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F/O Hutchinson and the crew of LL797 (Courtesy of Wickenby Register)

 Standing L-R Sgt. R. Edgeworth, W/O. H.F. Binder, F/O. P.H.W.Young, Sgt. K.J. Macey. Front row L-R F/O. J.P. Hutchinson, P/O. L.E.Goodkey, Sgt. A. Hodgson 

LL797 UM-B2       24/25th February 1944

F/O Jack Pierce Hutchinson DFC RAAF (Pilot), Sgt Brian R.Bowditch (2nd Pilot), Sgt Arthur Hodgson (Flight Engineer), P/O Leonard E. Goodkey RCAF (Navigator),  F/O Peter Henry Wilson Young (Bomb Aimer), Sgt R (Bob) Edgeworth (Wireless Operator), F/Sgt Hector Binder RCAF (Mid Upper Gunner),  F/Sgt Ken J. Macey (Rear Gunner) 

Airborne 1810 24th February 1944 from Wickenby for the final sortie of their first tour of operations and carrying a second pilot for operational experience. 

On the night of 24/25th February 1944,  Lancaster LL797 took off from RAF Wickenby at 1810 hours detailed to bomb Schweinfurt, Germany. This mission was the crew’s final sortie of their operational tour. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base.

The aircraft crashed at Marsal (Moselle), 10kms south east of Chateau-Salins, France. All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Marsal (Moselle) Churchyard, France. Marsal is a village and commune 50kms south east of Metz. Those killed are the only WW2 Commonwealth airmen buried in the Churchyard.  

RAAF 416501 F/O J P Hutchinson, DFC Captain (Pilot) 

RAF Sgt B R Bowditch, (2nd Pilot)) 

RAF Sgt A Hodgson, (Flight Engineer) 

RCAF PO Goodkey, L E (Navigator) 

RAF FO Young, P H W (Air Bomber) 

RAF Sgt R Edgeworth, (Wireless Air Gunner)

RCAF WO2 H F Binder, (Mid Upper Gunner) 

RAF Flt Sgt K J Macey, (Rear Gunner) 

The Citation for the DFC awarded to the then PO Hutchinson is as follows : “ PO Hutchinson has attacked such important targets as Berlin, Milan, Peenemunde and Munich. While on the way to attack Munich, an engine caught fire and the aircraft had to be brought down onto the sea. As a result he and his crew had to spend some eighteen hours in the dinghy. On another mission, damage was sustained over Frankfurt and only by splendid airmanship did this officer succeed in flying the aircraft back to base. This officer’s determination, skill and endurance have set a fine example to his crew.”

Hutchinson and Goodkey, when flying together with 12 Squadron, had a narrow escape on the 6th of September 1943 when their Lancaster ED392 suffered engine failure and a subsequent fire over the North Sea. Whilst attempting to return to base, they were forced to ditch the aircraft which broke in two and sank. Air Sea Rescue were dispatched and managed to retrieve five members of the crew from a rubber dinghy. Sadly the bomb aimer and rear gunner were lost. 

One of the more unique aspects of this crew was the fact that it was comprised of an Australian, two Canadians and five British airmen. It is also significant to note the wide age difference in that the flight engineer Sgt. Hodgson, was almost twice the age of the wireless operator Sgt. Edgeworth who at 18 years would be one of the youngest to be killed on operations with Bomber Command.
Sgt. Bowditch was an extra member of the crew taken along for operational experience. All of the others except Sgt. Edgeworth were on their final sortie of their first tour.    from www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com

Goodkey Island near Parry Sound, Ontario is named after Pilot Officer Leonard Earl Goodkey, the Navigator on  Lancaster LL797

Wing Commander Philip Haynes and his crew

Left to right - Paddy O'Meara, Bob Bond, Dick Tredwin, Johnny Neilson, Eric Simms, Bill Freeman, Pip Phillips

In November 1943 Wing Commander Phillip Haynes joined 626 Squadron as its first CO. He was a regular officer with previous service on the North-West Frontier and other parts of the world. He had arrived with his recently formed crew but his administrative duties meant that they frequently flew with New Zealander, Squadron Leader Johnny Neilson, as their pilot. 

