Date: 24/25th February 1945 (Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: No. 214 Squadron
Type: Fortress III
Serial: HB805
Code: BU-C
Base: R.A.F. Oulton, Norfolk.
Location: River Niers near Neersen.
Pilot: F/O. Joseph Malpass Shorttle D.F.M. 157422 R.A.F.V.R. Age 27. Killed
Fl/Eng: Fl/Lt. Frank Richard Woodger 52114 R.A.F.V.R. Age 32. Killed (1)
Nav: Fl/Lt. Leslie Gordon Fowler D.F.C. 126036 R.A.F.V.R. Age 23. Injured (2)
Air/Bmr: P/O. Richard William Towell 195111 R.A.F.V.R. Age 30. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Kenneth Cecil Allan 183538 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. Francis Herbert Dix M.I.D. 411069 R.N.Z.A.F. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Stanley Llewellyn Jones 1256275 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Thomas William James Pollard 1865782 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. G.J.E. Jennings D.F.M. P.O.W. No: N/K Camp: N/K
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from R.A.F. Oulton, Norfolk at 17.15 hrs. for window duties. The purpose of the raid was to make a diversionary sweep over the Ruhr whilst another 74 aircraft (from training squadrons) also lured German night fighters over Northern France to enable 63 Mosquitoes to attack Berlin, another 18 to attack Neuss and a further 3 on "Siren duties".
4 Halifaxes lost and this Fortress on this operation - 34 crew members killed and another 6 being made P.O.W.
Fortress III HB805 BU-C from 124 Squadron was shot down at 20.08 hrs - 20-30 km West of Dusseldorf airfield by Oblt. Kurt Matzak of Stab IV/NJG1 - a Luftwaffe night fighter ace with 19 kills to his score. He survived the war. No further details available post 1945.
Fortress HB80 was the first aircraft to be intercepted which was attacked resulting in the starboard inner engine on fire and subsequently crashed into the River Niers near Neersen. The survivors were not aware of a night fighter attack and the squadron O.R.B.'s assessed the loss as being caused by an engine fire and not due to "enemy action".
F/O. Shorttle and Fl/Lt. Fowler had also completed a tour with 199 Squadron earlier in the war. Both men were part of one of the first crews to operate with 199 after the Squadron had reformed in November 1942 at Blyton. Between 31 December 1942 and the middle of June 1943, Sgt. Shorttle and F/O. Fowler flew 23 operations with 199 from Blyton and Ingham in Vickers Wellington bombers. During this time, they completed eighteen bombing operations (six to Lorient, three to Essen, two to Duisburg, two to Bochum and one each to Cologne, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, Dortmund and Dusseldorf) and five sea mining operations.
Fowler was to continue his tour with 199 after the Squadron had moved to 3 Group and converted to Short Stirling bombers at Lakenheath between June and July 1943. He flew on another four operations between October 1943 and February 1944 consisting of a bombing operation to Kassel, a sea mining operation and two Special Missions.
Sgt. Shorttle was awarded the D.F.M. and P/O. Fowler the D.F.C. in September 1943
(1) Fl/Lt. Frank Richard Woodger survived an earlier incident on 20/21st November 1942 also with 214 Squadron. (Stirling I W7584 BU-D)
(2) Fl/Lt. Leslie Gordon Fowler D.F.C. was injured during the attack and died later on the 15th March 1945.
W/O. Francis Herbert Dix M.I.D. (A.R.S. Archives) Grave of Fl/Lt. Fowler D.F.C. (Unknown source)
F/O. Kenneth Cecil Allan (Unknown source)
P/O. Richard William Towell (Unknown source)
Rheinberg War Cemetery (C.W.G.C.)
Burial details:
F/O. Joseph Malpass Shorttle D.F.M. Rheinberg War Cemetery 14.B.6
Son of Joseph and Liza Shorttle; husband of Joan Shorttle, of Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
Fl/Lt. Frank Richard Woodger. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 22
Son of Frank Herbert Stubbs Woodger and Gertrude Woodger; husband of Anne Glenys Woodger, of Bangor, Caernarvonshire.
Fl/Lt. Leslie Gordon Fowler D.F.C. Zuidlaren General Cemetery Plot 1, Row E. Grave 12
Son of George Robson Fowler and Mabel Lilian Fowler, of Worcester Park, Surrey.
P/O. Richard William Towell. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 24
Son of William John and Maud Kathleen Towell; husband of Margaret Ruth Towell, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.
F/O. Kenneth Cecil Allan. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 19
No further information
W/O. Francis Herbert Dix M.I.D. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 18
Son of Herbert George Dix, M.M., and of Ethel Louisa Dix (nee Rivett), of Milford, Auckland, New Zealand.
Fl/Sgt. Stanley Llewellyn Jones. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 21
No further information
Fl/Sgt. Thomas William James Pollard. Rheinberg War Cemetery 6.E. 20
Son of Thomas and Florence Beatrice Pollard, of Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire.
Further information supplied by Douglas Woods - for Peter Gibson November 2009.
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The work of the C.W.G.C. Purchase these research books "HERE"
