A secret squadron and a mysterious crash

Foreword
While researching the bombing raids on the Rheinpreußen fuel works in Moers (usually referred to as "Homberg" in Allied documents) I came across this story. Fragments of it can be found in many places on the web and in books. I have attempted to arrange them chronologically and supplement them. The story is both mysterious and tragic. The crew who lost their lives deserve to be remembered, this is the purpose of the following account.


Squadron
101 Squadron RAF belonged to 1 Group Bomber Command. In addition to "normal" bombing missions, however, it had a special task. In addition to the seven-member crew, these Lancasters had an eighth crew member on board, a Special Operator "SO" who understood and spoke German. He sat in a separate area at the rear of the aircraft. His task was to locate and jam the radio communications between German night fighters and their controllers. A receiver and an oscilloscope were used to locate the frequencies, which were then jammed with signals from up to three transmitters. From the outside, the Lancasters could only be recognized by their additional antennas. The code name for this ECM procedure was "Airborne Cigar." From their base at Ludford Magna, the Lancasters flew to an agreed rendezvous point and mingled with the normal bombers of the other squadrons.


SR-B releasing a "cookie" - note the vertical aerials on top of fuselage

101 Squadron flew more sorties than any other Bomber Command Squadron and had the highest casualty rate (1,176 aircrew and 146 aircraft) of any RAF squadron.

During the night of July 20/21, 1944, the RAF carried out the following attacks:
COURTRAI 302 Lancasters attacked the railway yards, 9 aircraft were lost
BOTTROP 166 aircraft attacked the synthetic-oil refinery. 8 aircraft were lost
HOMBERG 147 Lancasters attacked the oil plant. 20 Lancasters were lost.

Target Homberg
Rheinpreußen Treibstoffwerk was a chemical plant in the Ruhr region. Synthetic fuels and other chemical products were manufactured from 1936 to 1945. The production facilities were located in Meerbeck (Moers). Following the night raid on July 21, 1944, a 50 percent loss of production is reported.


Homberg Plant

Aircraft and crew
The aircraft was a Lancaster I with serial LL862 and code SR-K. It was the crew's third flight in this configuration. There are conflicting statements about Special Operator Keith Gosling. He is said to have actually belonged to another crew and only stepped in as a temporary replacement. (R. Davies)

P/O Meier D.L.W. – Pilot (RCAF)
W/O Nixon J.E.M. – Radio Operator (RCAF)
Sgt Ianuzello D. – Navigator (RCAF)
Sgt Boyle E.E. – Upper Turret Gunner (RCAF)
Sgt Douglas G.T. – Tail Gunner (RCAF)
Sgt Reid I.H.M. – F/Engineer
F/S Gwilliam L.K. – Bombardier (RCAF)
P/O Gosling K. – Special Radio Operator

The flight
Takeoff was at around 22:50 from Ludford Magna. Payload was 1 x 4000lb.M2 13 x 500lb.GP 3 x 500lb.GPO.LD. (All other 101 Sqn Lancs had 12 x 500lb – bad omen?) After mingling with the "normal" Lancasters, they headed for the coast (Orfordness Beacon). From there, they flew over to Belgium (North of Antwerp), via Roermond, towards their target Moers. It was quite common to change course several times during the approach in order to keep the night fighters in the dark about the actual target for as long as possible. The bombing went smoothly: "Bombing appeared concentrated – a good attack." (101 Sqn) "Many fighters were seen on the route in and out." (15 Sqn).

Here, all traces of LL862 are lost; the ORB contains only the obligatory entry "Aircraft missing - no news since takeoff."

On July 23, 1944, an official message of 101 Squadron lists the key data of the sortie with infos on the crew. In addition to LL862, 101 Squadron lost two other aircraft that night, LL779 and W4967.



The story continues
On September 19, 1944, crew member Gwilliam returned to England. He had bailed out and landed in occupied Belgium and was hidden by the Resistance until early September 1944. However, he made contradictory statements about the sequence of events leading up to the crash.

"About half an hour after we had left the target area, the navigator noticed that we were off course. The pilot did not respond when the navigator called him. The aircraft then suddenly went into a dive to port, I thought we were going to crash so bailed out."