Six months later Group Captain Phillip Haynes was promoted to Commanding Officer of RAF Wickenby. He received his DFO in November 1944.

His aircrew consisted of E. (Eric) Sims (bomb aimer), Sergeant W. (Bill) Freeman (navigator), Sergeant R. (Bob) Bond (wireless operator), Sergeant Kevin (Paddy) O'Meara (rear gunner), Flying Officer R. H. (Dick) Tredwin (mid upper gunner), and Flight Lieutenant H. B. (Pip) Phillips (Flight Engineer).

Dick Tredwin previously had been a staff instructor at Upper Heyford and already had a tour of thirty operations under his belt on Short Stirling's - "queens of the sky" as he called them. He now wanted a tour of twenty operations as soon as he could. The plane they normally flew was JB599 Queenie 2. 

This faithful aircraft was to serve them well until the 23rd March, when it was used by another aircrew. F/O Kewley and his crew had only been at Wickenby a little over a month and were shot down over Luebecke - one of 73 bombers lost that night. 

On the 26th of April 1944 Johnny Neilson took them in 'N-2' to Essen. There wasn't any cloud above the target, an armament factory, which was accurately marked by the pathfinders.

Just as the bombs were released a shudder ran through the Lancaster. Six four pound incendiary bombs struck 'N-2'. They had been dropped by a Lancaster which was above them having reached the target early against orders. It flew right into the approaching bomber stream when it should have orbited the target and joined the stream at an angle as it moved towards Essen. 

Johnny (the pilot) called to each of them but there wasn't any reply from Dick Tredwin. When Eric Simms reached the mid-upper turret it was a totally wrecked. Hydraulic fluid was dripping on to the floor and Dick's helmet and oxygen mask were off. He was slumped across the breach blocks of his guns. Eric couldn't reach his head from below and Dick was a well-built man. Whether he was dead or alive Eric couldn't tell but if he was alive he would soon die without oxygen. 

Johnny Neilson, the pilot, had to take the Lancaster down over the Ruhr while they freed Dick from the wreckage. He was still alive but his face was swollen and unrecognisable. 

A bomb had come thought the canopy of his turret hitting him on the head them wrecking the turret then passing through the floor of the aircraft leaving a gaping hole. Another incendiary had cut its way through the armour plate tricell chute which only one second before had held a photoflash with the explosive power of a 250 lbs bomb. The other incendiary were lodged in the petrol tanks and had cut the main spar, leaving the rivets to take the stress of the waving wing. 

Fortunately none of the bombs had ignited; not having fallen far enough for the strikers to overcome their creep springs and fire the detonators. It was a long and desperate flight back to Wickenby where ambulance and fire tenders were standing by. 

Johnny landed the aircraft with great skill, but its survival was a tribute to the aircraft workers of Britain. 

Dick, whose wife had died in childbirth only a few months earlier, now had to survive a road journey to the R.A.F. hospital at Rauceby as there were no medical facilities at Wickenby to deal with severe injuries. After a long convalescence he returned to Wickenby. 

He later married WAAF Sergeant Valerie Powell who was also serving on the station. 

Richard Tredwin received his DFC in June 1944.

The loss of LM380 on the Berlin Raid of 27/28th of January 1944

F/Sgt Arthur Lee the only survivor 

Sgt T S (Tommy) Trinder W/Op,    Flt/Lt Belford RAAF pilot

On the night of 27/28th January 1944, Lancaster LM380 (S2) took off from RAF Wickenby at 1728 hours detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. 

Homebound, the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter, and crashed at Katzenelnbogen, 8 kms south west of Galnstatten, Germany. 

Six of the crew were killed and Flt Sgt A P J Lee was a POW. 

Those killed are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Locality Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Rheinbetg is 24kms north of Krefeld and 13 kms south of Wesel.

Flt Lt Belford had ditched earlier in the month when returning from Stettin.

