In the quest for visiting and recording Bomber Command Memorials I have literally traveled thousands of miles and actually dread to think exactly how many miles I have clocked up in the process, either my car or my wife’s 4×4 (obviously essential for visiting sites in rural areas, you understand!) In the ten years since I have made making researching Bomber Command memorials a significant project in my spare time, I have visited most parts of the UK, although many areas have so far eluded me. When visiting family relatives, I am guilty of creating the most indirect and obscure routes from Sleaford to where they live in order to visit and record a particular memorial location whilst en-route!
Whilst living in “Bomber County” has allowed me to visit all the local sites with relative ease, a direct drawback of this is that I now have to transit even further to reach previously unvisited areas. During winter months I tend to visit only one or two relatively close sites as lighting conditions deteriorate noticeably early afternoon. However, during the Summer months, the benefit of longer hours of daylight gives more opportunities and I plan to complete roughly about three long “memorial tours” during this time period.
Currently anything up to a 3 hour drive just to reach the first site on a specific tour of a distant area is “normal”. As an example, one Sunday in the Summer of 2019, I left Sleaford at 6AM and returned at 9PM having driven about 500 miles on a route roughly based on; Sleaford > Felixstowe, Felixstowe > Lowestoft and Lowestoft > Sleaford. Despite the distance and time, I visited over twenty memorial sites in Suffolk and Norfolk, all for the “Greater Good!”
As of March 2020, I believe I have personally visited over three hundred separate memorials (probably more) and have at least one thousand separate images stored on my laptop (with a copy on an external hard drive just in case of IT failures!) This interest and passion, really is an ongoing labour of love and dedication, especially as I have to re-visit distant areas on a regular basis as new memorials are also being dedicated at a steady rate. However, the potential for the long-term future is both immense and exciting as there are so many possibilities of where this will ultimately lead!
Memorials to Bomber Command can literally take any form and can be dedicated to; an individual, a crew, a Sqn or unit or an airfield; A selection are as follows;
Main Image: The village sign in North Killingholme, Lincolnshire remembers all who served on 550 Sqn
A plaque in the village hall in Bishop Monkton, North Yorkshire remembers a crew lost in training which included a member of the USAAF
A window in Holy Trinity Church, Sibford Gower, Oxfordshire remembers F/O Major killed on 25-26/06/43 (Ops Gelsenkirchen) serving with 78 Sqn
To read more about Tony’s search and some of the stories behind the memorials see our Blog Space
A Passion for Memorials – From a very young age, I have always had an interest in the exploits of Bomber Command and during my thirty-year long RAF Career I was fortunate and privileged enough to have both served on several former Bomber Command airfields and also a former Bomber Command Sqn itself. Even more so, I had the unique privilege of meeting several veterans and listened to their stories with great interest. Of note, Wherever I have been posted to, my “library” of Bomber Command related books always came with me and for “inexplicable reasons” has always expanded in the process!
Some ten years ago, I was based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, serving on 78 Sqn (a former 4 Whitley and later Halifax Sqn of 4 Gp Bomber Command) Towards the end of my three-year tour, I re-read Martin Middlebrook’s epic work “The Nuremburg Raid” and concurrently also became aware of the existence of a memorial to a Halifax that crashed in the Chilterns Hills with the loss of all its crew on its return from the infamous raid of the night of 30th – 31st March 1944.
Noting that the location of this memorial was less than thirty minutes away from Benson, on my next free week-end I drove to the site with the intention of just visiting it. There then followed at least an hour of wandering aimlessly round in varying sized circles in the depths of Cowleaze Wood before I literally stumbled onto the memorial. Pausing to read the names and remember the seven crew who died at this site, I simply decided to take a couple of photos of it . . .
This specific aircraft, 51 Sqn Halifax LW579 MH-V, was the last of no fewer than six Halifax’s lost by 51 Sqn on this Op. As it turned out it appears that this aircraft was highly likely to be attempting to make an emergency landing at Benson when it was lost.
