One that didn’t come back 61 years ago May 9 1945. Corporal Albert George Thompson of the 7th Btn Worcester Regiment. Albert was taken prisoner on 26 May 1940 and spent the rest of the war as a guest of the German authorities. Albert was one of 5,000 POW’s marched out of Stalag 383 at Hahenfels before the camp was liberated by the Americans in late April 1945. The march lasted for 13 days before the POW’s were finally abandoned by their captors in Straubing. Albert and a couple of compatriots found themselves in Paris for VE day, and on the very next day, scheduled to fly out from Juvincourt as part of operation Exodus.
Albert along with 25 fellow POW’s boarded a 514 Sqn Lancaster (RF230) to fly home on the morning of the 9th. Unfortunately the POW’s were all placed to the rear of the aircraft and the pilot found the aircraft to be uncontrollable on take off, and it crashed approximately 1 mile east of the airfield killing all 31 on board.
Albert was/would have been my wifes Cousin
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