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Friendly Fire incident – Gresse, Germany

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 9:20 pm
by georgetanksherman
P.O.W. Friendly Fire incident April 19, 1945 – Gresse, Germany

Allied Typhoons strafed a PoW-column 19-4-1945 near Gresse, 14 km NE of Lauenburg, Germany and 30 PoWs were killed. They were marched from Stalag 357 Fallingbostel to Lubeck. As a result of the Russian drive towards the West of Germany in the spring of 1945, large columns of British P.O.W.s were on the move in the area between the Russian and Allied Armies. One of these columns reached the little village of Greese M54/T 0142 on the 19th April 1945 and was seen by an Allied aircraft. They were moving in a Westerly direction and the pilot must have taken them for German reinforcements moving towards the front lines. This Allied airman immediately proceeded to shoot up the column. The result was devasting. After all was over 30 dead were recovered and on the eve of the next day these 30 men, of which 20 were Royal Air Force personnel, were buried in the local cemetery of Gresse by the English Padre who accompanied the column. During that day Pastor Stube of Gresse compiled of names and numbers for his cemetery records and thanks to this these 20 Air Force men can now be identified. They were initially buried at Gresse in a mass grave but in 1947 (??) exhumed and reinterred in the Berlin War Cemetery

Royal Canadian Air Force Squadrons

W/O D.J. Clayden, 901682, RAFVR, 405 Sq., Wellington Z8344, S/D 19/9/41 on Op: Stettin, Hometown: Ilford, Essex, England
Flt Lt. H. Cowan, J/12564, RCAF, 402 Sq. Spitfire RN204, S/D 19/4/45 on Op: Armed Recce, Hometown: Henleaze, Gloucestershire, Wales
W/O R.G. Douglas, R/106758, RCAF, 419 Sq. Halifax DT669, S/D 28/3/43 on Op: St. Nazaire, Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
W/O W.E. MacKenzie, R/65193, RCAF, 419 Sq. Halifax DT731, S/D 20/1/44 on Op: Berlin, Hometown: Durham, Pictou County, Nova Scotia
Flt Sgt. S.J. Wheadon, 2213579, RAFVR, 425 Sq. Halifax LW431, S/D 25/2/44 on Op: Augsburg, Hometown: Salford, Lancashire, England
W/O J. Lord, 955266, RAFVR, 405 Sq. Wellington Z8344 S/D 19/9/41 Op: Stettin, died in Hospital on the 22th April 1945 from injuries received on 19th April 1945. Hometown: Burbage, Leicestershire, England

Re: Friendly Fire incident – Gresse, Germany

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 9:22 pm
by georgetanksherman
Royal Australian Air Force

W/O J.G. Shierlaw, 416107, RAAF, 458 Sq. Wellington LB172, S/D 25/3/43 on Op: Anti-Shipping, Hometown: Medindie, South Australia

Re: Friendly Fire incident – Gresse, Germany

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 9:32 pm
by georgetanksherman
Royal Air Force

