Assistance Flt/Lt Ken Holland RAF - Schubin Tunnel

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by welshmedals, Sep 5, 2012.

  1. welshmedals

    welshmedals Junior Member

    Hello chaps,

    I am writing to find out if anyone can assist with shedding some like on the late Ken Holland who was an escaper from Oflag VXX-B in Poland in 1943?

    Flt/Lt Kenneth Noel Holland who was shot down over Belgium in 1941, the only survivor from his crew who spend the rest of the war as a prisoner in Stalag Luft 3.

    On the 16/17th June 1941 an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V, Z6479 from 51 Squadron took off into the night sky in North Yorkshire. The mission was the bombing of Cologne, Germany. The crew consisted of the following.

    Pilot: Sgt. Thomas James Baston aged 21
    Pilot 2: P/O. Cecil Ernest Crichton aged 23
    W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Leonard Evans
    Nav: P/O. Kenneth Noel Holland aged 25
    Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Douglas John Frederick Jefferis aged 21

    Z6479 took off at 22.43 hrs from Dishforth, Yorkshire joining 104 other aircraft (47 Hampdens, 39 Whitley's, 16 Wellington's and 3 Halifax's) to bomb Cologne. The bombing was poor and only scattered damage. 19 people on the ground were killed and a further 17 injured. During the raid 3 aircraft were lost - Whitley V N2849 PM-? Flown by Sq/Ldr Dermot Kelly (3 times MiD) from 103 squadron with all 6 crew killed and a Wellington from 405 squadron W5522 LQ-Q flown by Sgt. William Macgregor again with all 6 crew lost.

    The following information is taken from 'the wartime memories project.com'.

    After successfully reaching the target, Whitley Z479 was intercepted on return journey by two German night-fighters. Apparently F/Sgt. Jefferis shot one of them down but was heard to say over the intercom, "Damn the searchlights - they're blinding me!". Shortly afterwards they were hit. Jefferis said, "I've had it!", and then seconds later, "That's it!". No further contact was made with him and he was assumed dead.

    Sgt. Baston managed to crash land the Whitley on the Tenhaagdoorn heathland near Houthalen, Limburg, Belgium at 0226 on 17th June 1941. Sergeants Jefferis, Baston and Evans were found dead in the wrecked aircraft. Their bodies were washed and prepared for burial by local people, who then tended the graves in defiance of the Germans. Originally buried in the town cemetery in Houthalen, the airmen were exhumed on 6th April 1961 due to subsidence caused by mine workings. They were subsequently re-interred at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium. Their graves can be found at the following locations: -

    Sgt. Jefferis: Plot 1, Row AA, Grave No. 10 -
    Sgt. Evans: Plot 1, Row AA, Grave No. 9 -
    Sgt. Baston: Plot 1, Row AA, Grave No. 8.

    Pilot Officer Ken Holland survived the crash and was on the run with a bad head wound for several days before stumbling into a German sentry. He spent the rest of the war as a POW, but returned to duty on being repatriated in 1945. After a period as an interpreter in Japan, Ken Holland was stationed in Surrey. He died as a passenger in a car crash, travelling with several other officers to the Officers' Mess one morning in 1951. Interestingly local eyewitnesses reported than the Germans escorted another man from the crash site. This must have been P/O Crichton. Nothing has been heard of him since that day. There appears to be no record of him as a POW, nor is there a record of his burial. He is commemorated on Panel 32 of the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.

    Whitley Z6479 MH-M was brought down by Oberfeldwebel Reinhard Kollak, 1./NJG1. Kollak and his Radio Operator, Hans Hermann, had taken off from Venlo in the Netherlands. It is believed this was amongst the first of Kollak's 49 kills in WWII, all of them at night. He went on to become one of the Luftwaffe's top aces and was decorated with the Knight's Cross. In 2006 the crews of four British bombers, Z6479 amongst them, were honoured on a monument entitled "Fallen Wings" erected in the cemetery in Houthalen.

    HERE IS WHERE THE STORY GETS INTERESTING

    Thanks to member Kevin Aspinal (military researcher) here who got his WW2 POW questionnaire from the PRO in Kew and filled in on returning to England in May 1945...I records an escape and recapture via tunnel from Oflag XXI-B in Poland...!

    - Would anyone be able to shed any light on how I would research this?

    - There was a famous latrine tunnel or Schubin Tunnel from Oflag XXIB in March 1943 when 35 airmen escaped but were all captured? I have a hunch he got the dates wrong on his transfer of camps and he was involved in this?

    - I would think that group escapes were not a daily occurrence?

    THANKS ALL RICHARD
     

    Attached Files:

  2. jacksun

    jacksun Senior Member

  3. Marks

    Marks Senior Member

    Hi Richard,

    Regarding F/O Crichton, I see him mentioned in Canadians in the Royal Air Force - Les Allison.

    Born 1918 Toronto, his NOK details shows his parents in USA

    Mark
     
  4. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Hi Richard,

    Cecil Ernest Crichton was at 2 SFTS with my Father, hence the subject of part of my research. I will see what l can find out.

    Did he complete an Escape and Evasion Questionnaire? Simple escapes were too numerous for them to bother with too much after the war. It needed to be something out of the ordinary.

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  5. welshmedals

    welshmedals Junior Member

    Thanks chaps,

    I have attached the POW questionnaire to the first post on the thread, is there another type of questionnaire...? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/images/smilies/unsure.gif

    He mentions in his form attached an escape tunnel and recapture with Kirtland???, Williams and Asselin RCAF, i am sure there must be some story behind this? I have contacted Marc Stevens, in Canada the son of the famous Squadron Leader Peter Stevens MC (what a man). Who was one of the 33 boys who got out of the Oflag XXV-B tunnel in March 1943 with Tex Ash.