Since Gwilliam was kept hidden in Estinne, it can be assumed that he came down in the surrounding area. Estinne is located approximately 65 km northeast of Cambrai, where LL862 finally crashed.

Gwilliam was later repatriated and demobilised in Vancouver on 2 March 1945.


September 1945
Official authorities receive testimony from a former member of the Luftwaffe. He stated that in July 1944, a Lancaster crashed near Cambrai, killing six crew members. The pilot, however, parachuted out and, despite the efforts of some Cambrai residents to hide him, surrendered himself to the Luftwaffe.

He further states that P/O Meier was interrogated at the airfield in Lille, after which he disappeared with the Gestapo and the witness has not heard from him since. When asked why he had not told his story before, the German said that he had already reported it to the Americans, who did nothing. A corporal, Muhling, also a former member of the Luftwaffe, is given as an additional witness.

Graves of the crew members
The crew of LL862 are laid to rest in Cambrai Communal Cemetery in France. At a later date, Douglas, Ianuzello, and Boyle are reburied at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium. This answers the question raised in some media outlets as to why the crew members were buried in different locations. There is no evidence to support the statement made by the Luftwaffe soldiers that the crew was initially buried at the airfield.




October/November 1945
Now there is a lively exchange of correspondence between the agencies involved, such as:
- RAF BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) Headquarters
- BAFO (British Air Forces of Occupation) Headquarters
- British Military Mission, Moscow
- Ministry of Air, London
- S.H.A.E.F Main, PWX Branch
- Canadian Air Forces Headquarters in Europe
- Canadian Air Ministry in Ottawa



Some snippets of interest:
"Gwilliam was repatriated to the United Kingdom on 16 September 1944. He had no information about the other crew members and was vague and confused about the crash."

"The former commander of the Luftwaffe unit in Cambrai, Major Schulte [...] could confirm these statements, but his residence is outside the Wing's area. If it is decided at a higher level to question the major or continue the investigation in other directions the Wing would like to be kept informed of the results."

"P/O Meier was first reported as a prisoner at Stalag Luft III (No. 6956). A former prisoner of war, Flight Lieutenant K H P Murphy of the RAF confirmed that he saw P/O Meier alive at Stalag Luft IIIA around 21 April 1945"

"The British Military Mission in Moscow has been mandated by the War Office to investigate but is obviously experiencing difficulties in conducting investigations in the Russian-controlled zone."

"The version given by Munch – confirmed by Mulhing – [Luftwaffe members] seems plausible and would appear to warrant further investigation."


15 January 1946
Gwilliam ist questioned again.

RCAF Investigation Report on Suspicion of Sabotage P/O Meier, Loss of crew and aircraft (Excerpt)
Gwilliam: "We took off at around 10 p.m. The crew was as described above. We flew at between 18,000 and 20,000 feet. The whole crew was in good spirits. There were no unusual reactions from the pilot. The aircraft had no problems. The target was reached at around 1 a.m. and, on the pilot's orders, I proceeded to drop the bombs. [...] After leaving the target, as far as I knew, the aircraft had not been hit and was flying correctly. No attempt was made by the pilot to land in enemy territory, and the subject was not even mentioned on the intercom. After half an hour of the return journey, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude and I was ordered to evacuate. We were at around 18,000 feet and the aircraft was falling rapidly."

Comments from the three members of the commission:
"This witness appeared very surprised when informed of the allegations against the pilot, but he seemed very cooperative in providing all possible information. It was apparent from observing this witness that he had been greatly affected by the effects of his accident, but his health appears to have improved since his return to Canada. [...] In the absence of further instructions, the file may be closed at Headquarters."

Original Navigation Plot from 15 Squadron, supplemented



1952
Time does not stand still; the war has been over for seven years. Meier's wife is now receiving a war pension when, out of the blue, she suddenly receives a letter from her husband in Germany. She then travels to West Berlin for a meeting where, during a survey of Meier by the Allied authorities, some details come to light.

