of fallen aircrew.

The last picture on this page shows Colin at his father's grave in 1994.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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