Library Reference Number: 106
A Stirling Pilot
Although difficult during the period of conflict to dwell too deeply on our losses, members of the Aircrew Association are now ever mindful of the large number of our comrades who never returned, (55,000 aircrew members were lost from RAF Bomber Command alone). Sadly the fate of many of our former aircrew colleagues is still unclear, and it is only through the meticulous research undertaken by his nephew, that the final days of one Stirling Pilot became much clearer. A very brief extract follows, which is not only a tribute to our many comrades who did not return, but also to family members of the Stirling Pilot who not only undertook the task of research in UK, but extended this to German sources. More information about this can be found on the Stirling Pilot Website - Click Here to Visit the Website.
Andrew Angus Brown was born in Hildesay House, on the 10th October 1921, to George Mckenzie Brown and Christina Thom Brown, of
Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, he was the third of six children: George, Christina, (Andrew), James, William and Robina, and was brought up in a
quiet part of rural Aberdeenshire. The main employer in the Peterculter area was the paper mill, with almost all the family spending some time
in their employ. Being a bright lad at Culter Higher Grade school, his headmaster was horrified when he applied for work at the local paper
mill, so placed him in an office job at Aberdeen. This did not sit well with Andrew, and after a few weeks he was back knocking at the mill
door.
Andrew joined the RAF in December 1941, and did his Elementary Flying Training at 22 EFTS at Teversham, Cambs, with Marshalls, on the site of what is now Cambridge Airfield; the aircraft was the DH 82 Tiger Moth. He was then one of the student pilots to be sent to America under the Arnold Scheme. Posted to Lakeland School of Aeronautics (soon to become the Lodwick School of aeronautics), Lakeland, Florida. In Feb 1942, he commenced training on the PT17 Stearman aircraft, mainly under the watchful eye of a civilian instructor, W.A. Lethio, before progressing to Cochran Field, Macon, Georgia in May '42 and the BT13A "Vultee Valiant". After that he was off to Dothan, Alabama in July '42, and the AT - 6A ("Harvard") aircraft, for Advanced Flying Training. At this stage he was also flying out of Elgin and Napier Fields. He was an average pilot, with comments from his flight commander of, "Flying O.K., but too cocky". But he persevered, and gained his wings.
Posted back to the UK( Nov '42), and No 14(P) A.F.U. at Ossington, Notts, he flew the Airspeed Oxford. His first twin-engined "solo" was on the 21st Nov '42 in Oxford Ser No 9635. After 3 months on the Oxford he was posted to No 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Oakley, Bucks, to fly the Wellington Aircraft. Steady progress meant that he went in May 1943 to 1651 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit), at Waterbeach, Cambridge, to learn to fly the Stirling Bomber. During the 11 OTU and 1651 posting the final crew (Crew 6) teamed up.
Completing the conversion training on the 18th May, 1943, he was posted with "Crew Six" as an operational crew to 149 (East India) Squadron, flying Stirling III Bombers out of Lakenheath, Suffolk. On the 29th of May, he and the crew received their new Aircraft, A Short & Harland built "Stirling" Mark III serial number EE872, contract No 774677/38. This aircraft was transferred to 149 Sqn on the 26th May '43 and given the Sqn letters OJ-N. The Sqn records show it as "Cat E" (missing) on the 6th of Sep and SOC (Struck Off Charge) on the 11th. Although this was not the only Aircraft the Crew flew, it was still considered "theirs" by them, and treated as such. The first trip for the crew with 149 Sqn was with PIt.Off. Laurie Blair as first pilot in OJ-M (BF531) on the 27th May '43. His first "Op" was on a trip to Wuppertal on the 29th May (Alex Holms also shows this trip in his log book). Again Plt Off Blair was first pilot.
The Last Operation
Stirling III serial number EE872 had been allocated to Andrew and his crew two days after his joining the Squadron at Lakenheath on the 27th May, 1943. His crew, (crew 6), consisted of Alex Holms (Nav), Adrian Douglas (W/OP/AG), David Badcock (Bomb Aimer) all from New Zealand. Doug Guest (Flt Eng) and Henry Saunders (AG) were both from London, and Harry Barnard (AG) was from Huntingdon. They had completed 49 trips in this aircraft, with 20 as confirmed Operational Sorties. These had included Wuppertal, Dusseldorf, Le Creusot, Krefeld, Mulheim, Elberfeld, Gelsenkirschen, Koln, Hamburg (4 times), Remscheid, Nurenburg, Berlin and Munchengladbach, amongst others. Andrew's flying log book shows a total of 555 Hrs 54 Mins at this time.
