Decades-long mystery solved as lost bomber crew identified
The graves of four previously unknown World War 2 Airmen have finally been given names at a ceremony in the Netherlands.
Floral tributes at the graves of the Lancaster crew (Crown Copyright)
Four airmen who died when their Lancaster bomber crashed in Germany in December 1944 were finally honoured by name after an 82-year search uncovered the truth behind one of Bomber Command’s wartime mysteries.
Earlier today at the CWGC’s Venray War Cemetery in the Netherlands a service was held for Flying Officer (Fg Off) Leslie Markland Hough, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF); Pilot Officer (Plt Off) John Henry Tales, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR); Sergeant (Sgt) Henry Charles Burnside RAFVR and Sgt John Lawson RAFVR, whose remains lay in graves marked ‘unknown’ for decades following a series of post-war administrative errors.
On the morning of 8 December 1944, the Lancaster PD374 of No. 218 Squadron RAF departed RAF Methwold in Norfolk as part of a force of more than 130 tasked with attacking the Neerbeck oil plant at Homberg in Germany’s Ruhr region. From the seven man Lancaster crew; three escaped by parachute and were taken as Prisoners of War and the other four lost their lives.
JCCC Caseworker, Tracey Bowers, said:
Today we honour the British and Australian airmen who served and died together during World War 2. To have so many families present here today has made this occasion especially poignant, and seeing them interacting with members of the local community who have adopted these graves incredibly moving.
Family of the crew of Lancaster PD 374 and military personnel at the graveside (Crown Copyright)
Plt Off Tales, born in Attercliffe, Sheffield, on 31 December 1917 was one of eleven children. He worked as a poster writer before enlisting in the RAF in September 1939 where he built an exemplary service record. Despite having already completed a full operational tour, he volunteered to return to frontline operations and joined No. 218 Squadron in August 1944.
John Tales, nephew of Plt Off Tales, who attended the service with other family members said:
It has been an extremely poignant occasion and we are honoured and quite overwhelmed to have been here. It has been wonderful to learn more about our Uncle John and we would like to thank all those who have made this possible
The Captain of Lancaster PD374 was Australian airman Fg Off Hough RAAF. Eyewitness accounts suggest Hough remained at the controls of the burning aircraft to give others the opportunity to escape.
The two other crew honoured were Sgts Burnside and Lawson. Burnside was known for his professionalism and immaculate appearance, while Lawson, affectionately known as “Geordie”, came from a mining family in County Durham.
Thurston Lawson, nephew of Sgt Lawson who attended the service with his cousin John Lawson said:
Fantastic day and incredibly memorable. So moving to see so many people here and everyone has been so kind and represented their organisations brilliantly.
The rededication service was conducted by Reverend (Group Captain) Ruth Hake, who said:
It is my immense privilege to conduct the ceremony for Fg Off Hough, Plt Off Tales, Sgt Burnside and Sgt Lawson today. They gave their lives in defence of our nation, and in dedicating their graves today with their names rightfully in place, we are able finally, to honour that debt that we all owe to them and their loved ones.
The Reverend (Group Captain) Ruth Hake leads the service (Crown Copyright)
Today’s service, held more than eight decades after these men lost their lives, means the crew of Lancaster PD374 will finally be commemorated under their own names rather than as unknown servicemen.
Dr Daniel Seaton, Commemorations Case Officer at the CWGC, said:
I am delighted that, after so many years, the final resting place of these brave airmen has finally been identified. Their family members, of whom so many were here today, can now visit their known graves in perpetuity. The Commission is pleased to have assisted with this process and will continue to maintain their graves with the utmost care and respect.