An Email from Germany
WW2 - Bomber Command - Lancaster Bomber LL746
The Aircrew Stories - ‘Collie Boys’
‘Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Times’
On the night of 25/26th February 1944 Lancaster LL746 took off from RAF Waddington at 1828 hours to bomb Augsberg, Germany.
Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb, 92 x 30lb, 900 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after departure and it did not return to base. Twelve aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and one of these LL746 failed to return. From post war enquiries the aircraft was believed to have come down at Deufringen 10kms WSW of Sundelfingen, Germany. All the crew were killed and they are interred in the Durnbach War Cemetery. Durnbach is a village 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich, Germany.
80 Years later – February 2024 - An email from Germany concerning the Collie Cardiff RSL Website &The Short Story on Bomber Command and Lancaster LL 746
Dear Sirs, dear Mr Benton,
I trust that this message reaches you, it concerns the moving article appearing on your RSL Collie website, WW2 Short Stories, titled – “Bomber Command Aircrew – Ordinary Men in Extraordinary Times - especially covering the sad deaths of P/O Stuchbury & Flt Sgt McLeod, two Collie boys and fellow West Australians, as a result of being shot down during the night of 25th Feb. 1944, exactly 80 years ago!
May I advise you of some corrections which I am sure will be of interest to you. Concerning my person: I am a “Perth Boy“, son of an WW2 RAAF Beaufort pilot, living in Kaufering, Bavaria Germany, now for nigh on 40 years, some 15 kilometers from the LL746, call-sign PO-M Lancaster1 crash site at DENKLINGEN, Bavaria.
This crash was a dramatic event for the small village located near the Lech river in scenic Bavaria and is remembered vividly today by locals and in fact subject to a detailed and moving article in the Munich & regional newspaper Merkur just 2 days ago.
Refer www.merkur.de „Al vor 80 Jahren ein Bomber bei DENKLINGEN abstürzte“.
The town historian has detailed the event in a sympathetic and moving manner. Perhaps you have a German speaking person in Collie able to help translation
: the attack on Augsburg, some 30 -40km north of the crash site targeted the Messerschmitt and MAN factories in the city. The bomber stream came from the south-west (over Lake Constance) and had the IP (Initial Point) at the northern end of Ammersee (Lake Ammer) south west of Munich, a Way-Point was Reiterberg (Knight Mountain) a high hill on the eastern side of the River Lech near DENKLINGEN. The attack took place in two waves (22:30h & 0:55h). It was a clear but bitter cold night, snow lay on the ground.The a/c crashed with full bomb and fuel load into a forested area some 500 meters from the village, an enormous and terrifying explosion resulted.
The Lancaster had been attacked by a nightfighter flown by Oberstleutnant (Lt-Col.) Günter Radusch (1912-1988) from Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (Night Fighter Squadron). Radusch had by wars end 140 missions and 64 air victories. He later joined the post war Luftwaffe and was Commodore of the newly formed Luftwaffe‘s flight training school at Landsberg am Lech, Penzing airbase.
The crew of LL746 were recovered in a terrible state and buried initially in the local cemetery in a grave marked overnight by an unknown person with a simple wooden cross, post war in 1947 the remains were transferred to Commonwealth War Grave Site Durnbach near Tegernsee (Lake Tegern).
In 2019 on the 75th anniversary of the tragedy the local mayor, churchmen and villages placed a commerative plaque at the local Friedenskapelle (Peace Chapel). A broschure at the chapel commentates the crash. The raid on Augsburg resulted in the death of 730 townspeople, 1335 were badly injured or suffered severe burns and 85000 persons were left homeless. 246 major fires were reported and due to the freezing weather (minus 18 deg) the fire hydrants and firehoses froze and hampered rescue efforts. The historic Augsburg City Centre was destroyed.
Gentlemen, I hope and trust you appreciated this short summary of events from a local German perspective, be assured, the people of the now town of DENKLINGEN have honoured the fallen in a very respectful manner, the tragic night is still in the minds of those then young enough to recall the fateful night.
