RAF/RCAF POWs Escapees/Repatriations?

re your escapees and evaders

Hi Darrell did you see the PM i sent you re that web site regarding same
you could alway contact the site owner who has many facts about these thing as he helped me quite a lot. Though as someone else has stated that serial no for the Wimpy aeroplane doesn’t seem right it could perhaps be it was a typo in the papers you got it from? just a thought.
Cheers Ant

The only other info I have on W5521 is that it was coded LQ*P.

However, a quick Google shows that someone has been here before us:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2800-Wellington-W5521-405-Sqn.

Great , any more info on W5521, his last entry in logbook was Sept 6, 1941, so could that be W 5521 ? maybe mistaken number in log? yes definitely 405 squadron, Andy I will plod through those records to try and find out something, thanks, Darrell

Wellingtons

P5531 was not a Wellington (or anything else, actually).

W5531 was a Wellington II which served with 405 Sqn, but which was lost on take-off for a raid to Essen on 13 April 1942.

405’s Wellingtons which failed to return in 1941 were:
W5476 – 30 November, over Hamburg
W5483 – 2 August, over Berlin
W5488 – 29 August, ‘missing’ on raid to Duisburg
W5496 – 15 August, ‘missing’ on raid to Hannover
W5521 – 7 September, over Berlin
W5522 – 16 June, over Cologne, but aircraft actually crashed in North Sea
W5527 – 2 August, over Berlin
W5534 – 15 July, over Hannover
W5537 – 24 July, Brest Harbour while attacking the Gneisenau
W5551 – 24 July, ‘missing’ on the Gneisenau raid
W5553 – 8 November, over Berlin
W5561 – 28 December, ‘missing’ on raid to Emden
W5581 – 24 July, English Channel on the Gneisenau raid
W5595 – 29 August, ‘missing’
Z8344 – 19 September, ‘missing’ on the way to Stettin
Z8419 – 22 October, ‘missing’

You will be able to access the ORBs for the squadron on-line. If you need a Kew research agent I can put you in touch with one in order to get the MI9 report.

P5531 does not make sense for a Wellington.

No time to search for alternatives, but if you get some slightly more accurate information I am sure that I or others on the forum will come back with the date and full details.

Hi guys, he baled out of a Wellington, P5531 ? I think he was 400 or 405 squadron at the time? Is there a crash record of this aircraft? will try the Kew Andy thanks.

Hi Darrell,

The following website has a (partial) list of MI9 reports in WO 208

http://www.conscript-heroes.com/MI9-01.html

And there is a Sgt James A Smith listed but I assuming his isn’t your man? Do you have any Squadron or type details, etc.?

3314 1319 (-)
Sgt James A Smith
214 Sqn Stirling BK653
FTR Mannheim Apr 43 – Oaktree – Pyrenees June 43

He seems to have made it with some of his crew – F/Sgt David E James RCAF, Sgt W G Grove, Sgt James Hall, Sgt R W Adams.

Regards,

Jeff

You shouldn’t need to dig deep, Bolyman.

All returning POWs had an MI9 de-brief, and this included evaders/escapers as well as ‘repat’ POWs and those who returned on release at end of hostilities. All are at Kew. Look under WO208, AIR 14 or AIR 40.

Bolyman,
You may have to dig deep! During WW2 the Swedish Hospital/Red Cross/Repat ships “Drottningholm” and “Gripsholm” flogged their way round the world, ablaze with lights at night and with “Diplomat Sweden” in 20 ft high letters across their sides, doing most of the repats of diplomatic staffs, and repats/exchange of severly injured PoWs. They had ICRC staff on board. As far as I am aware the ICRC staff kept meticulous records of personnel – at the time. Now, whether all those records survive I know not. I do know some of them do! I wish you luck.
HTH
Resmoroh

Thanks , I would have figured compassion possibly due to injury? or possibly prisoner exchange? thanks again, try and follow up with more research, Darrell

There should be an MI9 de-brief for him at TNA, Kew.

He does not seem to be listed in Clutton-Brock’s ‘RAF Evaders’.