On return to Benson, I then wondered just how many other Bomber Command memorials existed in the local area. After several hours of pre planning routes and researching each of the individual back stories, I began to venture out again on subsequent weekend to visit increasingly more memorials sites. Fairly rapidly, one memorial became two, and after ten years of work on the subject, several memorials eventually became an awful lot more!
For information on the crew of LW579, please click here
To read more about Tony’s search and some of the stories behind the memorials see our Blog Space
Main image:
Memorial Stone in Cowleaze Wood, on the Buckinghamshire / Oxfordshire county boundary remembers the crew of 51 Sqn Halifax LW579 MH-V who were killed here on the night of 30-31/03/44
This was the first memorial I visited in 2010. These particular images were taken during a return visit in 2019 – and I managed get lost on the second visit as well!
As well as being a Volunteer Tour Guide at the IBCC, I’m also a member of the 44(Rhodesia) Sqn Association. I flew on 44 (R) Sqn from 77 to 82, during the Vulcan era, and became an Association member as it was formed when the Sqn was disbanded in the mid-80’s. It was through this connection that I became involved in the 75th Anniversary commemoration of the crash of Lancaster ME442 of 44 (R) Sqn at Brocklesby on 4 March 1945.
44 (R) Sqn Association was contacted some months ago by Garry Mahon, who is a nephew of Fg Off John “Jack” Ryan, the RAAF Captain of the ME442 on that fateful day in 1945. Garry was attempting to organise a 75th Anniversary commemoration, to mirror the 50th Anniversary commemoration in 1995, and sought the Association’s help. With the Association’s Chairman – Gp Capt (Retd) John Laycock and Secretary – Sqn Ldr Henry Horscoft’s help, Garry made contact with Lord Yarborough’s Brocklesby Estate Office and Flt Lt Terry Marsden RAFVR (Retd), the local RAFA representative at Kirmington. With Lord Yarborough’s kind permission (as the woods are not normally open to the public at this time of year), Flt Lt Marsden’s terrific support and everyone involved pulling together, the event was organised for Wednesday 4th March at 11:00 at the crash site Memorial located in Brocklesby Mausoleum Woods. At this point, as neither John Laycock or Henry Horscroft could attend the memorial service in the woods, due to ill health and the rough terrain in the woods, I was asked if I would represent the Association and was only then told I would have to make the introduction on the day! However, with Peter Jones support from the IBCC digital archive, writing the introduction became an easy task.
There was 8 of Fg Off Jack Ryan’s relatives in Garry Mahon’s party travelling from Australia and they also wanted to visit the IBCC during their visit to the UK, so I arranged to host them at the IBCC on Tues 3rd March. They were all very impressed with the Centre and felt it was a very fitting tribute and memorial to all of the Bomber Command men and women who lost their lives.
So to the event itself on the 4th March. It started in the car park in Great Limber village at 10:00, following an early morning drive over the Lincolnshire Wolds. We were transported to the Memorial site, via a rough woodland track, in what can only be described as an agricultural trailer with seats down the sides, pulled by a 4-wheel drive. Luckily the crash site Memorial, deep in Brocklesby Woods, was bathed in warm early Spring sunshine. There were probably about 50 people at the commemoration as, in addition to the 8 Australians, there were also many family representatives from 5 of the 6 RAFVR crew members of the crashed Lancaster, who had made the journey from all over the UK to be there. The RAF and RAAF also sent representatives, Barry Wallis represented the IBCC and the Earl of Yarborough also attended. Following my introduction, the Act of Remembrance was led by Rev Lee Gabel and Flt Lt Terry Marsden RAFVR (Retd) and included prayers, exhortation by Garry Mahon, the Last Post, 2 minutes silence and Reveille followed by laying of crosses by the relatives of the crew members and the other organisations present. The commemoration ran exactly as planned and everyone, including Lord Yarborough, were very moved, and said it was a fitting tribute to brave crew who lost their lives at Brocklesby Woods 75 years ago.