RAAF 413945 Flt Lt Belford, W N Captain (Pilot) 

RAF Sgt H Hill,(Flight Engineer) 

RAF Flt Sgt A J P Lee, (Navigator) 

RAF Sgt J C Lee, (Air Bomber) 

RAF Sgt T S Trinder, (Wireless Air Gunner) 

RAF Sgt H H Mewburn, (Mid Upper Gunner) 

RAAF 427116 Flt Sgt R Gould, (Rear Gunner) 

Flt Lt Belford had ditched earlier in the month when returning from Stettin. He and the same crew were flying ME577 (T2) on January 6th and almost completed that mission but the aircraft, having been airborne for ten hours, ran out of fuel. They came down in the North Sea at 10 am approximately 100 miles off Withernsea on the Yorkshire coast.

The sole survivor of LM380, Flt/Sgt A P J Lee, later became one of the founder members of the Wickenby Register.

On the night of May 3-4, the military centre at Mailly-le-Camp was the target. In bright moonlight 346 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitoes dropped 1,500 tons of bombs with great accuracy. The main attack started late, and German night-fighters arrived during the delay. 

626 Squadron sent out thirteen Lancasters; one aborted the flight, nine bombed the target and three went missing. 

In the German camp, 114 barracks, 47 transport sheds, and some ammunition buildings were hit; 102 vehicles, including 37 tanks were destroyed: and 218 German soldiers were killed and 156 were severely wounded. Most of the casualties were Panzer NCO's. 

Dogfights with the night fighters continued as the bombers left the target for their return. No.1 Group squadrons, who flew the second wave of the attack, suffered the most casualties: twenty-eight of the 173 Lancasters dispatched.

LL753 UM-Z2 3rd May 1944

P/O D.S. Jackson DFC, Sgt J.A.I. Sutton, P/O H.A. Riddle, WO2 J.M.B. Liebscher RCAF, F/S R.H. Watts RAAF, Sgt A.G. Brooks, F/S R.E. MacFarlane RCAF

LL753 was one of three 626 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. Airborne 2211 3rd May 1944 from Wickenby to attack the military camp. Shot down while closing on the AP and exploded with great force near Breuvery-sur-Coole (Marne), 12 km SSW of Cholons-sur-Marne. P/O Jackson and his Canadian Rear Gunner are buried in Breuvery-sur- Coole Churchyard. The others are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. 

Lancaster LL 753 of 626 Sqn RAF took off from RAF Station Wickenby, Lincolnshire, at 2211 hours on 3 May 1944 to attack a target at Mailey-Le-Camp, France. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base.

Canadian Flt Sgt Ross MacFarlane is third from left and W/O Liebscher on his right

Crew:

RAF P/O Jackson, D S, Captain (Pilot)

RAF P/O Riddle, H A (Navigator)

RCAF W/O Liebscher, J M B (Air Bomber)

RAAF P/O Watts, R H (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)

RAF Sgt Sutton, J A Y (Flight Engineer)

RAF Sgt Brooks, A G (Mid Upper Gunner)

RCAF Flt Sgt MacFarlane, R E (Rear Gunner)

In 1947, following post war enquiries and interrogations of local authorities of Breuverysur-Coole, France, it was established that an aircraft exploded and crashed near that village on the night of 3/4th May 1944, and that two bodies were recovered viz. PO Jackson (RAF) and Flt Sgt McFarlane (RCAF).

It was recorded that the remaining missing crew members had no known grave.

Mailly-le-Camp before the raid

Mailly-le-Camp after 1500 tons of bombs

DV281  UM-D2   3rd May 1944  Mailly-le-Camp raid

F/S P.J.W. Barkway RCAF,  Sgt F.W. Burton, WO2 R.D. Weller RCAF,  Sgt G.A. Coote, Sgt J.W. Hooper, Sgt O. Molzan RCAF, Sgt R.E. Hogan

DV281 was one of three 626 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. Airborne 2157 3May44 from Wickenby to attack the military camp. Crashed, a few minutes after bombing, at the village of St-Remy- sous-Barbuise (Aube), 22 km N of Troyes. All are buried in the little churchyard at St-Remy-sous-Barbuise alongside nine other Bomber Command airmen who were killed on the same operation.

F/Sgt Percy James William Barkway - RCAF -Pilot. 

Sgt Frederick William Burton (aged 22) - Flight Engineer. Son of Jacob and Ida Blanche Burton, of Dagenham, Essex.

