450329 - Unaccounted Airmen - 29-03-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450329 - Unaccounted Airmen - 29-03-1945

From Henk's List -

BELGIUM
HERKESS, Arthur Wilson - Sgt - 517159 - RAF - Brugge General Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

UK
AGAZARIAN, Jack Charles. Stanmore - F/L (WoP) - 71106 - RAF - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
CAMPBELL, Graeme Kennedy - Sgt - 1874850 - RAFVR - West Norwood Cemetery & Crematorium, London.
ROGERS, Charles Alfred - LAC - 1435083 - RAF - Chingford Moun t Cemetery, Essex.
THOMAS-FERRAND, Hugo Moreton Waddington - Wng/Cdr - 34032 - RAF - Tenby (St. Mary ) Church Cemetery, Pembrokeshire.
WOODWARD, Ronald Bedford - AC1c - 1890240 - RAFVR - Worcester Park (Cuddington ) Cemetery, Surrey.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

GERMANY
MANSELL, Stephane Peter Anthony - F/O (Glider Pilot) - 150982 - RAFVR - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

INDIA
BEST, Joseph - Cpl - 1117085 - RAFVR - Ranchi War Cemetery, India.

ISRAEL
COOKE, Patrick - F/O (Pilot Instr) - 179358 - RAFVR - Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel & Palestine. ] Wellington X - LP309 - 76 OTU ].

NETHERLANDS
COMMONS, Arthur - LAC - 946223 - RAFVR - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.

SOUTH AFRICA
READER, Dennis James Hewitt - P/O - 193142 - RAFVR - Thaba Tshwane (New) Military Cemetery, Gauteng, South Africa. [ Hurricane II - 5341 - 11 OTU ].

UK
ALDERSLEY, Frederick Charles - W/O (WoP-Air) - 1385448 - RAFVR - New Southgate Cemetery, Hertfordshire. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
COLE, Thomas John - F/L - 125484 - RAFVR - St. Budeaux Churchyard & Extension, Plymouth, Devon. [ Mosquito FB.VI - HR297 - 54 OTU ].
HARDY, John - Cpl - 567646 - RAF - Peterborough (Eastfield) Cemetery, Northamptonshire. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
HOWES, Walter John - F/L (Pilot) - 127241 - RAFVR - Lampeter (St. Peter) Churchyard, Cardiganshire. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
INGER, Kenneth Rhodes - F/O (Air Bomber) - 153746 - RAFVR - Wallasey (Rake Lane) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
McALPINE, Robert Henry - F/S (A/G) - 2221305 - RAFVR - Peterborough (Eastfield) Cemetery, Northamptonshire. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
REES, Frederick William - F/S (Nav/Bomber) - 1585283 - RAFVR - Radipole (St.Ann) Churchyard Extension, Dorset. [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
SLEE, Kenneth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 2205180 - RAFVR - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire. 9 "Though Without Anger" has SLEEK ) - [ Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].

Alex

[alieneyes]

AGAZARIAN, Jack Charles Stanmore - F/L (WoP) - 71106 - RAF - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey

SOE. Murdered at Flossenburg concentration camp.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

BELGIUM
HERKESS, Arthur Wilson - Sgt - 426 RSU.

GERMANY
MANSELL, Stephane Peter Anthony - F/O (Glider Pilot) - Died from injuries sustained in Varsity?.

INDIA
BEST, Joseph - Cpl - 313 MU.

ISRAEL
COOKE, Patrick - F/O (Pilot Instr) - possibly Wellington X - LP309 - 76 OTU ].

NETHERLANDS
COMMONS, Arthur - LAC - 5023 AC Sqn.

SOUTH AFRICA
READER, Dennis James Hewitt - P/O - Hurricane II - 5341 - 11 OTU ].

UK
CAMPBELL, Graeme Kennedy - Sgt - registered in Stratford upon Avon.
ROGERS, Charles Alfred - LAC - registered in Greenwich.
THOMAS-FERRAND, Hugo Moreton Waddington - Wng/Cdr - registered in Pembroke.
WOODWARD, Ronald Bedford - AC1 - registered in West Cheshire.
ALDERSLEY, Frederick Charles - W/O (WoP-Air) - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
COLE, Thomas John - F/L - possibly Mosquito FB.VI - HR297 - 54 OTU ].
HARDY, John - Cpl - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
HOWES, Walter John - F/L (Pilot) - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
INGER, Kenneth Rhodes - F/O (Air Bomber) - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
McALPINE, Robert Henry - F/S (A/G) - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
REES, Frederick William - F/S (Nav/Bomber) - 15852Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].
SLEE, Kenneth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - Stirling IV - PW391 - ORTU ].

Malcolm

[Jagan]

alex collins <**********@hotmail.co.uk>
Wed 4/8/2020 9:51 AM
Flying Officer Stephane Peter Anthony Mansell


This man is down as having no circumstances of his death.
He was a POW after Op Varsity. He was moved to Velen and escaped from there. He was recaptured and shot in Velen.
There was a war crimes trial and I’m trying to find more info.
Alex.

[AndyBaldEagle]

Alex

I have a fair bit of information about Flying Officer Mansell. I will try and dig out what I have in the next couple of days. There are a number of files at the National Archives that I was unaware of until recently, which I have down to copy on one of my future visits.