Following the Memorial Service, we all met up at the Marrowbone & Cleaver pub (the one owned by Guy Martin) in Kirmington for lunch, which gave us all an opportunity socialise with all the families of the crew. Overall it was a lovely day which both my wife and I will long remember. A list of the crew members of ME442 and copy of my introduction are printed below. Also attached are pictures of the commemoration at the crash site and some pictures of the Australian visit to the IBCC on the 3rd March 20:
The Crew of Avro Lancaster ME442 – click on the names to see more information on each man from the IBCC Losses Database:
For other stories and news see our Blog Space here
INTRODUCTION BY WG CDR (RETD) PHIL DAVIES REPRESENTING 44 (RHODESIA) SQUADRON ASSOCIATION:
Lord Yarborough, Ladies and Gentlemen.
We are gathered here today to commemorate the lives, bravery and camaraderie of the seven 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron aircrew who flew Lancaster ME442, which crashed here 75 years ago today, in the early hours of the 4th March 1945.
At 18:42 on the evening of the 3rd March 1945 – the 2,000th night of the Second World War – their Mk 3 Avro Lancaster,coded KM-V, took off from RAF Spilsby, under the command of Flying Officer Jack Ryan of the Royal Australian Air Force, along with his six Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve crew. They joined a raid consisting of 212 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 5 Group, to attack the Ladbergen aqueducts, part of the Dortmund – Ems canal. The raid was successful, over 100 metres of canal bank was destroyed and both aqueducts were in ruins, putting the canal completely out of action for the rest of the war.
As they returned to their Lincolnshire air base, Flying Officer Ryan’s aircraft was intercepted by a Junkers 88C night fighter. This was the first night of the Luftwaffe’s Operation GISELA, a new tactic by the Germans, whereby instead of attacking our bombers on their outward run, they targeted them as they returned home. Approximately 200 German night fighters prowled the night skies over England, lying in wait for the returning bombers, attacking either as they landed or were circling in readiness to land.
Sadly, Flying Officer Ryan’s aircraft was shot down by the night fighter and crashed in flames at approximately 1AM in the morning on the 4th March 1945, tragically killing all seven crew members as it came to rest against this tree.
On behalf of 44(Rhodesia) Sqn Association, and all those who have served on the Squadron over the last 75 years, we salute this crew’s bravery, dedication to duty and ultimate sacrifice. We will always remember them.
I have returned from a successful visit to Poland to commemorate the Long March from Stalag Luft 3, Zagan to Spremberg (80km NE Dresden). The Royal Air Force looked after me with mobile caterers to feed us, medics to look after feet, RAF Police and Regiment to keep us safe and young airmen to keep us amused.
The group of RAF personnel and I flew out to Berlin on Thursday 13 February and before going by coach to Zagan. We visited the Military Cemetery in Berlin. There, I laid a wreath for the RAF’s ex-Prisoners of War Association on the central memorial. Small poppy crosses were laid by other members of our group on 20 individual graves. One of those was for Sgt Stan Chalklin buried with 5 other members of his crew. Coincidentally, Brian Chalklin (Stan’s great nephew) and his wife Lynne Chalklin visited the centre a couple of weeks before the trip, we found him on the walls and then I offered to visit Stan’s grave and sent them a photo.
Later in the afternoon we left Berlin for the Willa Park Hotel in Zagan for two nights while visiting the Stalag Luft 3 Museum. Part of the events that day were discussion periods where the RAF personnel had previously researched some topics relating to PoWs to introduce the topics.
At lunchtime all 49 personnel were on parade in the centre of Zagan for a commemoration event marking the Long March. The RAF contingent joined Polish army units, a Polish military band and some Polish veterans with UN service who were presented with medals. There were many local people and school children attending, despite the light drizzle. Wg Cdr Suzanne Senior laid a wreath on behalf of the RAF and I laid one on behalf of the Polish Airmen’s Association UK at the memorial wall in the town square.
On Saturday morning we assembled at the Stalag Luft 3 museum for a short Service of Remembrance before starting our 3-day march of 60 miles on the route taken by the PoWs in Jan 1945 from Stalag Luft 3 to Spremberg via Ilowa, Gozdnica, Lipna (night stop in the Barns), Przewoz , Leknica and over the border to Bad Muskau (nightstop in the sporthalle).
