Operation: Saint-Leu-d’Esserent, France

Date: 7th/8th July 1944 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 83 Squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ND966

Code: OL:C

Base: RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Bû (Eure-et-Loir), 12 km (7½ mls) NE of Dreux

Pilot: Fg Off. Frank Griffiths DFC 168661 RAFVR Age 22. KiA (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Clifford Beaty Prophet 1365162 RAFVR Age? KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. William Francis Asker 1389734 RAFVR Age? KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Glynn James Owen Martin 1415676 RAFVR Age 23. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Eric James Davis 1491273 RAFVR Age 21. Id No: 7834 *, PoW No: 8084 ** (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Robert Heslop 547843 RAF Age 25. Evader (3)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Raymond Henry Mellard 1592717 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

* Buchenwald concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimer, Germany in July 1937.

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 7th/8th July 1944 Lancaster III ND966 took off from RAF Coningsby at 22:41 hrs along with 8 other aircraft detailed for operations this night.

The 9 aircraft joined a force comprising 208 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos on a mission to bomb the V-1 (Vergeltungswaffe) flying bomb storage site located in the underground quarry at Saint-Leu-d’Esserent, France.

The site was named by the Germans as the Leopold Low 1106 Feldmulag (Leopold Field Munitions Camp/Depot).

ND966 was the only aircraft from the squadron that failed to return.

Sgt. Heslop reported that before they had reached the target they were hit by Flak. The aircraft was set ablaze from port to starboard and the order to bale out was given at 23:59 hrs because the aircraft was rapidly losing height.

Lancaster III ND966 was claimed by Lt. Erich Jung, his 9th Abschuss and the first of two this night, from 6.NJG2 at Broue, 10 km east of Dreux at 3.600 m. at 01:13 hrs. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 - Theo Boiten)

Oblt. Jung survived the war and was credited with 12 confirmed Abschüsse and 15 unconfirmed. (Nachtjagd Combat Archive - Biographies - Theo Boiten)

The aircraft crashed in the region of Bû (Eure-et-Loir), 12 km (7½ mls) NE of Dreux.

(1) Plt Off. Griffiths was awarded a DFC whilst with 619 Sqn. London Gazette 21st April 1944.

Citation: "This officer was the pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Berlin one night in March, 1944. When nearing the target the aircraft was attacked by a fighter. One engine was put out of action and damage was sustained to the ailerons and the elevators. In spite of this, Pilot Officer Griffiths cleverly manoeuvred to a position from which his rear gunner was enabled to engage the attacker to good effect. Pilot Officer Griffiths then continued to the target which he successfully bombed and afterwards flew the damaged aircraft back to this country. This officer has completed many sorties and has invariably displayed great skill, courage and devotion to duty".

The Combat report for this mission provides further detail of the engagement:

"On the night of the 24th/25th March 1944 , Lancaster Mk III JB131, ’T’ [PG] of 619 Squadron approaching target area at 2220 hours, height 21,000 feet, ind. air-speed 150, heading 160 mag. Visibility good, 5/10th cloud below at 8,000 ft. First indication of E/A was a stream of tracer from below and slightly to port which hit Lancaster ’T’ damaging port elevator and rear turret. R/G saw Ju.88 below and astern at 200 yds., opened fire and ordered pilot to corkscrew to port. E/A continued to fire and score hits on Lancaster ’T’, damaging starboard aileron and starboard outer engine which caught fire and was feathered. During the this attack R/G was firing at point-blank range and saw tracer entering cockpit, engines and wings of Ju.887. E/A ceased fire but R/G continued to fire and E/A fell away below and was lost to sight. R/G fired approx. 800 rounds. Visual Monica gave no indication of presence of A/C.

On landing Lancaster ’T’ was found to have suffered further damage. The port tyre being burst.

E/A is claimed as probably destroyed".

The Nachtjagd Combat Archive (12 May 1944 - 23 July 1944) Part 3 by Theo Boiten records that the Ju88 was probably destroyed, however, no further information has been found in modern day research to identify the aircraft and crew.

