Sqn Ldr James Foulsham (109 Sqn): 582 Sqn Oboe Lancaster attack on V1 site Foret de Croc 20 Jul 1944

I have just returned from a trip with my wife to the Normandy Beaches and to visit the grave of her uncle, Sqn Ldr James Foulsham, DFC, AFC.

Jim ("Freddie") Foulsham and his navigator, John Swarbrick, had flown 42 pathfinding missions in Mosquitos with 109 Sqn. On their 43rd mission together they were flying the leading Oboe Lancaster of 582 Sqn on an attack in broad daylight on the V1 launch site at Foret de Croc, near Freulleville, when they were shot down on 20 July 1944.

The crew were originally buried together at the church in Freulleville before they were moved to their current resting place in Dieppe. At the churchyard we were extraordinarily lucky to find an elderly lady placing flowers on her mother's grave - she remembered the villagers placing flowers on the graves of the crew and she showed us where they had been.

We tried to find out exactly where the aircraft had crashed but she did not know. With the help of our guide on the trip, we left some leaflets at the local Mairies to see if there might be anyone who could provide any further information.

We located the approximate position of the V1 launch ramp with the help of Roger Kirby, an artist who had visited and painted the sites of his father's bombing missions, one of which had been at the Foret de Croc earlier in July 1944, and we saw the bomb craters in the forest.

The crew, now buried together in Dieppe, were:
Sqn Ldr James Foulsham, DFC, AFC (109 Sqn, attached 582 Sqn)
Flt Lt John Swarbrick, DFC (109 Sqn, attached 582 Sqn)
Flt Lt G B Aungiers (109 Sqn, attached 582 Sqn)
Flt Sgt T C Bower (109 Sqn, attached 582 Sqn)
Sqn Ldr J B Weightman, DFC (582 Sqn)
Plt Off G R MacArthur (582 Sqn)
Flt Sgt E W R Pratt (582 Sqn)
Sgt J Gresty (582 Sqn)

Our guide on our trip, himself a retired Squadron Leader, is trying to locate any records which may be held by the RAF about the crash site.

I have a great deal of information from the Operations Record Books and other publications of the events of that fateful day, but would be interested to hear if anyone, perhaps families of the crew members if they read this, knows anything more about where the Lancaster (ED 908 - identification code 60-Z) came down.

 

Bonsoir , je connais la zone du crash , du LANCASTER N° ED908 60-Z, j'ai trouvé des morceaux dans mon terrain! Si vous voulez plus d'informations , écrivez-moi!
Cordialement

 

BobKat - in case you didn't get that he knows the crash site and has several pieces from the wreck on his land. If you want more info write to him.

Seems he probably doesen't speak English, do you speak French? If you want to email him PM me and I will try and translate for you. I am not fluent in French but generally make myself understood!

Mike

 

Nouvelle Laurent,

Forgive me replying in English. I can understand your French, but find it more difficult to write, and I hope you can understand my response. This is marvellous news - thank you so much.

I attach a map of the area with the approximate location of the V1 launch site in the Bois du Croc marked with a red arrow.

Can you indicate or describe where the Lancaster crashed? Is it on this map somehere near Freullevile? Are you able to provide any photographs of the site or of the objects you have found?

I look forward to hearing from you with any further information you are able to provide. My thanks again.

 

Mike L,

Thanks for your offer to translate. If it proves necessary I will let you know, but it may become apparent from the dialogue on the thread!

All the best.

 

BobKat, no problem mate.
I will follow this to see where it goes, sounds very interesting. Good luck and the offer stands if required.

 

Bonsoir , le site du crash est au MANOIR DU VAL ,chemin du croc ! M

 

I often use Google Translation tool to change from English to whichever language is need, and also include the English text, so they have a chance of trying to better translate, if the Google terms seem a little odd....