Sgt George Alfred Coote - Bomb Aimer

Sgt Russell Eugene Hogan (aged 20) -Air Gunner. Son of Richard &

Martha Hogan of Pen-y-Lan, Cardiff

Sgt Otto Molzan -RCAF - Air Gunner - from Windsor, Ontario. (Pilot Officer from 2nd of May)

Sgt John William Hooper, (aged 21) -Wireless Operator Son of John & Evelena Hooper, and husband of Joyce Grace Hooper of Rochester, Kent 

W/O Ronald Duncan Weller - RCAF- Navigator - Pilot Officer May 2nd.   On Hamilton, Canada, Roll of Honour

The Loss of  EE148 on the Mailley-le-Camp Raid, one of the seven aircraft from RAF Wickenby lost. 

Three 626 Squadron aircraft were among five Lancasters lost after being shot down over the Northeast fringes of the camp. The others were DV281 UM-D2 piloted by Canadian Flight Sergeant PJW Barkway and LL753 UM-Z2 with Pilot Officer DS Jackson's crew.

Not a single airman survived.  

It was a bad night for RAF Wickenby, four of 12 Squadron's aircraft, JB405, JB748, LM514, and LM516 were also lost. Six of LM514's crew managed to evade capture after being helped by local people.

EE148  UM-S2     3rd May 1944 

P/O N.J. Fisher,  Sgt J. Waites, Sgt N. Hatton,  F/O K.T. Larman, Sgt V.R. Roper,  Sgt H.M. Crooks,  Sgt R.F. Godfrey 

EE148 was a Mk.111 and was delivered to No.617 Sqdn 4Jun43, transferred to the newly formed 626 Sqdn 10th November 1943. Took part in the following Key Operations. With 617 Sqdn as AJ- U, San Polo D'Enza (flown by F/L J.C.McArthy, DSO, DFC, RCAF); Leghorn 24/25Jul43. 

With No.626 Sqdn as UM-S2. No other operations, Mailley-le-Camp 3/4th May 1944-Lost. EE148 was one of three 626 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See: DV281; LL753. 

Airborne 2208 3rd May 1944 from Wickenby to attack the military camp. Shot down by a night-fighter whilst homebound, and crashed at Montigny-le-Guesdier (Seine-et-Marne) some 4 km SSE of Bray-sur- Seine. All are buried in Montigny-le-Guesdier Communal Cemetery. The brother of P/O Fisher, Kenneth George Fisher, also lost his life on Active Service. P/O N.J.Fisher KIA, Sgt J.Waites KIA, Sgt N.Hatton KIA, F/O K.T.Larman KIA, Sgt V.R.Roper KIA, Sgt H.M.Crooks KIA, Sgt R.F.Godfrey KIA.

MONTIGNY le GUESDIER Communal Cemetery (Seine et Marne France)

Left to Right :  J. Waites - R. F. Godfrey - H. M. Crooks - K. T. Larman - V. R. Roper - N. Hatton - N. J. Fisher

CROOKS, HOWARD MEASOR     Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 19.  Son of William and Hilda Crooks, of Sunderland, Co. Durham.

FISHER, NORMAN JAMES   Pilot Officer (Pilot) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 29.  Son of George Phillip and Mabel Louisa Fisher, of New Southgate, London. His brother, Kenneth George, also died on service.

GODFREY, ROBERT FREDERICK    Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 20.  Son of Frederick Herbert and Beatrice Maud Godfrey, of West Ham, Essex.

HATTON, NOEL   Sergeant (Nav.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 21.  Son of William Charles and Beatrice Eveline Hatton, of Rottingdean, Sussex.

LARMAN, KENNETH THOMAS    Flying Officer (Air Bomber) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 21.  Son of Thomas and Margaret Larman, of Hull; husband of Beryl Caley Larman, of Hull.

ROPER, VICTOR RONALD   Sergeant (W. Op. [Air]) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. Age: 22.  Son of Harold and Eleanor Roper, of Salford, Lancashire; husband of Elsie Margaret Roper, of Higher Broughton, Salford.

WAITES, JOHN   Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 626 Sqdn. 