The crew for Lancaster III JB131 PG:T on this mission:

Pilot: Plt Off. Frank Griffiths 168661 RAFVR;
Flt Eng: Sgt. Clifford Beaty Prophet 1365162 RAFVR;
Nav: Flt Sgt. William Francis Askew 1389734 RAFVR;
Nav 2: Flt Sgt. James Kitchener Johnson R127811 RCAF;
Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Glynn James Owen Martin 1415676 RAFVR;
WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Eric James Davis 1491273 RAFVR;
Air Gnr(Mid Upp): Sgt Robert Heslop 547853 RAF;
Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. Raymond Henry Mellard 1592717 RAFVR.

Note: WO2. Johnson was KiA on the night of the 18th/19th July 1944 on a mission to Revigny aboard 619 Sqn Lancaster III PB245 (7 KiA). He was posthumously appointed to a commission and promoted to J88546 Plt Off.

(2) The MI9 statement describing how Flt Sgt. Davis initially evaded capture is not currently available. However, what is known about his evasion through France is that he and Fg Off. Frank Salt were hidden by the Wyatt family in Boncourt.

Above. The house belonging to the Wyatt family in Boncourt. (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial)

They were anxious to get to the Allied lines and when they were joined by Flt Sgt. Perry the three decided to leave and attempt to find the Allied lines.

Above: An informal group portrait of members of the French Underground and three Allied airmen after celebrations for Bastille Day the previous day on the 15th July 1944. (Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial).

Left to right, back row: unidentified, Flt Sgt. Eric Davis, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified; Middle row: Noel Wyatt, Fg Off. Frank Salt, Giselle Wyatt, Flt Sgt. Perry; Front row: Mrs Wyatt, unidentified.

Fg Off. Frank Salt 153291 RAFVR was the Navigator from 35 Squadron Lancaster III ND731 shot down on the night of the 5th/6th July 1944;

Flt Sgt. Raymond Walter Perry 415738 RAAF who was the Bomb Aimer from 466 Squadron RAAF, Halifax III LV943 shot down on the night of the 6th/7th May 1944

On the 24th July they started off walking south, intending to be handed on to further members of the organisation, but some dislocation followed and they remained hidden for 8 days in an unused house. Then the Maquis arrived and wanted the house so they moved to the next village and on 2nd August were taken by car to Paris.

On the 7th August a car came to pick them up and take them to an aerodrome but instead they were taken to Gestapo HQ in Paris.

He was then transferred to Fresnes prison which was located to the south of Paris and was where French political prisoners were held and ordinarily Allied airmen, after questioning, were moved to a PoW Camp. In the summer of 1944, with the Allies having liberated Paris and closing in, the Gestapo guards started reducing the prison population by execution, and then relocating surviving prisoners to various concentration camps east of France. On the 15th August 1944 he was amongst 169 Allied PoWs and hundreds of French men and women who were packed into a freight train and transported to Buchenwald concentration camp on a journey lasting five days. Buchenwald was located 8 km (5 mls) north of Weimar, in the German province of Thüringen. It was established and administered by the Schutzstaffel (SS).

Fg Off. Joel Mathews ‘Tex’ Stevenson C27788 RCAF, the pilot of 419 (Moose) Squadron, RCAF Lancaster X KB727 VR:H escaped from the train and successfully evaded.

Sqn Ldr. Lamason and Fg Off. Chapman succeeded in getting all but two of the Allied PoWs transferred to Stalag Luft 3. Two airmen, 1st Lt. Levitt Clinton Beck Jr. O-736945, US AAF and Fg Off. Philip Derek Hemmens, 152583, RAFVR died in the sick barrack.

Recognition:

For decades the International Red Cross (IRC) had stated that there were no military personnel in Buchenwald despite the overwhelming documentary and anecdotal evidence. It was not until 1988 that the IRC eventually confirmed the airmen were illegally held at Buchenwald.

The Australian, New Zealand and Canadian governments also consistently denied that any of their service personnel were ever held in concentration camps and refused to investigate the claims made by a 'mere’ handful of men.

Reparations were made to the British airmen who had been illegally held at Buchenwald in 1965. Eventually in 1988 the Australian, New Zealand and it is believed the Canadian governments acknowledged that their airmen had been illegally held in concentration camps.

