LOSS OF LANCASTER ED711
AND ALL ITS CREW
ON 16 APRIL 1943
DURING A RAID ON THE SKODA ARMAMENTS FACTORY
AT PILZEN IN CZECHOSLAVAKIA

From:                    John Knilands (knilands@powerup.com.au)
Date:                    10 Dec 1997
SUBJECT:          460 SQUADRON

I found your home page while researching my family history. I don't have much information on Sgt B. Knilands other than his being a cousin of my father. I do have a head and shoulders photo of him in his RAAF uniform if it is of any interest.

It is quite unusual finding that one of my family members had been in the RAAF as I spent 21 years with the RAAF (1967-1988) without knowing of him. I live in Morningside if you want to view the photo.

Kind regards,

John Knilands.

Subject:   Sgt Bruce Knilands
Date:             Mon, 5 Jan 1998
From:           william john knilands knilands@powerup.com.au

Dear Peter,

I hope that you and your family had an enjoyable holiday season. I managed to spend a day in the State Library reading their copy of "Strike and Return" to see if I could get any information on Bruce and his efforts.

From my researches I have found out the following:-

On the night of 16 April 43 , Lancaster ED711 Mk III (UV-U) took off at 2059 hrs from Breighton. Crew Listing was ; F/Sgt D.E.White, DFM, RAAF; Sgt J.S.Stewart, RAAF, (Unfortunately this was his first flight as he had just landed at the squadron and was only flying as second pilot to gain experience); Sgt B. Knilands, RAAF; W/O W.R.K.Charlton, RAAF; F/Sgt F.S. Ward, RAAF; F/Sgt A.K.Parker, RAAF; F/Sgt A.K. Smith, RAAF; F/Sgt R.H. Baker. All the crew were killed on the night and are buried in Durnbach War Cemetery. Site of the crash is unknown.

They were part of a force of 327 aircraft - 197 Lancasters, 130 Halifaxes tasked to attack the SKODA armaments factory at PILZEN in Czechoslovakia.

According to M.Middlebrook and C.Everitt in their book "Bomber Command War Diaries 1939-1945":-

"The raid took place by the light of a full moon but was not a success. In a complicated plan, the Main Force was ordered to confirm the position of the SKODA factory visually; the Pathfinders markers were only intended as a general guide. In the event, a large asylum building 7 miles away was mistaken for the factory and only six crews bought back bombing photographs which were within 3 miles of the real target. The SKODA factory was not hit. One report said that 200 german soldiers were killed when their barracks near the asylum was bombed. A further 271 aircraft - 159 Wellingtons, 95 Sterlings and 17 Halifaxes also attacked MANNHEIM on this night. It is noted that the aircraft losses on this night were the highest so far in the war."

In W.R.Chorley's book "RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War" he states:-

"In bright moonlight, most crews mistook an asylum building 11km distant from the factory as their target and bombed accordingly. If this error was not enough, the Luftwaffe came upon the Main Force and was responsible for most of the thirty six crews reported missing".

Their Lancaster was the first Mk III reported missing from 460 Squadron.

I also found a site run by Mr Larry Wright who provided me with the following information on the Lancaster that they were flying on the night:-

Service History:
460 Sqn AR-U, UV-U
Listed as :         Missing on Operations -night of 16/17 April 1943.
Target :             Pilzen
Crashed Site :    Unknown

Specific raid information for ED711:
Take off 2059 Breighton. Part of a force of 327 aircraft tasked to attack Pilzen. 36 aircraft, 11.00 percent of the forces were lost. Cause of the aircrafts loss is not recorded. All of the crew are buried at Durnbach War Cemetery.

My next mission is to write to RAAF records to see if I can find out a little more on Bruce. I still have no idea of his mustering although my family records believe him to have been a pilot. I find it unusual that there would be three pilots in the same aircraft.

I have enjoyed the update of your site and was interested to see that Clarrie Taylor was involved in the fateful raid on Pilsen.

I have attached a scanned photo of Bruce (see above). I hope that it will be of use to you or someone that may remember him.

