6th June 1940, Wellington, P9232, Squadron 9, S/L G.E.Peacock DFC, Simonshaven

Information

Type Wellington

Serial Number P9232

X1D WS-M

Operation Duisburg

Date 1 5th June 1940

Date 2 6th June 1940

1940-06-06 Wellington

Further Information

"Serial range P9205 - P9236. 32 Wellington Mk.1A. Part of a batch of 82 Wellington Mk.1A/1C. P9205-P9236 (32) Mk.1A delivered by Vickers (Weybridge) between Jan and Aapril 1939. P9237-P9250; P9265-P9300 (50) Mk.1C delivered by Vickers (Weybridge) in March and April 1940. P9233 produced as D.W.1. P9238 produced as Mk.111 Prototype. P9209, P9222 converted to Mk.XV. P9289 converted to Mk.XV1

Airborne from Honington. Shot down by Flak soon after crossing the Dutch coast. Crashed near Simonshaven (Zuid Holland) in the commune of Geervliet, 16 km SW of Rotterdam, Holland

Crash

According to local records this plane crashed within or in an area belonging to the community of "Geervliet" and not "Simonshaven". It was probably somewhere in between those two villages. The exact location has not been identified yet.

As soon as they were over Holland every gun on the ground seemed to have them in their sights. The sky lit up like a Christmas tree. Flak came soaring up at them, rattling against them like hail on a iron shed. And for some reason the pilot, instead of making the usual manoeuver - a quick vertical nose-dive towards terra firma in order to try and break out of the searchlight cone - continued to plug on heavenwards. They never reached it. Soon the port engine cascaded in flame after being hit. That was one engine gone and they only got two. With a full bomb-load and a fire on board, the situation was split-second hazardous. The pilot George Peacock soon gave the order, 'Bail out! Bail out!'

The pilot stayed at the controls for a few more seconds to allow the crew to escape but was unable to leave the plane in time - the whole plane exploded, raining pieces of metal down. The navigator also seem to have left the plane too late and trailed down with his parachute in flames.

Crew

S/L G.E.Peacock DFC KIA

P/O B.A.James PoW

Sgt R.C.Hargrave DFM KIA

Sgt A.K.Griffiths PoW

P/O S.W.Webster PoW

LAC C.Murton PoW

Sgt A.K.Griffiths was interned in Camp 357, PoW No.500.

LAC C.Murton in Camps 12A/L1/8B/L3/L6/357, PoW No.52562.

P/O S.W.Webster in Camps 12A/2A/L1/L3, PoW No.2253. "

B.A.James the co-pilot on this Wellington is known as the last surviving participant of the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft III in 1943.

On the night of 5th June, 1940, Flight Lieutenant James was the 2nd pilot of a Wellington aircraft which was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and had to be abandoned whilst over Holland. He made a successful parachute descent some 25 miles south of Rotterdam, disposed of his equipment, and evaded some people who were approaching, but subsequently was captured by the Germans. He was held at Qberussel for four days for interrogation. Later he was sent to Stalag Luft I at Earth from which camp he made an attempt to escape during an air raid on 21st October, 1941. His attempt, which was made after a .tunnel had been constructed, was unsuccessful and as a punishment he received 14 days solitary confinement. In November, 1941, he was discovered whilst engaged in the construction of a second tunnel, and was sentenced to another 14 days solitary confinement. While at Stalag Luft I, he worked on the construction of at least five other tunnels, all without success. His next attempt was made whilst at Stalag Luft III (Sagan) in July, 1942, when he, with another prisoner, managed to slip away from a sick parade and hide in a cow shed. Here they began to construct another tunnel, but were discovered when it was 21 feet long. For this, Flight Lieutenant James served a sentence of 14 days in the cells. In April, 1943, he, with others, commenced the construction of a tunnel which resulted in the escape of 76 officers ("The great escape"), but unfortunately 50 R.A.F. officers were shot by the Germans whilst endeavouring to get away. Flight Lieutenant James, however, managed to leave with civilian clothes and forged documents and, together with eleven others, entrained for Boberohrsdorf, arriving there the next morning. Here the party decided to split up into pairs. Flight Lieutenant James and his companion walked across country towards Hirschberg, but were apprehended by German Police. Flight Lieutenant James was eventually sent to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where, with others, in May, 1944, he commenced the construction of a tunnel some hundred feet in length, and 10 feet below the surface. On 23rd September, 1944, he and four others escaped through this tunnel. Flight Lieutenant James and a companion made their way towards Rostock, but were arrested by members of the German Home Guard who returned them -to the Concentration Camp where they were put in cells. Flight Lieutenant James remained in the cells from 6th October, 1944, until 15th February, 1945. He was ultimately liberated by the Allied forces on the 6th May, 1945.

Pilot Officer Bertram A. "Jimmy" James

Unit : 9 Squadron, Royal Air Force.

Camps : Dulag Luft, Oflag XXIB, Stalag Luft I & III, Sachsenhausen and Flossenberg Concentration Camps.

Jimmy James died aged 92 on January 18th., 2008

People tend to focus on his role in the Great Escape, but he had tried to escape 13 times from different camps and prisons during the Second World War. James became well known after his attempt to dig a tunnel out of a Nazi prison camp in Poland was recreated in the 1963 film The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen. He was one of 76 men to escape from Stalag Luft III on March 24, 1944, 50 of whom were executed after they were caught. Only three men successfully made their way to freedom. After his recapture, he was interrogated and sent to Sachenhausen concentration camp, near Berlin, from which he made another escape bid only to be caught again days later.

He retired as a squadron leader in the RAF in 1958, and held posts in Africa, Europe and London as part of the Diplomatic Service until 1975. James is survived by his wife of 61 years, Madge.