Dear Sir  

After the events that took place in May 1944 on the territory of my parish, I must frankly admit that I have been waiting, not without some impatience, for a letter such as yours, either asking me for details of the great misfortune that befell your comrades or to thank the people of Montigny and the surrounding area for their devotion to the Allies cause and particularly for the courage that they showed at the time.

I had been in the "Resistance" since 1941 and I always fought the Germans with all my strength; with some of my comrades, I sought to supply the Allies with information on German troop movements, and we sent this information by radio or carrier pigeon. Several times I had occasion to take in English or American airmen.

On the night of 3rd/4th May 1944 all was quiet in Montigny, and there was no reason to anticipate any trouble, when at one o'clock in the morning we were wrenched out of our sleep by a dreadful din, at the same time a red ball streaked across the sky to crash a few seconds later about 800 yards from the village.

There was no possible doubt about it, an aircraft, probably caught by a burst of machine-gun fire, had crashed down in flames. What nationality was the aircraft? If it was English, swift action was needed to conceal any airman who had managed to escape from the German search parties. I just took time to get dressed and I was on the spot a few minutes later together with many of my comrades. We could see from the size of the aircraft that it was a bomber, and an Allied bomber, since its tricolour roundels could be seen shining in the flames. In falling the bomber had broken into four pieces: there was the fuselage with one wing, the a little further on the tail, still further a wing, and finally came an engine.

When we reached the spot, the fuselage and tail were a blazing torch. We had to be very careful when approaching as the heat was causing bullets to go off on all sides. On leaving the village, we thought we had seen some parachutes in the glow of the fire; I therefore organised a few patrols in order to find them and bring them help. Unfortunately we discovered nothing. When day had dawned the bodies of the seven crew members were discovered. Three in the front of the aircraft, probably the Pilot, Navigator and Flight Engineer, and the other four in the vicinity of the aircraft.

Those were the brutal facts. Now here is how a little French village guided by its priest, paid tribute to seven allied airmen who had fallen on French soil in the fight against the Boches.

I decided on my personal responsibility to take the bodies to the town hall. The occupation authorities had formally forbidden touching anything before they arrived at the scene of the disaster. No matter, I listened only to my own conscience and patriotism and detailed one of my comrades, a farmer, to go and find a car, in which the bodies were carried to the town hall.

Then I informed the mayor of what had happened and of the responsibility I had assumed. To begin with, he criticised the steps I had taken which he considered dangerous as there might be reprisals, but in the end he was to agree that I had done the right thing.

A burial permit had to be obtained. It was granted for the following Saturday. 

As soon as I knew this I got out my bicycle and went off on a little propaganda trip through the region to tell people when the burial would take place, and to get as many people as possible to come.

I had ordered seven coffins, and some of the young people of Montigny had dug graves in the communal cemetery.

Montigny-le-Guesdier has 250 inhabitants.

Well, there were more than one thousand people at the burial.

Never since I have been here had I seen so many people around.

Never has the church been so full.

There were people everywhere; at the doors, on the three flights of steps leading up to them, and I have never seen so many flowers in the church.

What followed was even finer; it brought tears to every-ones' eyes.

The seven coffins were carried on the shoulders of 28 young people who I had selected; they were all in or sympathised  with the Resistance.

The church was all draped in black.

I had brought out the most beautiful hangings for the occasion.

One of my friends, a neighbouring priest, was at the harmonium, and the young people of the parish sang "The Office for the Dead", while I presided over the service.

As we came out of the church my comrade played "God Save the King", "the American Anthem", and "The Marseillaise" on the harmonium.

You must not forget that all this took place 4 Kilometres from Bray-sur-Seine where Gestapo agents were permanently stationed.

All the personal items found on the dead men were collected by the British Red Cross.

That, quite simply is the unhappy story I have undertaken to tell you.

I should be very happy for the British people to learn that it was at Montigny-le-Guesdier that its airmen, killed while on a mission, were paid the finest homage.

Indeed I am sure that in no other region did Allies receive a finer burial during the Occupation.

I should be very happy to know if this information has been of use to you.

In the meantime I remain,

Yours faithfully,

Edmond Henry, Priest of Montigny-le-Guesdier, par Bray/Seine, Seine et Marne, France