Killing of RAF airman in December 1944

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by James Atkinson, Nov 5, 2012.

  1. Hello everyone,


    Could anybody help me in finding out any information about the fate of allied airman at Rheine airfield during 1944. After reading " Footprints on the sands of Time" i have learnt of the murder of airman at the hands of a Standartenfuhrer Bollenrath whobwas the head of Security and administration at Rheine airfield. In particular I'm interested in Flying Officer K G Slade-Betts from 3 Squadron ,who was killed on the 29th December 1944. I know he was shot down near Hespe Germany in the morning whist flying Hawker Tempest JN803, I have been told that this is also known as the Rheine airfield case. But then my knowledge goes cold, it would be very grateful if anybody could help me with this sensitive matter.

    Many thanks
    James
     
  2. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    This from RAF Commands:

    "Footsteps" does not only list Bomber Command - see page 207 -F/L D J Wilson RAAF (130 Punjab) Squadron and F/O K G Slade-Betts DFC (3 Squadron) murdered by Standartenfuhrer Bollenrath, commander of Rheine Fliegerhorst on 8 December and 29 December respectively. Wilson was flying a Spitfire XIV and Slade-Betts a Tempest V - from 125 Wing and 122 Wing (83 Group/2TAF).

    F/O Slade-Betts it was shot down by Bf.109 Fw. Walter Arnold from 9./JG 27 North of Hespe, Germany.

    A photo here if you haven't seen it!

    The Hawker Tempest Page

    Just noticed you had referred to this incident in another post here 3 days ago!
     
  3. PsyWar.Org

    PsyWar.Org Archive monkey

    James, there's War Crimes file in the National Archives that might be of interest:

    - WO 311/460, Rheine Airfield, Germany: killing of allied airmen 1944 Dec -

    Lee
     
    Heimbrent likes this.
  4. Hi

    Thanks for the quote on this matter. Im sorry I have posted this twice but I realised I had probably posted in the wrong topic area.

    Many thanks for your help
    James
     
  5. Hi Lee,

    Thanks for the national archives information, I take it this would outline what happened that day ?

    Many thanks
    James
     
  6. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Some details on the RAAF officer referred to by Spidge - the AWM ROH lists him as
    Cause of death: Flying Battle & the nominal roll does not have him as a POW

    An informal portrait of 414286 Flying Officer (FO) Donald John Wilson, No 130 Squadron, RAAF, sitting in the cockpit of his Spitfire. FO Wilson, from Charleville, Qld, was killed in a flying battle over Germany on 8 December 1944.

    Permalink: UK2021 | Australian War Memorial


    I was hoping that his files held by the NAA would have some info on his death, and that of Slade-Betts – however, the only one that has been digitised is his pers file. All of the info concerning his death would be on his casualty file which is yet to be uploaded.
     
  7. Hi Dave,

    Thank you for posting this information about F/O Donald John Wilson , it's great to see his photograph. I hope to find out what the details of both of the airmens deaths were. Ill keep you updated.

    Many thanks again
    James
     
  8. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Which Rheine Airfield are we talking about?

    Hopsten
    Bentlage
    Eschendorf

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  9. Hi Paul,

    I'm not sure which of the 3 airfields this took place at. All it says in the book is that Standartenfuhrer Bollenrath who was head of security and admin at Rheine airfield in north west Germany. I assume in the records that Lee has mentioned may hold more info.

    Many thanks James
     
  10. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    James,

    Good luck with your research.
    It sounds like a lot of Detective work is required to find out what really happened.

    I have just looked at the entries on the Axis History Forum and it is very interesting reading.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  11. Hi Tom,

    Thanks for the post, hopefully ill find out as much as I can. I find all aspects of the research very interesting. Il keep you posted on my progress.

    Thanks again
    James
     
  12. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Following on from my first post, I include here an extract from the work of an Aussie researcher into RAAF fatalities, Alan Storr. Alan had access to the files held by the NAA prior to the possibility of getting them digitised.

    This might provide a clue into where the incidents occured, for further info it might be necessary to plonk down the Aussie dollars to get this casualty's file digitised to see if it provides any further helpful info on the death of Slade-Betts.

