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Final Mission
On 15-16 March 1944, ND/530 laden with 1 x 4 000 Lbs,30 x 48 Lbs, 4 x 800 Lbs and 4 x 100 Lbs bombs was to take part in a large raid on Stuttgart. The Lancaster was attacked, in a typical Schragemusik attack (a fighter using upward pointing cannon) and shot down close to Soissons (Aisne), more or less 50 km north-west from Reims. The attacking plane was a Junkers JU88 of 111/NJG4 ( 3rd group of Nightfighter squadron no 4).
Sergeant Overholt and Sergeant Fox were killed in this attack and P/O Barnes dived from 12,000 feet to escape, unaware that the plane was on fire. Finally the starboard engines were hit and the order to bail out given, P/O Barnes being the last out.
According to a French Gendarmerie report, the Lanc crashed at Mont-sur-Courville, close to Saint-Gilles (Marne), 24 km west from Reims.
Here is a "rough" translation:-
" March 16 1944 around One O'Clock an English four engine plane was shot down on the territory of the commune of Mount-on-Courville (Marne) but close to the borders of the department of Aisne.
Two bodies were discovered in the remains of the plane scattered in the fields. The other members of the crew had escaped by parachute. One of the surviving crew slightly wounded, took refuge at guard-pastoral commune of Crugny (Canton of Fismes), another was discovered towards Fère-en-Tardenois by Feldgendarmerie of Château-Thierry. "
Pilot Officer Barnes and Sergeant Walker managed to escape capture (Barnes taking approx: 10 months to get back to England)
ND530 (LE-P) was a Mk III Lancaster crewed by
the following:-
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Pilot Officer
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L. A.
BARNES
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RAF
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Pilot
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Len (Leonard Alfred) Barnes
Service No: 168998
As stated previously, Pilot Officer Barnes evaded capture and it took him 10 weeks (not months as stated in various records) to return to England. He had traveled through France and over the Pyrenees (via the now famous "Comet" escape route). Upon his return to England he completed the remaining 26 ops with the squadron.
Len was affectionately known as Barney amongst the crew.
This is Len's Story (passed on by his daughter Amanda Burrows)
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Sergeant
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K. A.
WALKER
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RAF
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Flight Engineer
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Ken Walker
Service No: 1583707
Sgt Walker managed to evade capture by travelling overland to a French town/village called La Ferte Gauche. Here he sought refuge in a farmhouse just outside the village, where the farmer allowed him to hide ( a "hidey hole" was available) and supplied him with food and aid (he had been wounded in the leg by shrapnel). Ken had travelled approx 70 miles and walked for a week.
Finally in September 1944 the Americans liberated the area. It took some time to convince them that he was not a spy, but finally Sgt Walker returned to England where he continued to serve in the squadron.
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Flying Officer
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M. GEISLER
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RAF
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Navigator
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Malcolm Geisler
Service No: 151194
F/O Geisler was captured and spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft I
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Sergeant
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M. E.
GREGG
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RAF
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Bomb-Aimer
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Malcolm Elliot Gregg (aka Ginger).
Service No: 1576438
Sergeant Gregg was the wounded airmen mentioned in the Gendarmerie report, he had shrapnel wounds to the hand. After capture he spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft I (West).
For more information on Malcolm Gregg - click here
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Sergeant
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G. E.
PLOWMAN
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RAF
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Wireless Operator - Air Gunner
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George Plowman
Service No: 1333979
No further details as yet
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Sergeant
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J. H.
OVERHOLT
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RCAF
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Mid-Upper Gunner
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James Henry Overholt
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Age: 20
Date of Death: 16/03/1944
Service No: R/197141
Grave/Memorial Reference: Grave 2.
Cemetery: ST. GILLES CHURCHYARD
Additional information: Son of George Henry Overholt and of Irene Alberta Overholt (nee MacDonald), of Eastwood, Ontario, Canada.
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| Sergeant |
T. A. FOX |
RAF |
Rear Gunner |
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Thomas Austin Fox
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Date of Death: 16/03/1944
Service No: 1433606
Grave/Memorial Reference: Grave 1.
Cemetery: ST. GILLES CHURCHYARD
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The first operations for this crew were
to Berlin. During the first operation they were attacked over Magdeburg
whilst returning back to England. A German fighter made a couple of passes
and was last seen leaving and trailing smoke. The following morning the
crew went out to assess the damage, only to see an unexploded cannon shell
being removed from one of the fuel tanks......
Photographs
Malcolm Gregg
Len Barnes
Len Barnes and Ken Walker
Len Barnes (being interviewed)
ND530 Crash Site
JU-88 (Schragemusik)
The photograph here (Courtesy of Amanda Burrows)
shows flowers placed at the memorial for 630 and 57 squadron members at
East Kirkby for those who lost their lives or served in 630 squadron (and
Bomber Command generally) . Amanda very kindly included included my family
in the note, for which I am very grateful.
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ND530