The final day marching started in Bad Muskau, on to Gablenz, Schleife, and finished at the railway station in Spremberg where the WW2 PoWs were loaded on to cattle trucks. This was where our march finished. We held a short remembrance service here during which Gp Cspt Mark Smith laid an RAF wreath and I laid one on behalf of the RAFs ex-PoW Association. We then took a coach ride back into Poland to Kliczkow Castle for a formal dinner. This was the first time some of the RAF personnel had experienced a formal occasion, at least three of them had been in the RAF for less than 6 months, and one man celebrated his 19 birthday!
Despite many blisters and aching legs everyone was able to celebrate our achievement, whilst calling to mind those who had suffered so terribly in 1945.
On Tuesday morning we then returned to Berlin for our flight home.
To find out more about Brian Chalklin and his crew, click here
To find out how you can join our volunteer team and make a difference, click here
For some years the RAF have taken a group of serving RAF personnel from different RAF stations, across different roles to participate in a force development exercise to Zagan, Poland and a 3-day march to Spremberg station in Germany. The exercise aims to provide an opportunity for younger personnel to stretch themselves physically, undertake research into parts of RAF history and heritage and remember those who, in the freezing winter of 1945, were in the Long Marches across Europe. This year sees the 75th Anniversary of POW Long Marches.
Those who survived and those who perished through hypothermia, starvation, exhaustion, dysentery, despair and through misidentification by Allied Air Forces. For many years they have been accompanied by World War 2 RAF ex-prisoners of war (“Kriegies”), and in recent years Air Cdre Charles Clarke OBE had been the sole representative. https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/show/229 . Charles died last May and the new president of the Royal Air Forces ex-PoW Association, Sqn Ldr Robert (Bob) Ankerson, is participating in this 75th anniversary march.
Robert has been a volunteer tour guide at the IBCC for over 3 years after an RAF career of 34 years, including flying tours on Vulcan and Tornado GR1. During his second Tornado tour he ejected from a burning Tornado. He was captured and was a POW in Iraq, qualifying him to join the RAFs ex-PoW Association.
A couple of weeks before departure for Per Ardua Eagle 20, Robert met a couple when they visited the IBCC. Lynne and Brian Chalklin were looking to see Brian’s uncle on the memorial walls https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/103910/. While chatting to the couple, it transpired that Sgt Stanley Chalklin, Flt Eng, had been shot down over Berlin on 30 January 1944 in a No 207 Sqn Lancaster flying from RAF Spilsby. Six of the crew were killed, Sgt Downey survived and was a POW. Further details of the crew are on the IBCC Losses Database https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/
Stanley’s name was on a family headstone in England and it was assumed he was buried there. When the last surviving brother died we learnt he was buried with crew members, in the CWGC Berlin War Cemetery. Robert will be at the Cemetery with the RAF before travelling to Berlin airport to Zagan and Stalag Luft 3 (the Great Escape). On Thursday 14 February, Robert and the RAF personnel will lay crosses for Sgt Chalklin and his crew.
Two other crews will be recognised at the same time. While preparing for the trip Robert found a piece written by the author Steve Darlow about Bomber Command and in it he mentions 3 individuals, one of whom is buried in Berlin, Pilot Officer Leslie Gill, IBCC Panel 169 https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/210387/ . On 2 January 1944, 421 Lancasters attacked Berlin, 28 were lost, 156 Sqn lost 4 aircraft with all aircrew killed. Two of those aircraft were over Berlin and all crew members are buried in the Berlin War Cemetery, including Leslie. The second crew were flying with Sqn Ldr Ronald Stewart, IBCC Panel 248 https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/226957/. Although these 20 men will be specifically recognised, all RAF men and women who died during WW2 will be remembered.
After a day at Stalag Luft 3 Museum, the group will start to march 60 miles over 3 days. They will stay the first night in a barn where PoWs sheltered from temperatures of minus 20 deg C. Day 3, marchers arrive at Spremberg station where PoWs were loaded into cattle trucks to be taken to new camps. The RAF group will be taken to a hotel for a formal dinner before returning to UK the following day.
To discover more of the stories the IBCC has captured please click here
If you would like to become an IBCC volunteer please click here
