Lancaster MkII,LL689,115 Sq RAF

[Ardmoreal]

This Lancaster was shot down on the 15th Feb 1944 and crashed into the Ijsselmer off Schellinkhout Holland.

Two of the crew are buried in Hoorn Cemetary.
Three are missing.
Two were made POW. They were: Sgt John Johnston,Nav. 1051797 RAF and F/Sgt J D Tomlin,AB ,R/144249,RCAF.

I am looking for any available information on these two,hopefully on what hapenned to them on their release.

Can anyone help please?

[Icare9]

Sgt J Johnston was in Camp 357, with PoW No. 2114
F/Sgt J D Tomlin was in Camp L6, with PoW No. 2120

Homebound, shot down at 2319 over the IJsselmeer by Oblt Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Stab 1V./NJG1. The two survivors were blown from the aircraft and landed in the water, from where they were rescued within an hour or so.

I've no other details I'm afraid.

[Larry]

To find out what happened to the two survivors you could contact the Sqn Association to see if they are members or were members if they have died in recent years:

No. 115 Squadron Association
Mr I.R.E. Lucas
28 Mill Farm Drive
Randlay, Telford
Shorpshire
TF3 2NA
England

[Ardmoreal]

Further to this request, I have the RAF report on the crash which states" Pilot( James Ralph)did not have chute". Surely all aircrew had a parachute,or is there another explanation?

The report also gives the pilot's rank as "F/S"-Flight Sergeant. On the Runnimede Memorial he has the rank of" P/O"-Pilot Officer. Can Anyone explain this please?

[Larry]

Was the pilot found in the wreckage or was he found somewhere else as if he had been blown out of the aircraft in an explosion and or fell to his death?

If he was found in the wreck perhaps he could not reach it and put it on correctly in time or someone else took it and bailed out! My father knew of a case just post war when a crewmember snatched the first parachute available and bailed out of a doomed Wellington leaving others to die!

Another possibility is that the crew failed to load the correct number of chutes. Again I know of instances where other safety gear was left at base by mistake such as the dingy in the wing of a Wellington, which was doing a long over sea mission!

[Ardmoreal]

The pilot and two of the crew were never found.Two more were found in the water, dead, with their chutes, and two , POW,were rescued from the water.

So when was the report written? It was unlikely that the new POW would have provided the info to the Germans to be relayed back to the UK. One or both of them must have provided it on their release or could it have done in their prison camp?

What was the protocol for these Squadron reports?

[ron_Ra]

it was schnaufers second kill that night
the 2 survivors landed in the zuiderzee( naam of the ijselmeer during the ww2)
the landed about 100 meters ofshore and were wounded ( burns)
the yelled because they didn't know witch deriction they must go
the germans came from hoorn and saved the 2 survivors

schnaufer shot an other plane down that night
on the 16 feb it was his birthday he became 23
but he had to go to the hospital for an oparation on his apendix

this accoordig the dutch book wespennest leeuwarden

[Icare9]

If I remember correctly, bomber pilots had a different parachute to the rest of the crew, they actually sat on theirs, strapped to them, as with the crew being ordered to bale out they would then clip on their parachutes and bale out while the pilot held the aircraft steady (if possible!) He woould then only have a short time to get from his seat to the escape hatch, so it made sense for him to always have his parachute with him. he wasn't likely to spend much time away from the cockpit, whereas the others had a chance to move around and a bulky parachute would get in everyones way.
That said, someone must have been certain of the facts that for some reason in this case, the pilot didn't have his chute attached, or a misunderstanding that the pilot didn't (have a chance to) use his 'chute.
The sad fact is that they were only 100 metres from shore but didn't know it. Had they known which direction to head, the rest of the crew might have survived.

I can't answer specifically about the rank, but errors can easily be made. It is possible (but not likely) that he was in line for a promotion which came through later. A Flight Sergeant could have been appointed as "Acting" or "Temporary" to a rank higher, again confirmation only coming through after he had been lost.

[Ardmoreal]

Icare-Thanks for that,I did not know about the location of the pilot's chute.but it does make sense. We see pictures of aircrew getting into the a/c carrying their chutes and presumably the pilots chute would already be in his seat, as was the case during my short service with the RAF .

We can only wonder that it was,nt there when he boarded, but it would have been very uncomfortable without it.

We will never know.

Thank you all for your help.

[ssg keay]

Also quite possible that the three crew still missing went in with the plane. If the pilot was found, it could be that the chute pack was torn of in the crash. Though I sometimes am surprised what can and what does not survive a crash. Danny