Will keep in touch and advise you of any further information that comes my way.

Kind Regards,

John Knilands

Subject:     460 Squadron Web Site
Date:              Thu, 13 Jan 2000 04:30:54 +1100
From:            Bruce Hall <oakleigh@acenet.com.au>

Peter, I have just completed a short account of the life of my late father-in-law Flight/Sgt Frank Ward DFM who flew with 460 Sqdrn and was lost over Germany in 1943.

The material is based on records I got from National Archives plus his log books and diary and some photos that my wife already had.

Your web site has been very helpful in that I was able to make contact with a relative of one if Frank's crew mates, Sgt Bruce Kniland, whose info came up when I clicked on Frank Ward's name.

I would like to email my material to you so that you can include something on Frank Ward in the 460 Sqdrn web site.

Awaiting your response.

Bruce Hall
Email Address: oakleigh@acenet.com.au
Postal Address: PO Box 812
Bowral NSW 2576
Australia

The following story on Frank Ward was written by Bruce Hall (oakleigh@acenet.com.au)

Distinguished Flying Medal Citation

Flight Sgt. Francis Henry Ward D.F.M.

Compiled by Bruce Hall
Bowral

December 1999

He may have worked for a short while in the grocery game with his father after leaving school. However, his first recorded job after leaving school was as a messenger with the Commonwealth Department of Health where he commenced work on 12^th April 1933. On 16^th January 1934 he commenced work as a Clerk with the Metropolitan Business College. On 5^th August 1937 he started work at Sydney Pincombe Pty Ltd, 48 Hunter Street, Sydney where he eventually held the position of Assistant Accountant and Credit Manager.

(In 1987 the writer spoke to a member the 460 Squadron Association who worked with Frank at Sydney Pincombe. He recalled Frank and said that he was a good lad, very keen and enthusiastic.)

At this early stage of Frank's life, the War with Germany intervened. His first experience of military life was three months compulsory training with the Army Signals Corps, 36 Bn. He also commenced voluntary attendance at N.C.O. classes, two nights per week.

Perhaps army life was not to Frank's liking and in July 1940 he applied for selection as Air Crew with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He was placed on the Air Crew waiting list.

Training at Tatenhill continued until early October, after which he was posted to 460 Squadron, based at Breighton in East Yorkshire. 460 Squadron was an Australian RAAF unit formed in November 1941. Initially it was equipped with Vickers Wellington aircraft and at the time of Frank's posting had been converted to the larger Avro Lancaster four-engine heavy bomber.

In December 1942 he commenced training on Manchester bombers at 1656 Conversion Unit, Lindholme. In January 1943 training commenced on Avro Lancaster heavy bombers at Lindholme doing circuits and landings.

On 16th January 1943 after a final air test, Frank flew his first mission, which was a raid on Berlin in Lancaster No. D4776. He was the Bomb-Aimer. At this point he had a total of 224 flying hours logged, including 63 hours night flying. This first mission involved 7 hours 20 minutes night flying. Due to a late take-off (5.25pm) they did not reach Berlin and bombed a secondary target at Rostock from a height of 17000 feet. No enemy aircraft were encountered but they flew through medium flack without suffering any damage.

His second mission on 17^th January was also to Berlin, which they reached on time and successfully bombed. German defences were better prepared and the bombers faced determined and powerful opposition from both ground and air defences on this raid. Frank's aircraft was damaged by heavy flack but returned safely after 8.5 hours in the air. This was his first taste of real warfare and must have been a terrifying experience.

It is worth noting that the aircraft flown on the second mission (number G.4781) is referred to as "G George" in Frank's diary. The Lancaster now known as "G for George" is numbered W.4783 and survived 90 missions to be withdrawn from active service and used as a war-time promotional aircraft back in Australia. So we must assume that the aircraft flown on Frank's second mission is not the aircraft now owned by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. A photograph of the members of 460 Squadron, including Frank, was on display in the main hall at the War Memorial alongside G for George until early 1999 when the aircraft was moved to Treloar Technology Park to undergo a full restoration.