American airmen were among those receiving compensation and the US Air force have acknowledged the Buchenwald airmen with an exhibit at the Air Force Museum, albeit the airmen are shown in uniform rather than in civilian attire. Furthermore, there is no mention of decades-long denial of their experiences by other branches of the government.

Flt Sgt. Davis was transferred to the east compound of Stalag Luft 3 over the period 15th to 20th October 1944.

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. WO. Davis joined PoWs from the North, East and remaining West compound PoWs and sent to the Marlag und Milag Nord PoW camp at Westertimke in Lower Saxony arriving there on the 4th February 1945.

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 and marched them out, heading east. The next day, at around 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 9th April 1945 the guards at Marlag und Milag Nord camp moved out and were replaced by older men, presumably local Volkssturm. Meanwhile, the column slowly headed east, finally crossing the River Elbe, north of Hamburg, on the 18th April.

On the 27th April the camps were liberated by elements of the British Guards Armoured Division.

The next day, 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. He was airlifted to the UK by the 15th May 1945.

Eric James Davis was born on the 3rd September 1922 in Dublin South, Ireland. He passed away on in November 1986 in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England.

(2) Sgt. Heslop the Rear Gunner and the Wireless Operator abandoned the aircraft through the rear door. He saw the aircraft explode in a wood whilst descending.

He landed in a field near a small village called Bougainville [Bonneville]. He left his flying kit in a cornfield close to where he had landed and started walking until daybreak. He laid down in a cornfield and slept until later afternoon on the 8th July.

When he awoke it was pouring with rain and found it was impossible to remain in the field, so he started walking again until he came to a small unnamed village. Here he spoke with some local people, explained who he was and asked for help. They pointed to some woods and as headed off in that direction he passed a house where he asked for a drink of water.

The occupants gave him water, a change of civilian clothes and a bed for the night. The next morning, on the 9th July, he left early heading for Paris. Travelling by foot and on a hitched ride on a truck he reached Versailles where he caught a train to Saint-Cloud and spent that night in some bushes by the Seine river.

The next morning, on the 11th July, he walked across Paris, finding his way by using the street maps outside of the Metro stations. It took him 6 hours to get from Saint-Cloud to the address in Paris I had been provided by his helpers in Bougainville [Bonneville].

He remained in Paris until after the liberation on the 7th September, staying at various addresses and being helped by the Free French of the Interior (FFI). He returned to the UK on the 9th September 1944.

Robert Heslop was born on the 29th September 1918. He was employed as a Labourer in Louth, Lincolnshire prior to enlisting in the RAF on the 18th January 1938. Robert Heslop passed away in 2nd Qtr of 1990 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England.

Burial details:

Above: The only 4 Commonwealth Graves in the Broue Communal Cemetery. Left to right: Flt Sgt. William Francis Asker, Flt Sgt. Glynn James Owen Martin, Fg Off. Frank Griffiths DFC, Sgt. Clifford Beaty Prophet, (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Fg Off. Frank Griffiths DFC. Broue Communal Cemetery Coll. Grave. Grave inscription: ‘IN THE MIDST OF LIFE WE ARE IN DEATH. PEACE, PERFECT PEACE’. Son of Thomas and Minnie Griffiths, of Tranmere, Birkenhead, England.

Sgt. Clifford Beaty Prophet. Broue Communal Cemetery Coll. Grave. Next of Kin details not found.

Also remembered Roll of Honour on the Scottish National War memorial

Flt Sgt. William Francis Asker. Broue Communal Cemetery Coll. Grave. Next of Kin details not found.

Flt Sgt. Glynn James Owen Martin. Broue Communal Cemetery Coll. Grave. Born on the 4th May 1921 in Battersea, Wandsworth. Son of James Robert and Ethel (née Hambling) Martin of Battersea, Wandsworth, London, England.

Above: The grave for Sgt. Raymond Henry Mellard is only Commonwealth Grave in the Bû Communal Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC))

Sgt. Raymond Henry Mellard. Bû Communal Cemetery. Grave inscription: ‘SWEET MEMORIES SILENTLY KEPT OF ONE WE LOVED. MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHERS AND SISTERS’. Born in 4th Qtr of 1924 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Son of Harry and Jenny (née Farrell) Mellard, of Sheffield, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Jun 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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