Quote:
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Originally Posted by Tundra
http://www.myisp.net.au/~aldrich/450/herrett.html
31st October 1942:
More escorting for "Baltimores" over the Fuka 'drome. Shots were exchanged with some ME109's but no damage was done to us. Twelve of our "Kitty's" did a long-range sweep after lunch. Ten returned.
"J" with Sergeant Reid aboard was attacked by two ME109's and went down in flames near Sollum. The two attackers fell to the guns of Flt Lt. Law and Sergeant Borthwick.
The CO [Flt Lt Williams] whilst straffing an enemy camp was accidently shot down by Sgt. Harrison. He crash landed in rough country and was seen to get out of his machine. The ground was too rough to effect an immediate rescue.
Ammo. dumps, tents, transport and railway sidings were straffed for the rest of the day. No.112 Squadron shot down eight enemy aircraft today - well done.
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40652 RNZAF Squadron Leader John Edwin Ashley Williams, DFC, happened while serving with 450 Sqdn, he was a former member of 112 Sqdn RAF
Williams was born in Wellington on May 6 1919. He joined the RAF in January 1938 to take up a short service commission.
He is believed to have served with 601 Squadron before being posted to the Middle East, where he flew at different periods with 112, 94 and 260 Squadrons.
In June 1942 Wiliams joined 450 Squadron in the Western Desert as a flight commander. On the 18th, leading his flight over Gambut, he shot down a Bf 109. On July 5 he destroyed a Ju 88.
Leading the squadron over the El Alamein positions on September 12 1942 Williams destroyed a Ju 87, probably a second and damaged a third. Later in the month, during a sortie against the enemy airfield at Daba, Williams shot down a Ju 88.
In October 1942 Williams was awarded the DFC and took command of the squadron. He led it during the Battle of El Alamein. On October 31 he made a forced landing behind German lines and was captured.
Williams was in Stalag Luft 3 camp at Sagan in Germany in March 1944. He took part in the Great Escape and was one of fifty men executed by the Gestapo on March 29. (One of 2 , 112 Sqn Pilots to have met that fate)
40652 S/L John E A Williams DFC, Australian, born 6-May-1919, 450 Sqdn, PoW 31-Oct-1942, recaptured near Reichenberg, murdered 29-Mar-1944 by Lux, cremated at Brux Gestapo Chief Dr Wilhelm Scharpwinkel was masquerading as a Lt Hagamann in the No 6 Hospital at Breslau when Frau Gerda Zembrodt, corroborated by Klaus Lonsky, saw Russian officers remove him at gunpoint. During the enquiry into the murders, the Russians refused to co-operate with the Allied investigation, although after much prodding they allowed Scharpwinkel to make a statement, in Moscow, during August and September 1946. Soon afterwards, Scharpwinkel disappeared and although reported dead by the Russians on 17-Oct-1947, was believed to have found a high position in the Soviet administration. He is almost certain to have died by now.
He and his associate Lux murdered Cross, Casey, Wiley, Leigh, Pohe and Hake. The next day Lux executed Humphries, McGill, Swain, Hall, Langford, Evans, Valenta, Kolanowski, Stewart and Birkland. The day after that, he executed Kiewnarski, Pawluk, Wernham and Skanzikas. On April 6th, Lux murdered Grisman, J E Williams, Milford, Street and McGarr. Long followed soon after. Lux is also believed to have killed Tobolski and Krol, who vanished in the same area as the others. Lux, with at least twenty-seven murders on his soul, died in the fighting around Breslau at the end of the war. Gunn, killed at Breslau, is likely to have been another of their victims
Credited with five victories, Williams also received a Mention in Dispatches.