March 1952
Hearing Report of Meier (Excerpt)
"During the return flight, I decided that I could no longer continue doing this. I am of German descent and I thought it was wrong for me to bomb people of my own race. So I decided not to return to England. I tried to talk to my crew about it, suggesting that we land in Switzerland where we would all be interned. The crew refused. So I decided to leave the aircraft by parachute. Gwilliam agreed to accompany me, but not for the same reasons. [...] I handed over the controls of the aircraft to the mechanic and we jumped.

I deliberately left the formation of aircraft to fly alone. I thought that by flying alone, we could be shot down. There was also the fact that, having tried unsuccessfully to convince my crew to desert, I thought they would report me as soon as we returned.

I landed in France. I didn't see Gwilliam anywhere. I abandoned my parachute and set out to find German soldiers to surrender to. [...] I then headed back towards the light I had seen during the night. It was actually the wreckage of my aircraft, which was still burning. The aircraft had crashed just after I jumped out with my parachute. From what I could see, all the crew who had remained on board were dead. Shortly afterwards, the Germans arrested me and I was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Silesia."

Comments from the interviewer
"He expressed a great deal of grief, but only for himself. I do not recall him showing any regret for the six members of his crew who died or for their loved ones. Although he generally answered my questions, on certain points he was, if not evasive, at least cautious. I was naturally interested in his situation in East Germany, but my questions remained unanswered. We parted with the impression that something, somewhere, had been left out of his story. I have a feeling that he could have given me more information about the crash if he had wanted to."

And here the story ends.
Gwilliam died in Canada on 16th October 1965. Meier remained in Germany, he died on 28th January 1977.


Sources:
Aircrewremembered.com, Archives Canada, Australian War Memorial, BBC, Bomber Command War Diaries, CASPIR, CWGC, Cambrésis Terre d’Histoire Revue, Daniel Carville, Edward King, Francecrashes39-45.net, IBCC, International Bomber Command Centre, Jewishvirtuallibrary.org, Joss Leclercq, Legion Magazine, Lincolnshirelife.co.uk, National Archives, Olivier Geoffroy, RCAF Association, Rafcommands forum, Ronald Davies, Sam Brookes

Some reading tips and an attempt to reconstruct the chronology of the flight will follow.

Edit 2025-10-10 - Documents and Images added

 

Two first hand accounts of members of 101 Squadron in 1944. Both knew Special Operator Keith Gosling, who died in the crash of LL862. They also discuss the circumstances of the crash. Some of it is highly speculative — but who knows...

The Wartime Memories Project
P/O Sam Brooks Royal Air Force special operator 101 Sqd. The Wartime Memories Project

International Bomber Command Centre Digital Archive
Interview with Ronald Davies · IBCC Digital Archive


Another article, written by Martin Sugarman, deals with the individual fates of Jewish special operators. He gives a very impressive account of life and death in 101 Squadron.
Jewish RAF Special Operators in Radio Counter Measures with 101 Squadron

 

The following is an attempt to reconstruct the chronology of flight LL862. Important information comes from the ORBs of 15 Squadron (normal bomber squadron) and 101 Squadron (special bomber squadron) as well as other documents.

Ludford Magna Airfield, home base of 101 Squadron, was located in northern Lincolnshire, much further north than most WW2 airfields. Mildenhall, base of 15 Squadron, is located 120 km south of Ludford Magna.

The rest is just a little math, which you can skip if you like. The result is shown in the red table. There is only a difference of ~ 10 minutes between the calculated and documented times for both Squadrons.



In addition to the inconsistencies in the statements already described, there are further oddities here.

(1) According to Gwilliam's statement, the navigator's report came 30 minutes into the return flight. By that time, the aircraft had already covered 140 km. (2) Meier's statement reads as if both had jumped at the same time. (3) How could the aircraft have crashed immediately after Meier jumped?

And there is another oddity to add. In the service records of crew member Douglas, there is a German index card (red) documenting the whole thing as a shoot-down. Neither Meier nor Gwilliam mention that the aircraft was hit.

 

Short biographies are now available in PDF format for five of the victims of the tragic crash.

