Operation: SOE, France

Date: 20th/21st September 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit No: 298 (Special Duties) Squadron, ‘A’ Flight, 38 Group

Type: Halifax V

Serial: LL333

Code: 8A:M

Base: RAF Tarrant Rushton, Dorset

Location: Noël-Cereux, France

Pilot: Flt Sgt. K.A. Goldsmith ? RAFVR Age? Evader (1)

Eng: Sgt. Harry Day 1086659 RAFVR Age 24. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Albert Frederick ‘Fred’ Sheffield 144339 RAFVR Age 30. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Frank Anthony Barnes 1323587 RAFVR Age? Evader (2)

WOp/ Air Gnr: Fg Off. Gerald Borkett 158612 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Roy Titman 1877165 RAFVR Age 21. Evader

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft took off from RAF Tarrant Rushton at 18:39 hrs on the 20th September on an SOE sortie codenamed ‘Stockbroker 26A’.

Note: The Sqn Operational Record Book (ORB) details this mission as being undertaken on the 21st September. However, the Escape and Evasion report for Sgt. Roy Titman states that the date was the 20th September. This is borne out by the date of death recorded for the three crew members that perished.

This mission was to drop supplies at the Drop Zone (DZ) located at Lat/Long 47 07 12N, 06 42 13E.

This location is in France about 3 km (1¾ mls) WNW of the frontier with Switzerland and less than 1 km (½ ml) west of Le Barboux.

A report describes that the aircraft flew into high ground at 22:10 hrs, at Noël-Cereux, about 3½ km (2¼ mls) SW of the DZ. However, Sgt. Titlan in his Escape and Evasion report stated that the aircraft-force landed after being hit by Flak.

Sgt. Titlan described the loss of the aircraft and the circumstances of the surviving crew:

“We left RAF Tarrant Rushton in a Halifax aircraft on the 20th September 1944 for Germany [sic] and just before reaching our target were hit by Flak and had to crash-land. We were not carrying bombs but supplies, We came down about 22:00 hrs about 15 miles south of Saint-Hippolyte. The aircraft was completely broken up.

I was in a very dazed condition. After calling to some of my crew, and not receiving any reply, I remained sitting near the aircraft for some time. I saw some lights about 200 yards away, went to the farmhouse showing them and was received in a very friendly manner. After about an hour a car arrived and the farmer and the occupant of the car went to the wrecked aircraft and brought the pilot and bomb aimer back to the house. Both of them were injured. The three of us were all put to bed. We stayed here all night.

The next day, on the 21st September at about 08:00 hrs, a French Padre arrived and showed us on some maps where we were. We were about 6 kms from the Swiss border. He brought two sisters who gave us first aid.

At about 09:00 hrs an American ambulance arrived and took us to No. 514 Dressing Station. The Americans went back for the three members of the crew who were killed. The dressing station was in Saint-Hippolyte itself. We were taken to the US No. 93 Evacuation Hospital where we remained for four days. Here we received thorough medical attention. On the 25th September we were moved to the US 52nd Air Evacuation Hospital, where we remained until the 28th September, when we were flown to Marseille to No. 386 Air Evacuation Hospital.

Here I was separated from the other members of my crew. I was sent to No. 43 Air PoW Hospital near Aix where I remained until the 2nd October, when I was sent via Lyons to Paris and flown to the UK on the 5th October 1944”.

Roy Titlan was born on the 23rd April 1923 in Edmonton, Middlesex. He was a Centre Lathe Turner in Westcliffe, Essex prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 26th June 1943. He died on the 28th June 1993 in Sefton South, Merseyside.

(1) Other than Flt Sgt. Goldsmith being named on the crew complement in the Sqn Operational Record Book (ORB) and that he and this crew arrived from No. 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) on the 21st August 1944, no further information for Flt Sgt. Goldsmith has been found.

(2) Flt Sgt. Barnes was flown back to the UK on the 28th October 1944.

Burial details:

Those that perished were initially buried at the Fuans French Military Cemetery (Doubs) in Graves 8 to 9 respectively.

Above: The Choloy War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Sgt. Harry Day. Choloy War Cemetery 4.C.8. No further information found.

Note: The date of death for Sgt. Day is recorded as the 25th September 1944. An explanation for this has not been found.

Fg Off. Albert Frederick ‘Fred’ Sheffield. Choloy War Cemetery 4.C.9. Grave Inscription: 'THE LOVE THAT NEVER FALTERED, THE LOVE THAT PAID THE PRICE. MAM AND DAD'. Born 3rd Qtr 1914 in Coventry, Warwickshire. Son of Fred and Ellen (née Harris) Sheffield of Coventry, Warwickshire, England.

Fg Off. Gerald Borkett. Choloy War Cemetery 4.C.10. Grave Inscription: ‘WE DIED AND NEVER KNEW, BUT, WELL OR ILL, FREEDOM, WE DIED FOR YOU’. Born 4th Qtr 1920 in Holborn, London. Son of Henry William and Emily Caroline (née Collins) Borkett of Erith, Kent, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Apr 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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