W/O V.A. Fox, R/126002, RCAF, 7 Sq. Stirling R9149, S/D 10/3/43 on Op: Munich, Hometown: West Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.
W/O A.H. Porter, 1318075, RAFVR, 35 Sq. Lancaster HR795, S/D 27/5/43 on Op: Essen, Hometown: Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England
W/O W.P.J. Watson, 623703, RAF 44 Sq. Hampden L4088, S/D 21/4/40 on Op: Gardening, Hometown: Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand
W/O L.B.H. Hope, 40940, RNZAF, 75 Sq. Wellington Z8942, S/D 8/11/41 on Op: Essen, Hometown: French Pass, Nelson, New Zealand.
Flt Sgt. D. Bauldie, 1584485, RAFVR, 76 Sq. Halifax LK795, S/D 31/3/44 on Op: Nuremburg, Hometown: Manchester, England
W/O W.A.I. Bone, 581434, RAF, 76 Sq. Halifax L9531, S/D 13/8/41 on Op: Berlin, Hometown: Hunts Cross, Liverpool, England
Flt Sgt. W.E. Lawton, 1565563, RAFVR, 76 Sq. Halifax LK790, S/D 25/3/44 on Op: Berlin, Hometown: New Silksworth, Co. Durham, England
W/O A.G.G. Read, 1186489, RAFVR, 76 Sq. Halifax JB800, S/D 16/4/43 on Op: Pilsen, Hometown: Carlton Colville, Suffolk, England
W/O J. Gage, 745360, RAFVR, 99 Sq. Wellington T2501, S/D 4/12/40 on Op: Dusseldorf, Hometown: Harnham, Salisbury, England
W/O G.A. Losh, 623752, RAF, 102 Sq. Halifax V9987, S/D 25/6/42 on Op: Bremen, Hometown: Liverpool, England
W/O G.C.G. Hawkins, 746982, RAFVR, 107 Sq. Blenheim R3606, S/D 10/7/40 on Op: Amiens, Hometown: Wembley, Middlesex, England
W/O F.B. Duffield, 647048, RAF, 114 Sq. Blenheim V5877, S/D 15/06/41, Hometown: Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England
W/O M.G. McKenna, 1111489, RAFVR, 156 Sq. Wellington DV799, S/D 1/6/42 on Op: Essen, H/T: Glasgow, Scotland, Died of wounds 28/04/1945
W/O C.W. Heathman, 1378655, RAFVR, 214 Sq. Wellington X9762, S/D 12/10/41 on Op: Nuremburg, H.T. New Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
W/O F.J.W. Steele, 561898, RAF, 214 Sq. Wellington, bailed out, error, 7/12/40 Op: Dusseldorf, Hometown: Stoke Gabriel, Devon, England
W/O E.A. Green, 621821, RAF, 218 Sq. Stirling BF315, S/D 27/8/42 on Op: Kassel, H/T: Southall, Middlesex, England – Died of wounds April 21, 1945
W/O K. Mortimer, 1431168, RAFVR, 514 Sq. Lancaster DS735, S/D 30/1/44 on Op: Berlin, Hometown: Fairweather Green, Yorkshire, England
W/O E. Bardsley, 1455475, RAFVR, 576 Sq. Lancaster W4245, S/D 31/1/44 on Op: Berlin, Hometown: Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland
Flt Sgt. J.A. Gibbs, 1338451, RAFVR 578 Sq. Halifax MZ518, 22/4/44 on Op: Dusseldorf, Hometown: Highbury, Llangennith, Swansea, Wales
W/O F.T. Price, 1509811, RAFVR, 625 Sq. Lancaster JA862, S/D 20/2/44 on Op: Leipzig, Hometown: Leeds, Yorkshire, England
W/O H.P. Lowman, 570626, RAF, 1652 HCU Halifax L9605, S/D 31/5/42 on Op: Cologne, Hometown: Paignton, Devon, England

Re: Friendly Fire incident – Gresse, Germany

Posted: Tue May 07, 2019 9:40 pm
by georgetanksherman
Other Forces

Sgt J.S.J. BRETENBACH, Umvoti Mounted Rifles, South African Forces
Cpl W. DOWNIE, 3245722, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), Hometown: Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland
L. Sgt L.H.J. GOODFELLOW, 2571861, Royal Corps of Signals
Cpl A.G. HUNT, A/22182, Essex Scottish, R.C.I.C. (Canadian)
Cpl G. MOIR, 2874561, Gordon Highlanders
Cpl P. PATON, 918030, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Pvt R. WOODGATE, NX5318, Australian Expeditionary Force, 2/4 Battalion, Hometown: Granville, New South Wales, Australia.
Gnr. J.R.C. CURRIE, 855440, Royal Artillery, Ryde, Isle of Wight
Pte W.D. GLYNN-BAKER, 127703, S.A. Forces
Bdr T.H. HUME, 908093, Royal Artillery
L. Cpl. C.A. JOYES, A/21107, Essex Scottish, R.C.I.C. (Canadian)
Fus. F.C. LEWIS, 6472740, Royal Fusiliers, Hometown: Peckham, London, England
Gnr. J.T. SUTCLIFFE, 1528188, Royal Artillery, Hometown: Burnley, Lancashire, England
Gnr. F.J. WALLS, 1766826, Royal Artillery, Hometown: Hertford, East Hertfordshire, England