Source: Losses Database - International Bomber Command Centre

https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/102441 Boyle.pdf
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/106400 Douglas.pdf
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/108972 Gosling.pdf
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/111671 Ianuziello.pdf
https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/storage/biographies/117314 Nixon.pdf

 

The crew were mostly Canadians 6 of the 8 (SWO Gosling, and the Flight Eng.Reid being RAF.) They came to 101 squadron and formed up in late June 1944. Not seeing any operational flights before this one on the 20/21-7-44 as far as I can see from the ORB,s. Air 27/803/14

Indeed a bit odd for this to be happening in late July 1944, when the war outcome was well known with the allies on the coast of Northern France.
He calls the Flight engineer the Mechanic! Odd expression for a Pilot, even if he had been in and speaking German for the past 7 years.
Still he got what he wanted, and Stayed in (East) Germany. With somewhat of a question mark over him.
Sure is a story with lots of open ends, thanks for sharing.



The Hodgkinson," Hodge" referred to by Brooks above had one Ops flight as second dicky on a day raid 29-6-44 and at least 9 other OPs day and night, having one ops mission scrubbed and one returning sick.on 12-9-44.
The ORB pages AIR 27/803 being a bit odd.12-9-44 page 138 (page identifier 177) with Hodgkinson,s uptime and details missing from this page, with Hodgkinson's ops status, and detail on a strip all alone on a separate page, almost as if the records were...............

see
101 Sqn Ludford Magna Lancaster MK1 - LL862 Crashed 21 July 1944 s. of Cambrai - RAFCommands Forums

 

Some-more details on the subject, thanks to aircrewremembered.


20/21.07.1944 101 Squadron Lancaster I LL862 SR:K Plt Off. Meier, RAF Ludford Magna, unexplained, South of Cambrai, France

from
Francecrashes 39-45.net.

doc in French.

 

A September 1944 Report from German Luftwaffe mentions the crash of a Lancaster in Courtrai, which had the well-known ABC equipment on board. This is likely to be the Lancaster W4967, which was mentioned earlier in this thread and also belonged to 101 Squadron. However, this aircraft had the call sign (P).

Although 214 Squadron also flew a mission with window and ABC jamming in the Courtrai area, it suffered no losses that night, and the squadron flew B-17s. The report therefore remains somewhat puzzling.



Translation:

 

The book "Bomb on the Red Markers" includes the story of Flight Lieutenant Frederick G. James, who was posted to 101 Squadron. He describes what happened as follows:

---snip---
My first SO was Pilot Officer Keith Gosling who, being the only other officer on the crew, | grew quite pally with. After a few ops, however, he was detailed to fill in on a Ruhr trip with another crew, and as the aircraft failed to return, | completed my tour with Sergeant Roy Hall.
[...]
And yet, a poignant revelation awaited me. When my first SO, Pilot Officer Keith Gosling, had failed to return, we'd fatalistically accepted that he'd got the chop. It transpired, however, that it had not been that simple.

His pilot on that fill-in trip had been a Pilot Officer Meier, RCAF, and of German extraction. Having bombed the target, and although the aircraft was undamaged, Meier later claimed that he unsuccessfully tried to persuade the crew that bombing was morally wrong. Certainly, the bomb aimer was either ordered to bale out, or decided to — his account varied — and successfully evaded. But twenty minutes later, Meier seems to have put the aircraft into a banked dive, and jumped himself, leaving the other six crew, including Keith, to crash and burn.

Meier became a POW, but in 1945, when his fellow POWs were forced-marched westwards, he disappeared, re-appearing years later in East Germany seeking to be allowed back to Canada. The Canadian authorities, having investigated the case, became embarrassed, and continually stood him off until 1977, when he died, finally reckoning him among those of their black sheep who were ‘deemed never to have served’. And so we learnt that Keith and his fellow crew members might well have fallen victim to their pilot’s flawed moral conscience.
---snip---


I am unfamiliar with the phrase “deemed never to have served.” Is it just an idiom, or is there more to it than that? (From a legal perspective, perhaps?)

 

“deemed never to have served.” All records removed and expunged from the RCAF files etc. Which I read somewhere where there was LMF, Cowardice etc. involved. They were lenient and compassionate to some extent if you came forward and stated you have had enough of ops, or after an accident etc. before breaking down.