 

Bonsoir , j'habite au 234 Chemin du Croc , Manoir du Val 76510 FREULLEVILLE, le crash est à 50 Metres de ma maison,je n'arrive pas à vous mettre des photos! Il y a depuis l'année 2004 que je cherche des réponses à mes trouvailles , j'ai réussi à trouver sur internet les noms des équipages du Lancaster, ça me tient à coeur, de donner vie aux hommes qui ont donner leur vie , pour nous les français, j' ai 34 ans ,alors que eux etaient plus jeune! Je veux leurs donner une nouvelle vie et qu'on ne les oublie pas!

 

Bonjour Laurent et bienvenue au forum. C'est gentile a vous offrez assistance a notre membre <<Bobkat>>. Après des annees du recherché vous aves trouve un member de la famile de l'avin qui ete crashe pas loin de votre maison.

Je vous invite a mis en page ici les photos de les truc que vous aves deja trouve et/ou le site du crashe.

Amicalement,

Paul

 

Paul,

Thank you very much for your comments and translation - I may need your help again! However we seem to have a reasonable degree of understanding thus far in our respective languages.

Nouvelle Laurent,

I am so glad that your research has enabled us to make contact. It would be marvellous if this topic attracts the attention of the relatives of other members of the crew so that we could also make contact with them.

Our guide on our recent visit found the following extract from "Pathfinder Force" by Gordon Musgrove:

On July 20 (1944), 109 Sqn led two formations of Lancasters to the Foret de Croc where, instead of 10/10ths cloud, the skies were clear. The second formation led by an Oboe Lancaster, was engaged by light flak shortly before reaching the target. The Oboe Lancaster was hit and, although it was on fire, S/Ldr Foulsham pressed on to the target to bomb but then crashed in flames. Foulsham knew he was too near the target to allow the reserve (Oboe) aircraft, a Mosquito (109 Sqn), to take over in time and also knew that if he jettisoned his bombs the other Lancasters would bomb too soon. Unfortunately this outstanding feat of courage was wasted because the Lancaster immediately behind the leader was set on fire too; the pilot jettisoned his bombs and broke formation but the other crews did not realise he was in trouble, and they released when they saw his bombs go down.

I attach a picture of James ("Freddie") Foulsham.

I also attach a slightly enlarged map of the area. The V1 site is believed to be in the area circled in red. There were certainly many bomb craters there. Are you able to confirm?

We started our journey to the V1 site at the point near Les Essarts marked with a yellow cross, and followed the track through the forest to the area of the site.

Can you describe exactly where the crash site was on your land? Coming from the direction of Les Essarts, into Le Manoir Du Val, there are two roads to the right before the road turns left towards Freulleville. Can you indicate the crash site by reference to these landmarks?

My thanks again for your help and your kind comments about those who lost their lives. Your words are much appreciated by the family in England. I very much look forward to seeing any photographs you can provide of the site itself and of any of the objects you have found.

 

Nouvelle Laurent,

I have it!

I attach a map and see that Chemin du Croc is the first road on the right coming from the direction of Les Essarts.

Was the crash site at the edge of the forest or on your land some way down the road?

 

Bobkat & M.Laurent

Unfortunately when we came out of the forest at Les Essarts we went direct to the church and missed driving through Val du Manoir.

I have attached a more detailed map which might help pin-point the farm.

However, it looks like we shall have to go back, more St Emilion!

Chris

 

Bonjour Nouvelle Laurent,

As will be perhaps be apparent from Weasel's contribution yesterday, he was our guide on our recent trip. We are both wondering what remains of the aircraft have been discovered. For example, was there a propellor?

Today is the anniversary of D-Day and our thoughts have moved towards the possibility of creating some sort of memorial for the crew at the crash site. Would this be feasible?

Regards.

