THE GODMANCHESTER CRASH Night of 10th/ 11th April 1942 Stirling ‘N.3703’ / 15 Squadron S/L Wilson (Pilot), Sgt Southey (Co-Pilot), F/O C.G. Reeve, Sgt Lammie, Sgt Gornall, Sgt Chambers, Sgt Gould, Sgt Jordan But what happened that fateful night in April 1942 and of the events surrounding the raid on Essen. XV Squadron were based at RAF Wyton, they had wonderful living quarters there, but no runways. So crews were based there and received both their briefings, before being transported to ‘dispersal’ airfields nearby. On this night the Stirling crews were transported by bus to RAF Alconbury, about 7 miles away. On other occasions they used runaways at RAF Warboys and RAF Waterbeach. His co-pilot, Sgt David Southey, had flown a number of missions alongside Drummond. David Southey gained his ’wings’ in 1940 at the age of 18 and by the time he reached 19 he was captain of his own Stirling (N3673), completing 15 operations His aircraft had the call sign ‘D for Daisy’ and David referred to them as the ‘Daisy crew’. David and his crew were in Worcester where one of them, ‘Scotty’ McCallum, ‘lifted’ a Tankard from the Star Hotel. David had it engraved with all their names and drank his ‘home beers’ out of it for the rest of his life. The crew completed an OTC course at Pershore, but David was required to stay on for further training. His crew returned to base and with a stand in captain, PO Disley, they took part in a raid on Essen. The aircraft was shot down and crashed in Holland, there were no survivors and they are buried in a Dutch cemetery’s. David Southey replaced Drummonds previous co –pilot, Sgt Robert Melville. Melville was second in command during the Beck Row crash some six weeks before and had now been given his own Stirling (W7524). Robert Melville was an Australian from Coogee, NSW. He was killed when his Stirling was shot down on its way back from a raid on Lubeck on 16th July 1942, his 13th raid as captain. He is buried in Ebsjerg, Denmark. Two of his crew survived the crash, they were found by the Danish Authorities and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. Another’ regular’ in Drummond’s crew was Navigator Flying Officer Clifford ‘Cliff’ Reeve. Clifford had joined the RAF and wanted to be a pilot, however there were no spaces on the course and, as he didn’t want to be a Gunner, he went on the Navigator training course instead. He was an integral part of Drummond’s crew, whilst some of the other crew members came and went, Clifford was ever present. He held Drummond in high regard as an experienced pilot. He was to play a major part in the day’s events. Sgt Dan ‘Lucky’ Lammie, was another regular. A Gunner, he had, like Drummond Wilson and Clifford Reeve, survived the Beck Row crash. It’s believed that he gained his ‘Lucky’ nickname from the fact that he survived three crashes, two with Drummond Wilson and another later in the war, whilst flying a Mosquito. Sgt Edgar Gould joined the crew that day as Mid Upper Gunner/Wireless Operator, taking the place of another regular, Sgt Noel ‘Johnnie’ Spalding, who had suffered frost bite to his hands during their previous raid on Hamburg and been hospitalised. Temperatures had fallen to -33 during the Hamburg raid. Sgt Eddie Chambers was the rear Gunner, he was a local man from Old Weston, nr Huntingdon. Sgt Sidney Jordan was the Air Bomber or bomb aimer on the flight,. Sgt Leonard Gornall was the Flight Engineer THE RAID Squadron Leader Drummond Wilson’s Stirling (N.3703) took off at 22.35 on the night of the 10th April, one of 18 Stirling’s that made up part of a 254 aircraft raid on the German city of Essen. This represented a new record for aircraft attacking a single target. N.3703 was carrying 6 x 2,000lb medium capacity bombs The weather was expected to be clear, but heavy cloud was encountered over the target area and the bomber force became scattered and suffered heavily from the well organised German Flak battery around the Ruhr. In total 14 aircraft were lost on a night where few bombs hit their target and the raid was considered to have been a failure. N.3703 captained by Squadron Leader Drummond Wilson was badly damaged by flak during the attack and turned for home. They weren’t sure if the aircraft was capable of making it to RAF Alconbury, but somehow they managed to coax the Stirling back. However as the badly damaged bomber made its final approach it was forced to abort as there were aircraft on the runway, these aircraft were disobeying Watch Tower instructions. Drummond Wilson now struggled to get the stricken bomber back into the air and carry out another circuit which took the aircraft over Godmanchester. As it banked, a damaged oil pipe broke, this resulted in both starboard engines seizing up and the Stirling crashed into a field near to Rectory Farm and Cow Lane. It was 4.35am. David Southey recalled many years later ‘When I had completed the SBA course, I was soon reallocated a new crew captained by Squadron Leader Jock Wilson’ ‘I know from memory we did several trips together, I was second pilot, and eventually we were caught in searchlights in a raid over Essen and badly damaged by ack ack. Somehow or other we got back to base but were prevented from making a immediate landing by aircraft disobeying watch office’ instructions, taking off in front of us. Making a second circuit the engines cut out (the oil supply pipe had been holed by Flak) and we crashed into a gipsy encampment at Godmanchester. Drummond Wilson died moments after the crash, co-pilot David Southey had suffered severe head injuries and it is thought that Mid Upper Gunner Sgt Edgar Gould was also badly injured. The rest of the crew appear to have been thrown clear of the stricken aircraft, which was now on fire. FO Clifford Reeve later recalled that he