Kindest regards,
Geoffrey Clarke
Germany
Aircrew in Bomber Command
Casualty rates among Aircrew serving in Bomber Command during WW2 were extremely high. There were 110,000 British and Commonwealth aircrew who flew a total of 364,514 operational sorties in Bomber Command during WW2. 51per cent (55,564) were killed, many of them with no known graves. A further 8400 were wounded in action and 9800 became prisoners of war. Australian Aircrew serving in Bomber Command totalled around 10,000 of which 3486 were killed in action. This figure amounted to nearly 20 per cent of all Australians killed during WW2. Initially Australian Aircrew were attached to the Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber squadrons, however as the War progressed Australia provided its own squadrons, most notably, 460 and 467 Squadrons.
Inside a Lancaster bomber aircraft on operations was said to be one of the most dangerous places to be in WW2, the workhorse of RAF Bomber Command was also considered the most successful bomber of the war. The Aircraft had a crew of seven from pilot to gunners. The gun turrets of bomber command aircraft during WW2 were the coldest and loneliest, 20,000 air gunners were killed during the war. It was often said that ‘tail gunners’ had a life expectancy of four flights.
Ten ‘Collie Boys’ enlisted into the RAAF during WW2 and went on to serve with UK Bomber Command. Sadly nine of these brave young men would not return to their beloved Collie. Aircrew in bomber aircraft, they were killed in Air Operations Flying Battles over Europe. One Collie Boy survived and returned home. This story feature’s two Collie Boys - the Pilot and an Air Gunner - Aircrew of Lancaster Bomber LL 746, ordinary men who served their country in extraordinary times.
On the 25th of February 1944 Lancaster Bomber LL 746 was shot down during a mission over Bavaria Germany all aircrew were killed. 80 years later on the 24th of February 2024 a story appeared in a German paper at Merkur, Germany, the story was about LL 746 and a place of remembrance, the Peace Chapel on the “Zum Gut” estate, which is located not far from the site of the incident.
‘Collie Boys’ – Aircrew LL 746
415672 Flight Sergeant James McLEOD – RAAF
James McLEOD was born in Kembla Heights NSW on 29 August 1912, son of James and Rebecca McLeod, soon after the family moved to Collie and lived in Coombe St. James Snr a miner enlisted for WW1, sadly he was killed in action on 02 November 1917, Belgium. James Jnr was schooled in Collie, his mother later re-married and lived with her husband at the Federal Hotel. On 07 December 1941, age 28 years James McLeod Jnr enlisted into the RAAF, eager to do his bit for his country as his father had done before him. James listed Collie as his place of residence at time of enlistment his listed next of kin was his mother Rebecca Oswald, Federal Hotel Collie. Allocated service number 415672, Flight Sergeant McLeod trained for aircrew duty and was posted to 467 Squadron RAAF as an Air Gunner. 467 Sqn RAAF was attached to Bomber Command UK flying out RAF base Waddington, Lincolnshire. Sadly he was killed (officially presumed) during Air Operations Flying Battle over Germany on 25 February 1944. He was aged 31 years. His Lancaster Bomber, piloted by another Collie Boy, Pilot Officer H R H Stuchbury was shot down over Germany. James McLEOD is buried adjacent to Herbert STUCHBURY in the Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria Germany, Graves 5-J-9/15 and 16. ‘Collie Boys’ together.
415488 Pilot Officer Herbert Ronald Houghton STUCHBURY – RAAF
Herbert (Ron) STUCHBURY was born in Collie on 10 February 1921, son of Herbert (Bert) and Ivy Laurel Stuchbury, the family lived in Hawthorne Ave Collie. Herbert Snr a miner had served during WW1 he also enlisted and served during WW2. Herbert Jnr was schooled in Collie. He was employed as a schoolteacher when he enlisted into the RAAF on 06 November 1941, age 20 years, eager to do his bit for his country as his father had done before him. Ron listed Collie as his place of residence at time of enlistment his listed next of kin was his father Herbert. Allocated service number 415488, Ron trained for aircrew duty and was posted to 467 Squadron RAAF as a Pilot. 467 Sqn RAAF was attached to Bomber Command UK flying out RAF base Waddington, Lincolnshire. Sadly he was killed (officially presumed) during Air Operations Flying Battle over Germany on 25 February 1944. He was aged 23 years. The Lancaster Bomber he piloted was shot down over Germany. Herbert Ronald Houghton STUCHBURY is buried adjacent to James McLEOD in the Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria Germany, Graves 5-J-9/15 and 16. ‘Collie Boys’ together.