    *************************************

    Summary:
    On 8th December 1944 Spitfire RM749 took off at 1430 hours as part of a six aircraft
    formation detailed to carry out and armed recce and fighter sweep in the Munster area.
    While attacking a train the Squadron sighted approx 20 ME109’s and FW190’s. In the
    ensuing engagement, Flt Lt Wilson over the RT said je had been hit and asked for a
    homing vector which was given. A few minutes later at 1510 hours he agains stated he
    had been badly hit and was ‘going to go down’. At this time the aircraft was north west of
    Bergensteinfurt. Nothing further was heard from Flt Lt Wilson.

    Crew : RAAF 414286 Flt Lt Wilson, D J (Pilot)

    In a letter to Flt Lt Wilson’s father on the above A705 RAAF Casualty file held at
    Archives it was stated “ Your son survived the aircraft crash on 8th December 1944 but is
    believed to have been taken prisoner, and to have lost his life on 1012/1944. The
    circumstances of his death are subject to investigation by the Allied War Crimes
    Tribunal. Your son’s body was found near the bank of the Ems river not far from Rheine
    airfield, Germany, in circumstances which indicate his death was not due to any injury he
    might have received when the aircraft crashed.”

    Flt Lt Wilson is buried in the Rheichswald Forest War Cemetery, Locality Kleve,
    Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. The cemetery is 5kms south west of Kleve.
     
  13. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Attached document shows the sort of stuff that can be found on RAAF casualty files held by the NAA - in this case that of

    51SQN RAF - aircraft shot down 21 March and all the crew landed safely by chute but within 24 hours four of the crew had been shot by German soldiers.

    These four were PARADISE, John Edwin (Flying Officer) 426148 RAAF / GREENWOOD, Bruce Frederick (Pilot Officer) 424584 RAAF / GUNN, Richard Francis (Sergeant) 1721922 RAF / ARMSTRONG, Alexander (Flight Sergeant) 1567638 RAF //

    survived the crash and escaped from the murder scene, later became POW: BERICK, Keith William (Flying Officer) 424950 RAAF. Also taken POW: HART (Flight Sergeant) 1594114 RAF / HOOP (Sergeant) 1592286 RAF.

    Details of the incident are covered in the book "Footprints on the Sands of Time" by Oliver Clutton-Brock
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Hello Dave,

    Once again thank you so very much for this amazing information about F/Lt Wilson RAAF. It really gives an insight into those dark days of 1944 and the horrible way that Wilson and his fellow airmen were treated. I can not begin to imagine receiving a letter like the one you have quoted, so many emotions must have been through his fathers head at that time.

    It has been a great help speaking to people like yourself who are willing to help on the subjects that I am trying to get to the bottom of.

    I will aim to get some records to see what secrets they may hold. Anything new I find out I shall let you know.

    Thanks so much again
    James
     
  15. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    I was hoping to find something in the file of Wilson to fill in the gaps for Slade-Betts, however, I am no closer to getting some of the final details as when I started. In fact I now need more info on Wilson.

    The “Footsteps” book is pretty adamant that Wilson was killed after he became a Prisoner and this is supported to some extent by extracts from his NAA pers file which is available to be read on-line (and his casualty file which is quoted by Alan Storr in his research).

    But nothing concrete can be found – the files refer to other investigations which (if the file can be located at TNA Kew) should shed some light on what happened to Wilson & Slade-Betts.

    The nominal roll entry for Wilson does not mention that he became a POW and the AWM ROH lists him as Cause of death: Flying Battle (repeated on his photo caption).


    This is the response from the people who look after the nominal roll when I suggested that he was (for however short a period of time) a POW. They are very keen to help but need something firmer regarding his murder.

    *******************************************************************************

    Are you able to find the results of "The circumstances of his death are subject to investigation by the Allied War Crimes Tribunal"? If this was proven his date of death would be 10/12/44?

    In his file, pages 10 11 & 12 there is correspondence regarding the date and cause of death dated 1967 and 1968. The Official position in 1968 appears to be that he died on 8 December 1944 missing believed killed, air operations.

    *******************************************************************************


    PS - does knowing the original place of burial for FLTLT Wilson help narrow down where the incident may have occured?? (see newspaper extract from 1946)
     

    Attached Files:

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