May 1945
On 2nd May 1945 nine aircraft of No. 630 Squadron were detailed to participate in “Operation Exodus” the repatriation by air of liberated British Prisoners of War. Wing Commander Wild joined the pilots participating as did another recent arrival with the squadron F/L Mike Karop[i] a 23 year old married man from Norwich who worked in the Southern Cameroons post-war (and sadly died there in 1959).
RA520-E F/O JL Bathgate RNZAF
LM216-K F/L HF Kirkwood
LM680-Z F/O A McGuffie
NG413-M S/L MR Cuelenaere RCAF
NN774-L F/L MC Karop
PB344-R F/O GH Cowan
PA322-V W/C FWL Wild
ND412-H F/O GR Scott RAAF
Due to transportation problems Military authorities had been unable to muster the numbers of former prisoners expected and only two aircraft (S/L Cuelenaere and F/O Cowan) ferried men home, the others returning empty.
(thanks to Imperial War Museum)
On 4th May both 630 Squadron and 57 Squadron again participated in Operation Exodus each providing 12 aircraft. 57 Squadron repatriated 281 service personnel to Westcott and Six-thirty brought back 287 service personnel and 1 civilian. 630’s “C” (Flying Officer Dobbie) remained at Westcott after the flight as their Gee had become unserviceable.
NG125-F F/O GR Scott RAAF
PB784-Q F/O K Hallett RAAF
LM216-P F/O A McGuffie
LM216-K F/L HF Kirkwood
NG259 -N S/L LW Pilgrim
ND412-H F/O JW Wallace RNZAF
RA520-E F/O LA Barnes
PB344-R F/O GH Cowan
RF124-S F/O AM MacLean
NG413-M F/L MC Karop
JB290-C F/O JB Dobbie
NG123-U Lt MT Ackerman SAAF
On 8th May both squadrons from East Kirkby again flew round trips repatriating former POW’s home from the continent. Returning from Juvincourt, 57 Squadron’s 8 aircraft brought 192 servicemen and 630 Squadron’s 7 brought back 163 servicemen. This time two more recently arrived pilots and their crews participated, 21 year old Warrant Officer Pete Frampton[ii] from Steyning who would become a planter in Malaya after wartime service and Australian F/O Robert “Hammy” Hamilton[iii].
PD253-D F/O JW Wallace RNZAF
NN702-J F/O RE Hamilton RAAF
LM216-K W/O PGS Frampton
NG413-M F/O WM Taylor
NG259-N F/S DS Tillett
PB784-Q S/L LW Pilgrim
ME739-T F/O JC Clingin RAAF
Back at base the Station Commander called a parade for 14:30 hours so that at 15:00 hours on 8th May the broadcast by the Prime Minister Winston Churchill was heard, war with Germany was over. This was followed by a short service held by the Chaplain Squadron Leader the Rev. George Dunbar[iv].
An “Exodus” operation to Brussels was aborted on 12th May due to lousy weather and re-mounted successfully on 14th when 16 aircraft of 57 Squadron and 13 of 630 Squadron ferried 717 service personnel home safely from Lille-Vendeville.
LM216-K F/L HF Kirkwood
PA266-P F/O GH Cowan
NG125-F F/O GR Scott RAAF
PA322-V F/O AM MacLean RCAF
PD253-D F/O LM Duggan RAAF
ME739-T F/O K Hallett RAAF
RA520-E F/O LA Barnes
LM680-Z F/S DS Tillett
ND412-H F/O JW Wallace RNZAF
RF124-S W/O R Grange
NG123-U F/O LW Jacobs RAAF
PB784-Q S/L LW Pilgrim
NG413-M F/O JL Bathgate RNZAF
On 15th May the squadron mounted a cross country flight by 4 aircraft, across the Ruhr Valley, 24 year old Section Officer Kay Seward WAAF[v] was one of the Base Staff who flew and decades later vividly recalled the excitement of sitting in a gun turret and sitting beside the pilot of her aircraft. She was a war widow, her husband Flight Lieutenant Fred Seward had been killed on 29th June 1943 flying with 97 Squadron.
(photo thanks to Kay Rowland)
Note: on 16th May 1945, Lt William Adams USAAF formerly of 630 Squadron but now flying with 617 Squadron crashed Lancaster Mark I PD139 while flying fast and very low near Oberg/Braunschweig clipping the roof of a house while on a training exercise. The entire crew walked away unhurt. One month earlier he’d written off another Lancaster near Lossiemouth, soon afterwards he returned to service with the USAAF.
On 17th May 1945 the recently arrived crew of 24 year old Bernard Hall[vi] crashed while carrying out a routine cross country training flight in RF124. At 17:15 hours a message was received at East Kirkby to the effect that the aircraft had been seen near Wolverhampton coming out of the clouds apparently out of control and crashing into a roadway near Moat House Farm at Short Heath, Wednesfield. The aircraft was completely destroyed and the whole crew killed. The cause of this accident is not known.
Lancaster I, RF124 (Codes LE – S)
Pilot – F/O Bernard Hall. Age 24 †
Flight Eng – F/O Ronald James O’Donnell. Age 21 †
Navigator – Sgt Reginald Henry (Reggie) Smith. Age 21 †
Bomb Aimer – F/O Victor Francis Dobell Meade. Age 23 †
Wireless Op – Sgt Gordon Leonard Rabbetts. Age 21 †
Mid Upper – Sgt Vincent Reginald Woodburn Southworth. †
Rear Gunner – Sgt John Alfred Sills. Age 21 †
Vincent Southworth was only 19 years old. The sad loss of this aircraft and crew was the first fatal accident involving a Bomber Command aircraft since the official cease fire at the end of the Second World War on 8th May 1945. Hall was buried at Boulton (St Mary) Churchyard, O’Donnell at Plymouth (Ford Park) Cemetery, Smith at Henley (Reading Road) Cemetery, Meade at Wiveliscombe (St Andrew) Churchyard, Rabbetts at Mangotsfield (Downend) Cemetery, Southworth at Watford North Cemetery and Sills at Cleethorpes Cemetery.
(photo thanks to Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage, East Kirkby)
On 18th May 1945 Steve Nunns and crew were posted to 617 Squadron.
(photo thanks to Brian Lunn)
On 21st May and 28th May in between a continually building program of training exercises 14 aircraft of 630 Squadron were detailed to jettion incendiaries into the North Sea on the first occasion and 12 on the second. The latter half of month was more inclined to thundery showers but training missions continued as rumours abounded concerning “Tiger Force” the expected transfer of heavy bomber squadrons to participate in the war in the Far East.
630 Squadron completed 595.30
non-operational flying hours during the month.
[i] Michael Churchill Karop (150084), RAFVR. Commissioned 1943, formerly 902476. (born 01/07/1921 Bromley/South London – died 01/07/1959, Bota/Southern Cameroon)
[ii] Peter Geoffrey Selwyn Frampton. (1217271,198535). RAFVR
[iii] Robert Edward Hamilton (A424035), RAAF.
[iv] Rev. George Alban Charles Dunbar (184661), RAFVR.
[v] Edith Kathleen Mary Seward, nee Curtis (5574), WAAF, Later re-married (Rowland).
[vi] Bernard Hall (168650), RAFVR. KIFA (see text)
No. 630 Squadron 