From the history of 467 Sqn – RAAF
Date of Death: 25 February 1944.
Source: AWM 64 (1/427) (1/433) AWM 237 (63) (64) NAA: A705, 166/38/442.
Aircraft Type: Lancaster
Serial number: LL 746
Radio call sign: PO – M
Unit: 467 Sqn RAAF
Summary:
Lancaster LL746 took off from RAF Waddington at 1828 hours on the night of 25/26th February 1944 to bomb Augsberg, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb, 92 x 30lb, 900 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after departure and it did not return to base. Twelve aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and one of these LL746 failed to return.
From post war enquiries the aircraft was believed to have come down at Deufringen 10kms WSW of Sundelfingen, Germany. All the crew were killed and they are interred in the Durnbach War Cemetery. Durnbach is a village 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich, Germany.
The crew members of LL746 were:
RAAF 415488 PO Stuchbury, H R H Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 422467 FO Edginton, W T C (Navigator)
RAAF 410280 Flt Sgt J W Wood, (Bomb Aimer)
RAAF 415595 Flt Sgt E D Turpie, (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt E E Olive (Flight Engineer)
RAF Flt Sgt A J Barnett, (Air Gunner)
RAAF 415672 Flt Sgt J McLeod, (Air Gunner)
Town Memorial-Roll of Honour: Collie Soldiers Park WA
Remembered: Panel 111 (both boys), Commemorative Area Australian War Memorial Canberra. State War Memorial, Kings Park WA and Collie Cardiff RSL Sub Branch
The German Newspaper Story
From the Munich & regional newspaper Merkur – Germany 24.02.2024, 18:00
When a bomber crashed near Denklingen 80 years ago – the windows still shattered in Schwabbruck
A British Lancaster I bomber, pictured here loading bombs at Waddington Air Base, crashed into the Malfinger Flur. © British Air Force website “Aircrew Remembered”, with kind permission.
80 years ago, a British bomber crashed into the Malfinger field near Denklingen. (Denklingen’s local chronicler Paul Jörg reports on new findings).
Denklingen – During an aerial combat, a bomber was attacked by a German night fighter and set on fire by hits in the petrol tanks of the right wing engines. The plane crashed about 500 metres southeast of the “Zum Gut” property on the B 17, in the woods belonging to farmer Andreas Schmid (house name: Beim Alten Metzger).
The initial situation was a major air raid by the British on Augsburg, which was an important armaments site with the aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt and the MAN works. The heaviest air raids occurred from 1944 onwards, after the Allies had gained air supremacy over Germany. The war came back home.
Until April 27, 1945, when the Americans arrived, there were a total of 128 air raid alarms in Fuchstal during this period, sometimes several times a day. While the American Air Force often attacked military targets during the day, the British Royal Air Force concentrated its efforts on area bombing of German cities at night with the aim of demoralizing the population and breaking the will to fight.
Contemporary witnesses from the lower village describe the crash of the bomber as an apocalyptic phenomenon
The attack on Augsburg was carried out in two waves (10.30 pm and 12.55 am) by means of a deception from different approaches. At first it seemed that the air raid was again aimed at Munich, which had been subjected to 74 air raids during the war. At the height of the Reiterberg (now a radio mast stands there), one of the orientation points for the bomber squadrons coming from the southwest on the high eastern bank of the Lech, they swing towards their target Augsburg, which could be seen from afar in the snowy landscape and clear, ice-cold winter night thanks to the first fires.
Contemporary witnesses from the lower village describe the crash of the bomber as an apocalyptic phenomenon:
Because the alarm was raised late, they had just moved into the cellars that served as air raid shelters when a single bomber suddenly appeared on the horizon behind the church. It was caught in the beam of an anti-aircraft searchlight and was in the process of descending rapidly. Its right wing was ablaze and, judging by the noise, it was obviously having engine problems.
This gave rise to fears that the plane would soon drop its bomb load, as happened south of the village on the night of September 6-7, 1943, when the Osterauf Church was unfortunately hit by an emergency bomb drop from a British bomber that had also caught fire and was destroyed by the flames.