    I hope that out there somewhere there is a list of the 33 escapers or some account which might mention Holland.

    Hope to turn this story into an article if I can gather enough information.

    Thanks again everyone, fingers crossed, watch this space.

    Richard
     

    Attached Files:

  6. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Richard

    Could I suggest looking at the files in the SPG (Lib) series at the National Archives (WO 208/3328 - 3335). These contain reports that were written by some of those that escaped but were recaptured. A large scale escape such as you mention would appear to have merited some further investigation.
    I am fairly certain that there is a card index to these reports which is situated just behind the desk as you enter the reading rooms (at the extreme right of the long cabinet)

    John
     
  7. Son of POW-Escaper

    Son of POW-Escaper Senior Member

    Richard,

    I am home just for one day between trips, but just saw this thread.

    Charles Rollings has done extensive research on the Schubin "Abort Dienst", and is probably the world's greatest expert on this escape (and many others). I know he has considered writing a book about it, but I don't know where it stands on his long list of priorities. The best work out there today that mentions it is probably 'Under The Wire' (Tex Ash's autobiography with Brendan Foley). Tex is still alive, but in poor health, I'm afraid.

    Dad wasn't really involved in the digging; he was invited to come along because of his great contribution to everyone's false documents, and probably because of his excellent command of the German language (he was a German citizen, after all!).

    I'll try and get you more upon my return next week.

    Marc
     
  8. welshmedals

    welshmedals Junior Member

    Marc,

    Thanks so much look forward hearing from you. I will try to find the contact details of Charles Rollings who fingers crossed will be able to aid the search. Indeed I would love to find out if Ken was a tunnel man and if he did escape the details. I believe they dressed in civvies etc.

    Best Regards

    Rich
     
  9. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Rich,

    I will check out the 208 series at Kew next week to see what they show.

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  10. Son of POW-Escaper

    Son of POW-Escaper Senior Member

    Richard,

    Upon further reading (mainly 'Footprints On The Sands Of Time'), there were no home runs made from the Schubin latrine tunnel. All (including my father, who spent a rather unpleasant week as a guest of the Gestapo, who were convinced he was a spy - how close they were!) were recaptured except for the Dane Jorge Thalbitzer (AKA Flying Officer Thompson) and the infamous Wing Commander Jimmy Buckley. The two had headed out as a team, aiming to get to Sweden. Thalbitzer's body eventually washed ashore near Copenhagen, but Buckley was never found. It was assumed the small boat they must've stolen had either been capsized or run over by a steamer.

    The dates on his MI9 questionnaire WOULD allow for Holland to have been one of the Schubin latrine escapers.

    There is no mention in Ash's 'Under The Wire' or in Clutton-Brock's 'Footprints' of Holland being involved in this escape, however that does not mean he wasn't. Neither book lists all participants.

    Good luck,

    Marc
     
  11. jeremy67

    jeremy67 Member

    Hi,

    I found this thread whilst Googling Cecil Crichton and read it with interest.

    Douglas Jefferis, who died in the crash that lead to Ken Holland's imprisonment, was my uncle and I'm the person who posted the article on the Wartime Memories Project website referred to above.

    I also posted a similar write-up at http://aircrewremembered.com/raf1941/baston.html

    Just yesterday I visited that site for the first time in a long time after my mother, Flt/Sgt Jefferis' sister, alerted me to the fact that a couple of photos of Ken Holland had been added amongst the photos I posted. I have asked the moderator of that site to put me in touch with the person who added the pictures, who is a relative of Ken's wife, I think. If I hear anything back I'll let you all know.

    My mother met Ken and his wife after the war, and it is through him that we know so much about the crash of Z6479.

    I'm happy to share any knowledge and information, if anyone's interested.


    Jeremy
     
    Son of POW-Escaper likes this.
  12. kevinf

    kevinf Member

    i have also some information about it i am member of history group in houthalen send me an e mail and i send you all i have kevinfol@hotmail.com
     
  13. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Kevin,

    Please share your info with the forum.

    As l said, Crichton was on 55 Course, at 2 SFTS, just before my Father so part of my research. I also have a photo of him.

    I have a fair amount of information on the tunnel too, as well as other tunnels dug in other camps,

    Look forward to hearing from you.

    regards,

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  14. jeremy67

    jeremy67 Member

    Reporting back very belatedly...

    The person concerned turned out to be a cousin of Ken's wife, but I don't think he knew her very well and only knows the bare bones of Ken's story.
    So, nothing to add, I'm afraid...

    Jeremy

     
  15. kevinf

    kevinf Member

    i have found in a book falling whings that chrichton afther the crash whas seen at a home badly wounded i have also a paper of a whitness that says it also i have a trail that he whas whith Belgium resistance to brussel and on the road to it have been killd now i gonna investigate it i am not so sure of that but the germans have asked in 1942 and 1943 and 1944 where is his grave if i have new info ill let you nknow
     
  16. kevinf

    kevinf Member

    i have a new trace that he whas in a house near the teut and whas whith somebody of the resistance to the travel to spain and on the road to that been killed i search it out
     
  17. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Good luck Kevin,

    We will be very interested to see what you can find out.

    Regards,

    Nick
    KenFentonsWar.com
     
  18. kevinf

    kevinf Member

    It seems that Chrichton is escaped whith the resistance and whas hold in a safe house in Brussel . I have found it on a document in archives in Brussel .
     
  19. NickFenton

    NickFenton Well-Known Member

    Kevin,

    Now that would be very interesting.

    Regards,

    Nick
     
  20. kevinf

    kevinf Member

    ill do my best thats all i can do


    Kindly regards Kevin
     

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