Regards
Andy

[AndyBaldEagle]

[QUOTE=AndyBaldEagle;149780]Alex

I have a fair bit of information about Flying Officer Mansell. I will try and dig out what I have in the next couple of days. There are a number of files at the National Archives that I was unaware of until recently, which I have down to copy on one of my future visits.

Regards
Andy

The information I have on Flying Officer Mansell's death is as follows:

Flying Officer Mansell served with D Squadron, Glider Pilot Regiment and flew a Horsa (Chalk Number 293) from Royal Air Force Station Shepherds Grove, carrying 5 men (Lieutenant Lester, Sergeant Nicholls, Gunners Morris, Cruse and Marshall), a Wireless Jeep and Trailer, of 53rd Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery to Landing Zone ‘P’.

It was initially understood that he was captured sometime after landing and taken prisoner, and having subsequently escaped from a Prisoner of War column, was cornered in a farmyard at Welmar and beaten to death by a gang of Hitler Youth, on the 29th March 1945. (Bounce the Rhine- Charles Whiting, Air War Varsity – Martin Bowman & www.aircrewremembered.com)

It was subsequently established that he was allegedly taken prisoner by a German Military policeman, sometime either on the 28th or 29th March, taken to the village of Velen, where he was shot allegedly for trying to escape.

He was then buried in Velen Cemetery in the middle of the night.

His body was discovered on 30th March by Major G. Mansell (no relation), Commanding Officer of an Armoured Reconnaissance Unit which captured the village the next day.

On 25th July 1945 his body was exhumed and examined, as part of the investigation into his death, by the War Crimes Investigations Team, where it was found that he had suffered a single gunshot wound to the left side of his neck, which had caused injury to his spine, killing him instantly.

He was subsequently reburied in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Between 21st and 22nd December 1945 two German nationals, Johannes Oenning (aged 15 at the time of the offence) and Emil Nix, were tried by a Military Court having been charged with ‘Committing a War Crime in that they at Velen, Germany, on the night of 25th/26th March, 1945, in violation of the laws and usages of war, were concerned in the killing of Flying Officer Mansell, The Royal Air Force, a prisoner of war’.

After a short trial, at which both had pleaded Not Guilty to the charge, Nix was found Not Guilty, Oenning was found Guilty by the Military Court, which had consisted of three Army Officers and one Royal Air Force officer, with a Legal Member (a qualified barrister) of the Judge Advocate General, also in attendance. They deliberated for a total of 67 minutes before announcing their findings.

Oenning was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, although he submitted a petition against both finding and sentence, which was rejected in January 1946. His father submitted a further plea for a clemency, as did his defending barrister.

In a note in response to this, addressed to the Legal Division, Central Commission for Germany, dated 21st January 1947, the following is stated

‘The attached appeal for clemency from the father of the above named war criminal (Johannes Oenning) is forwarded for such action as is considered appropriate. A previous appeal was made on behalf of this youth by a Major (SO2 Legal) at the headquarters of Military Government, Dusseldorf, who described Oenning as a “decent little chap”, who was at the most only present when the German Oberwachtmeister shot the flying officer.

In fact there was ample evidence, if the court chose to believe it, that Oenning was directly implicated in the murder of Flying Officer Mansell, and, indeed, fired a shot at him. It was doubtless because of the accused’s youth that the court only sentenced him to 8 years imprisonment.

You will doubtless think that no recommendation should be made to Commander in Chief for remission of the sentence’.

This note was sent by Brigadier (Russell of Liverpool), Deputy Judge Advocate General. (TNA – WO 235/38)

His father submitted a letter, dated 26th August 1947, asking for a review of the whole case, and the suspension of the rest of his sentence. It is presumed that this also was not successful. It is not known how much of the sentence Oenning served or when he was released

I have recently learned of several other War Crime files at the National Archives with regard to this airman's death, and will be copying those when I can.

Andy

[jonheyworth]

Robert Henry Wild 1145716, was admitted seriously ill to the Three Counties hospital, in Arlesley on 25th February, transferred to the Seacroft EMS hospital in Leeds, on 12th March he died of a gastric carcinoma

[jonheyworth]

Arthur Stewart Cody Jenkins R 215377 , attached to Number 3 RD, died in Vancouver general hospital of miliary tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Arthur Commons 946223 , died of accidental gun shot wounds at B102 Airfield whilst working with blue echelon

[jonheyworth]

Ronald Bedford Woodward 1890240 , attached to 48 MU , was severely injured in a railway accident on 23 March and was admitted to the EMS hospital at Upton, Chester. He had suffered compound fractures and lacerations to his right arm and was in severe shock, His arm had to be amputated but he died in the hospital of his injuries

[jonheyworth]

Charles Alfred Rogers 1435083 attached to Number 4 MT company, died in an on duty Motorcycle accident

[jonheyworth]

Graeme Kennedy Campbell 1874850 | attached to Number 18 (P) AFU, was admitted dangerously ill to Stratford-on-Avon isolation hospital on 23 March and was transferred to the Stratford EMS hospital on 24 March where he died of purpura