The force of the explosion caused the aircraft to shatter into thousands of pieces
A large crater marked the point of impact. The force of the explosion caused the plane to break into thousands of pieces. The heavy parts were thrown into the surrounding meadows. In addition to its ton-heavy bomb load, which consisted of an 1800 kg air mine and other incendiary bombs, the plane still had around 5000 liters of high-octane fuel in the tank, which gave it enormous explosive power when it detonated.
In the village, many windows were broken, barn doors were torn open and roofs were partially damaged. At the estate, it looked as if a tornado had swept through the house. The snow, which was over half a meter deep, had melted away in many places. The forest with its 15-year-old spruce trees was completely destroyed.
The shock wave was felt over a wide area. In Schwabbruck, twelve ilometres away, the chronicle there states: “On February 25, 1944, an English bomber crashed near Denklingen and detonated on the ground. The windows in Schwabbruck shattered.”
Seven crew members did not survive the crash
The seven crew members did not survive the crash and, after being rescued, were buried in a collective grave in paper sacks near the mortuary in Denklingen Cemetery, without any ceremony, as was the norm in such cases at the time. The rescue team reported that the sight of the mortal remains was very difficult to bear. Later, an unknown person placed a simple wooden cross on the mound overnight.
In 1947, the victims were exhumed by a British military commission of the Royal Air Force Missing Persons Investigation and Investigation Department and transferred to the Allied military cemetery in Dürnbach am Tegernsee.
It was learned that the crew of the crashed bomber consisted of five Australian soldiers. Two Englishmen, who served as gunners and flight engineers, had been assigned to supplement the crew. As a member of the British Commonwealth, Australia had already entered the war on the side of the Allies on September 3,1939, two days after Germany had started the Second World War with its invasion of Poland.
The Australians, with their pilot Herbert RH Stuchbury, were a new crew that had arrived at Waddington Air Force Base in Lincolnshire in January 1944. They were part of the 467th Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, a Lancaster I with the registration number LL 746 and the call sign PO-M. The average age of the crew was 22. It was the fourth mission for the crew.
That night, the British dropped around 2,000 tons of bombs over Augsburg with their 493 aircraft and lost 21 aircraft. 102 crew members were killed and 43 were taken prisoners of war.
In Augsburg, 730 residents died and another 1,335 were injured. 85,000 residents were left homeless. There were 246 large and medium-sized fires and 820 small ones. The historic city center was partially completely destroyed. Frozen bodies of water and fire hydrants made firefighting difficult; the temperature was minus 18 degrees Celsius. After the violent attacks, almost half the population left the city.
Memorial and remembrance site to be created at the Peace Chapel
Since there had been no evidence of the war event at the time, a conversation between the local chronicler Paul Jörg and the independent pastor Ludwig Streicher resulted in the plan to create a memorial and place of remembrance at the Peace Chapel on the “Zum Gut” estate, which is located not far from the site of the accident, because it corresponds to our Christian faith and our values.
In 2019, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the event, a bilingual memorial plaque (German and English) was placed on the Peace Chapel during a solemn service, which now commemorates the victims of these two days of war. A flyer available in the chapel provides additional information about the events of that time.
The pilot of the German night fighter was Lieutenant Colonel Günther Radusch (1912-1988). At the time, he was commander of the Night Fighter Wing 2 stationed in Deelen-Arnhem and by the end of the war he had achieved a total of 64 kills in 140 enemy flights. On September 1, 1958, Radusch joined the German Army with the rank of colonel. Until the end of March 1964, he commanded the Pilot School A in Landsberg am Lech, Penzing location.
Many of the German night fighter pilots hoped that a short, well-aimed burst of fire from the night fighter flying about 50 to 100 meters below would hit the fuel tanks between engines three and four on the right wing (which were still full during the approach). This would have given the bomber pilot on the left side of the plane the best chance of survival for an emergency descent and thus the crew a possible chance to bail out. Despite this, over 90 percent of the bomber crews did not survive the crash in the disintegrating planes. (From the Munich & regional newspaper Merkur – Germany 24.02.2024, 18:00)
‘Lest We Forget’