had no idea how he came to be outside of the crashed aircraft, but faced with the knowledge that he had colleagues trapped inside he went back into the Stirling. Despite having suffered broken ribs and with both his ankles dislocated, plus a broken Vertebrae (only discovered later when they put his legs in traction and he screamed out in agony) Clifford went back into the plane and rescued both David Southey and, we believe, Edgar Gould. David Southey was treated locally and then sent to an RAF Hospital in Ely, he spent the next three months in a coma and it was to be two years before he was able to resume duties properly. His family had been told to ‘expect the worse’ as he wasn’t expected to survive his injuries. He became a Flying Instructor at RAF Oakington before being invalided out of the RAF on D-Day. David had always thought that he had been rescued by Gypsies on that fateful day in April 1942, he always insisted that if a gypsy knocked on the door that they had to buy something from them, as they had saved his life. My research now shows that it was due to the bravery of Clifford Reeve that he survived. As a result of his head injuries he received that day he lost both his sense of smell and taste, which never returned. David passed away in January 1999. Despite Clifford’s heroic efforts, Edgar Gould did not survive and he is buried in the Mitcham Road, Croydon cemetery. His family were living in Richmond, Surrey when Edgar was born, he married Dorothy Elsie Gutteridge Channer on 3rd August 1928, but they divorced in 1933. Unusually, they remarried on 27 September 1936. They had one child, Deidre Finola Gould who was born on 21 January 1930 at Lambeth. Edgar had previously been a member of one of the most famous Stirling aircraft of WW2, namely ‘Macroberts reply’. Rachel, Lady Macrobert had three sons, Alasdair, who was killed in an air crash in 1938, then Roderic, who was killed when his Hurricane was shot down in North Africa in May 1941. Finally, just one month later, her last son Iain was killed whilst serving in the RAF. Lady Macrobert donated £25,000 to buy a Stirling, in their memory, with no sons left to carry on the fight she felt this was a way to enable others to carry the fight to Germany. It was named ‘Macroberts reply’ in honour of her fallen sons. Macroberts reply was part of XV Squadron, its number of N6086, shows that it was taking part in operations alongside Stirling’s flown by both Drummond Wilson and David Southey. She was delivered to RAF Wyton on 10th October 1941, with Lady Macrobert attending the naming ceremony. Which was also captured by Pathe News and to this day it can be viewed online. Although it took part in many dangerous operations, it was to meet its end on the ground. The Squadron had been operating out of Peterhead, their target being the German battle cruiser Prinz Eugen. The aircraft had found problems with both take offs and landing due to poor weather, on the 7th February 1942 she was taxiing for take off when her wing hit a snow bank and she slewed into a parked Spitfire. Clifford was taken to hospital where he spent 17 weeks receiving treatment, whilst lying in his bed, literally plastered from head to toe, the BBC broadcasted the news that he was to receive an MBE for his bravery that day. The ward erupted into applause at the news. Clifford’s only hoped that his mother had heard it as well, she had. Clifford remained in the RAF until he retired, holding the rank of Wing Commander. He was awarded an OBE in the 1960’s, which meant him handing back the MBE he had won for bravery back in 1942. He wasn’t happy with this as he’d won the MBE for his actions, whilst the OBE was awarded for his general service. --------------------------------------------------------- CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD St. James's Palace, S.W.I, 10th July, 1942 The KING has been graciously pleased to give orders for the following appointment to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: To be an Additional Member of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order: Flying Officer Clifford George Reeve (82965), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve One night in April, 1942, Flying Officer Reeve was the navigator of a Stirling aircraft which crashed when landing after an operational sortie. Most members of the crew were thrown clear, but the captain and two other members were seriously injured; the captain died within a few moments. Flying Officer Reeve sustained a fractured vertebra and both his ankles were dislocated. Despite these painful and serious injuries he helped to drag his injured companions through a hedge and some 20 yards further on into a field where they were safer from the danger of exploding petrol tanks. The high courage and fortitude displayed by Flying Officer Reeve set a splendid example. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CREW? We already know that Drummond Wilson and Edgar Gould were both killed in the crash. And that David Southey and Clifford Reeve both survived, although there injuries were severe and they were to carry them for the rest of their lives. Sgt Eddie Chambers, the local man from Old Weston, went onto another crew and was killed in action a few weeks later on the 30th May 1942. The Stirling he was on board was laying mines off the Frisian Islands when it was shot down. Sgt Dan ‘Lucky’ Lammie, survived the war and was invalided out after his third crash left him with burns. After his spell flying with XV Squadron he went on to work on ground based wireless. He was mentioned in dispatches a couple times and there was mention of him working with American Commando forces possibly on a ‘recon’ basis, but he never talked to his family of ‘his war’, so his family are still piecing things together. Sgt Sidney John Jordan was the Bomb Aimer on the flight, he stayed with XV Squadron after the Godmanchester crash. On the evening of September 27th 1943, 678 allied bombers took off from bases in Great Britain to attack the city centre of Hannover. Over 1,000 explosive bombs and approx. 