The aircraft took off from Lakenheath at 19.36 on the night of the 5th Sept, 1943, en route for Mannheim in Germany via Beachy Head. 149 Sqdn was to lose three aircraft that night. Relatives of two of the crew of OJ-O, which was also lost that night, have been in touch with me during my research. The exact time OJ-N fell is unclear, but the claim by Leutnant Hoppner was timed at 00.20, and the Searchlight crew's report confirms this as the likely time. The sole survivor of the aircraft loss was the tail gunner, Harry Barnard, known to the rest of the crew as "Barney". He was to spend the rest of the war as a POW, and pass away in the 1970's.
The rest of the crew were dead, with only Doug Guest and Alex Holms being positively identified when the German police picked up the bodies the following day. It is presumed (by Richard Braun, an historian from Ludwigshafen-Mundenheim) that all six fatalities were originally buried at Ludwigshafen main cemetery, although the photograph I have of Andrew's (and David Badcock's) initial internment, does not list Doug and Alex with them. They all now lie in Durnbach War cemetery, Bayern, Germany, with Andrew, Alex, David, Henry and Doug together in Plot (Coll) 8 J. 1-18 and Adrian in plot 8 K3.
The Hunters
The Hunters in this case were Lieutenant Heinz-Wolfgang Hoppner and his observer, Unteroffizier Alfons Low. They were members of 6. Staffel/NJG 1, flying out of Erbenheim airfield, between Mainz and Wiesbaden. His aircraft was a Messerschmitt Me 110, G-4. Code G9 - IP, serial number 5356. When shooting down Andrew's aircraft the Me sustained hits in the wings and left engine, presumably from return fire from "Nuts". Whilst trying to make an emergency landing, the aircraft crashed and was destroyed at the back of their home Airfield. Hoppner and Low survived but were injured. Hoppner does not appear in any subsequent German air victories lists. More details are being researched. The Illustrations show a Messersmidtt Me 110 Variant G-4, which was normally fitted with "Lichtenstein" Radar and a belly pack containing the Cannons. Ltnt Hoppner's aircraft was fitted with the "Schrage Musik" weapons pack, which in the Me 110 was a twin cannon layout, as opposed to the four gun pack carried in Me 410 and Ju 88 aircraft.
Sole Survivor
Sole survivor of the aircraft loss was the tail gunner, Harry Barnard, known to the rest of the crew as "Barney". His son, Graham, recounted what his father told him in these words:(comments in brackets are mine - AF). The following is from Graham, the son of Harry Barnard. As quoted to Richard Braun, Historian of Ludwigshafen.. . As they approached Mannheim, they were hit early by Flak. (It now appears that it was the Me110 flown by Heinz-Wolfgang Hoppner) "My father knew the aircraft was in trouble. It was banking over the target. One of the other gunners came through to the rear and told my father that they were the only ones alive on the aircraft. He went through the aircraft, checking this was true. It appeared to him that the pilot ( Andrew) and the co-pilot (presumably David Badcock) had been hit early, and were slumped over the controls - dead. (Unlikely, as the Stirling was not noted for flying well with two bodies leaning forward on the controls!). The other gunner ran to the rear, opened the rear turret (probably the rear exit) and jumped out. (This may have been Adrian Douglas, the wireless Operator/Air Gunner). My father did not see the parachute open. He then saw that the aircraft was only 400ft, approximately from the ground. He jumped clear of the aircraft, pulled his parachute and hit the ground 5 seconds later. As my father said, he was a very lucky man. He started to recover his chute, but within a minute was arrested by a soldier who said to him, 'Nein, nein, Johnny'. My father said the aircraft was in one piece, so it appeared that the bombs had been dropped". ( Accounts from Herr Braun, the LudwigshafenMundenheim historian, say that incendiary cases were found after the crash. N-Nuts had a history of Hang-ups, so this should not be viewed as conclusive).