 

In case readers of this thread are wondering what is happening, I should report that Weasel and I are in direct contact with two neighbours who have knowledge of the crash site and that we are hoping to arrange a return visit to the area. We are now seeking to contact the families of the other crew members and I will list these in full in the hope that this might attract the attention of anyone seeking information about them over the internet. They were:
Sqn Ldr James Foulsham, DFC, AFC
Flt Lt John Swarbrick, DFC, of Preston, Lancashire
Flt Lt Graham Bice Aungiers, of Perranporth, Cornwall
Flt Sgt Thomas Charles Bower of Langton Matravers, Dorset
Sqn Ldr John Bentley Weightman, DFC (address unknown)
Plt Off George Reginald MacArthur, RCAF (unknown but possibly Amherst, Nova Scotia?)
Flt Sgt Edgar Walter Roslyn Pratt, of Wheatley, Oxfordshire
Sgt James Gresty of Lower Broughton, Salford, Lancashire

 

Plt Off George Reginald MacArthur, RCAF (unknown but possibly Amherst, Nova Scotia?)

According to RCAF Casualty List No. 968, issued on 22 August, 1944, MacArthur was indeed from Amherst, NS. Rank given as F/Sgt. Next of kin not given.

 

Many thanks alieneyes. Will keep you posted with any progress.

 

Crew

We have been successful in locating the nephews of Navigator Graham Aungiers and Mid-upper Gunner George MacArthur. Research on publicly available Births/Marriages/Deaths Registers suggests that other relatives might be as follows. Assumptions may prove to be incorrect and there may be others omitted.

John Swarbrick seems to have married Marion Morris in 1935. Their daughter, Ann M Swarbrick, appears to have married James F Harrison in 1965. We are therefore looking for Ann M Harrison, born in Preston in 1944.

Thomas Bower seems to have had an elder brother, Philip Henry Bower, and a younger brother, Brian W Bower. Philip Henry Bower died in Dorset in 2005. Children of the two brothers appear to be Graham P Bower, born in Poole, Dorset, in 1945; Avril R Bower, born in Poole in 1949 who married Ian H French in 1971, and therefore now Avril R French; possibly Christopher J Bower, born in 1954 in East Glamorgan; and Jennifer A Bower, born in 1956 in Yeovil, Somerset, who married Stephen G M Vaux in 1976 and therefore now Jennifer A Vaux.

John Weightman's sister, Elizabeth M, was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire in 1914 and appears to have married John F Cook in 1941. They had a daughter, Margaret E Cook, born in 1943 in Lincoln, about whom nothing more is known.

Edgar Walter Roslyn Pratt seems to have had two brothers, Leonard R A Pratt and Douglas T J Pratt. The only sons of the two brothers potentially identified are Geoffrey A E Pratt, born in 1959 in Oxford, and Richard L Pratt, born in 1961 in Ploughley, Oxfordshire. There may be others.

Nothing more is known about the family of James Gresty.

There were two other members of the regular crew (the Navigator IIs) who were not on board on 20 July 1944, having made space for Foulsham and Swarbrick: Flt Sgt James Ferry Girvan Mann, DFM, born in 1919, who survived the war and died in 1975 in Poole, Dorset, and Warrant Officer H.C.Cole, RCAF, about whom nothing is known.

Weightman's regular crew was eight strong, rather than the normal seven, with two Nav IIs in addition to his Nav I. Does anyone know why this might have been? Weightman had been awarded his Temporary PFF Badge on 24 June and had acted as Master Bomber on a few occasions - might the second Nav II been a specialist bomb-aimer?

 

Lancaster - Crew of 8

As my reseach has progressed I have now been able to answer my query as to why Weightman had a crew of 8, and I post it here for the record. Until July 8/9, he had the usual crew of 7. On July 9/10 he was instructed by the Master Bomber to go below the cloud - presumably learning the ropes, and from then on he flew with a crew of 8, on nearly every occasion as Master Bomber or Deputy Master Bomber.

The Nav I (Aungiers) would plot the information from the H2S set and the Nav II would operate the set and drop the markers or bombs. When acting as Master Bomber, Deputy Master Bomber or Primary Visual Marker, an extra Nav II was on board to help ensure the accuracy of the drop.

An experienced Pathfinder crew were lost on 20 July 1944.

 

Good afternoon,
My name is Henry Bower and I have more up-to-date details on Flt Sgt Thomas Charles Bower who was my Dad's (Philip Henry Bower) 1st Cousin.
I am new to this sort of forum so how do I confirm the exact family history.
Best regards,
Henry Bower