460417 - Unaccounted Airmen - 17-04-1946

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

460417 - Unaccounted Airmen - 17-04-1946

From Henk's List -

CANADA
HART, Alexander Bruce - Sgt - R/56371 - RCAF - Toronto (Prospect v) Cemetery, Ontario, Canada.

From CWGC and Geoff's Sites -

INDONESIA
BIRCHALL, Frederick George - Sqdn/Ldr - 252031 - RAAF - Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia.
McDONALD, Hector Murdoch - F/Lt - 120571 - RAAF - Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia.

CANADA
MOHRING, Guenther - GAF - Kitchener ( Woodland ) Cemetery, Ontario, Canada.

Alex

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

INDONESIA.

252031 S/L Frederick George BIRCHALL RAAF
120571 F/L Hector Murdoch McDONALD RAAF


S/L Frederick Birchall RAAF, F/L Hector McDonald RAAF and VX74 Cpt Alastair Norman Mackenzie, AIF, of No.1 Australian War Crimes Section, were in the Dutch East Indies investigating Japanese war crimes. Whilst returning from a visit to a prison near Buitenzorg, Batavia, their jeep was ambushed by Indonesian Nationalists killing three of the four occupants of the vehicle. The fourth occupant, Cpt Murray Collins, a British artillery officer, survived (wounded). The party was travelling in two vehicles when attacked. The occupants of the other vehicle escaped with injuries.

Col.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

According to the website on Camp 135 - Camp Wainwright (http://www.wainwrightdistrict.org/camp-wainwright/stories/camp_135/) Guenther Mohring committed suicide.

On April 27, 1946 with internees in Canada now returning to Europe, 28 year old POW Lt. Gunther Mohring committed suicide. He was found hanging in a copse of trees near the Buffalo Park Gates in the northern area of the camp. The lieutenant had written a note before leaving on his parole walk that day, indicating his intentions as he felt he had nothing left to live for. It is said he received a “Dear John” letter from his overseas sweetheart. Finding this too much to bear, having survived being imprisoned in this foreign country and so dependent upon his memories of his fraulein, he took his life.

After a German military funeral, Lt. Mohring was buried with military honors at the Wainwright cemetery. In 1971, Mohring’s body was exhumed and transferred to Kitchener, Ontario, as were the remains of any POWs who died and were buried in Canada during the war years. His grave marker is in the local museum in Wainwright.

Martyn

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Guenther Moehring.

Ltn Guenther Moehring, of 2./KG 53, was shot down on 15/16 January, 1941, by a No.151 Sq Hurricane piloted by P/O Richard Stevens, The crew of Heinkel He 111 H-5, W.Nr.3638 A1+JK, consisted of:

Ff Ltn Guenther Moehring - Slightly Injured/baled out - PoW
Bo: Gefr Theodor Luebking - Slightly injured/baled out - PoW
Bf Uffz Herbert Graf +
Bs Ogefr Erich Henduck - Wounded/baled out - PoW

The Heinkel crashed into the sea near Spit Buoy, Holehaven.

Col