40,000 incendiaries were dropped upon Hannover, but it was mainly the northern district of Hannover that was hit that night. Over 20,000 people lost their homes and over 200 people were killed during the raid. The allied air forces lost 49 bombers and 246 airmen: Sgt Jordan’s aircraft, Stirling EE940, was hit by flak and also attacked by a night fighter and crashed into a field 400 metres north of Ronnenberg station at 23.16hrs. The aircraft was identified by the finding of one identity disc belonging to an airman named ‘Hendry’. Ten minutes later a Halifax crashed within a few hundred yards of EE940, again there were no survivors. The crew are buried together in the Hannover War Cemetery Sgt Leonard Gornall, who later became a Flight Officer and was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) for his consistently high level of performance, his positive attitude and the way he brought the best out of new recruits.He originally came from Birkenhead. When the Stirling was replaced by the Lancaster it all became a little too quiet for him. Despite his superiors urging him to hang on as ‘things would liven up’ he went for a transfer to 138 Squadron based at RAF Tempsford. This squadron was involved in SOE operations, dropping agents into occupied Europe. On one operation, to drop a French resistance leader into France, their Stirling developed engine trouble and the crew had to bail out. They all made it safely down and spent three days on the run before linking up with the French resistance and making it back to the UK. Leonard continued with 138 Squadron but was killed in action on the 26th February 1945. His aircraft was taking part in ‘Operation Crupper 37’, they took off from Tempsford at 19.39 and headed to Norway to drop 4 Norwegian agents. Another Stirling crew witnessed their aircraft being hit by flak over the North Sea and crashing into the water. It was reported that all on board perished. Sgt Noel ‘Johnnie’ Spalding, whilst not involved in the Godmanchester crash, was an integral part of Drummond Wilsons crew. He had survived the Beck Row crash, being the only one who bailed out when Drummond gave the crew permission to do so, once it had become clear that a crash landing was unavoidable. Thanks to a farmer and his wife, he used their phone, he made it safely back to base. Johnnie missed the fateful Essen raid as he had suffered severe frostbite on the previous raid, but his replacement, Sgt Edgar Gould was killed, such was the roll of the dice. Alas for ‘Johnnie’ this only served to buy him a little more time. He was assigned to a new crew and on the 7th September 1942 he was on board a Stirling that was shot down during a raid on Duisburg, Germany. His was the only Stirling to be lost in that raid. He and the rest of the crew are buried in the Riechswald cemetery, Germany and he is commemorated on the Wells Next Sea War Memorial. TWIST OF FATE ? Many crew members had their superstitions, lucky charms that they would take with them and which they hoped might be the talisman that would deliver them safely home. On other occasions it was the role of the dice that sealed someone’s fate. David Southey was sent a parcel by the ‘Comfort Fund’, contained inside was a knitted doll. It was an RAF doll, complete with full uniform and even a hat and goggles. David carried this doll on every flight, the only time he forgot it was on the Essen raid that crashed in Godmanchester. David also never strapped himself into his pilots harness, as it made escape more difficult if you needed to exit the aircraft quickly, but on this day he strapped himself in. This, undoubtedly, saved his life. Without the harness his injuries would have almost certainly would have been fatal. His wife, Mary, to this day still has David’s doll. Clifford Reeve’s talisman was a coin, a crown, he carried it on every mission and he still had it when he retired in the mid 60’s. Although by then I’m reliably informed that by then it had almost been rubbed smooth. When his son Jeremy dropped it between the floor boards they were pulled up to retrieve it. The last thing Clifford did before leaving on a raid would be to bend down and smell the grass, so it would be the last thing he would recall if the worse was to happen. THE STORY CONTINUES !!
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR HELPING ME PIECE THIS STORY TOGETHER. On the 12th July I have arranged for a family day where representatives from 6 of the 8 families will meet for the first time, back in Godmanchester. I have arranged a day of talks and events to make the day memorable. Thank you all Roger
Thank you Pieter, My research, helped in no small way by the people on this site, has enabled me to tell todays relatives about their ancestors who were on this flight. The above is just a small part of an amazing story, which almost every week takes a new, and moving, twist. I have been able to tell so many people about what really happened and correct the errors that grow with time.. The most emotional event was telling the co-pilots wife that her husband was not rescued by gypsies, but by the navigator (Clifford Reeve) who went back in to rescue him. I was then able to arrange a meeting where she could meet Clifford's children to thank them personally for saving her husbands life that day, without his efforts they wouldn't not have had their life together or their children. I'm sure everyone on this site gets the same buzz when they unearth these historic gems.. Roger