Further training in circuits and landings and all weather flying was done from Lindholme in late January. After 48 hours leave in Sheffield, he rejoined 460 Squadron at Breighton on 27^th January 1943. Breighton is a small village about 20 kilometers south of the City of York. The airfield is right next to the village and is now used for general aviation. Frank wrote of Breighton in his diary "..when we arrived at Breighton found it the usual old place, unaltered from when we were here before. The place is covered with mud and to speak mildly, it is a bloody awful place"

Bomber Command was at this time under great pressure to escalate bombing attacks on Nazi Germany and other occupied countries. The targets were generally heavy industrial centres, munitions factories, arms and vehicle manufacturing plants, military bases, etc.

Frank's situation in being sent on night bombing missions with the barest of operational training was typical of the time. Unfortunately, the allied losses of aircraft and crews was heavy and the chances of any airman completing the required 32 missions before being allowed any respite were slight, to say the least.

After just 18 months since joining the RAAF and only eight weeks since leaving Sydney, Frank and his mates found themselves in one of the darkest periods of the war facing the very real prospect of not returning from each mission. After 8 or so hours in the air at night over enemy territory, the crews returned mentally and physically exhausted, sometimes in a badly damaged aircraft barely able to stay in the air. Daylight hours would have been spent in fitful sleep followed by the essential briefing sessions before the next mission.

On one occasion Frank and his fellow crew were given weekend leave, so they headed for Doncaster and stayed in a hotel. They were so exhausted that they spent most of the weekend sleeping, so a weekend of fun and frivolity was out of the question.

Upon joining 460 Squadron at Breighton, Frank and his crew mates did local and cross country flying with their new pilot, Flight Sgt White. The crew were:  Flight Sgt D E White Pilot, Flight Sgt F H Ward Bomb-aimer & Air Gunner, Flight Sgt A K Parker Wireless Operator, W/O W R K Charlton Navigator, Sgt B Knilands Flight Engineer, Sgt N Simpson Air Gunner and Flight Sgt A K Smith (RAF) Air Gunner

F/Sgt White          Sgt Knilands                  ?                   F/Sgt Ward                    ?                          ?                       ?         

All were Australians except Smith who was attached to the Squadron from the RAF. White was from Colac Victoria, Charlton was from Sydney, Alan Parker was from Mosman NSW, Knilands was from Hornsby NSW and Simpson from Queensland.

On 4^th February 1943 Frank flew his third mission bombing Turin in Italy, a nine hour operation. Missions against Lorient (2), Bremin and Milan followed during February without mishap. They aborted the Milan flight one and a half hours out from base due to an oxygen system failure. Of the Bremen mission Frank wrote in his diary "not a bad trip - 10/10ths cloud most of the way & over target. Bags of flak over target and all the way out. Didn't know whether we were coming or going half the time".

In March they flew missions against Hamburg, Essen (twice), Nurnburg, Munich, Stuttgart and St Nazaire. All went without suffering any damage except for the last mission against a German submarine base at St Nazaire on 22^nd March.

Just before reaching the target they were shot-up be a JU88 German night fighter. The rear and mid-upper gun turrets returned fire. In the ensuing engagement the rear turret, fuselage, tail-plane and starboard wing were damaged by cannon fire. The rudder and elevator trim were shot away and the aircraft went out of control, diving steeply. White managed to regain control, pulling out of the dive at 4000 feet. Although the damage was serious, they continued on and bombed the target.

On completion of the bombing run, Frank discovered that one bomb had not released from the bomb bay. Facing a certain crash landing back in England their attempts to jettison the bomb were unsuccessful until Frank managed to dislodge it after half an hour of effort. He then assisted White who was having great difficulty controlling the damaged aircraft. They crash-landed on British soil in South Cerney. The plane was destroyed by fire. No mention is made in Frank's log book and diary about any injuries or loss of crew from this crash. They all must have been able to get clear of the aircraft before it caught fire.

Page from Frank's log book showing entry for St Nazaire mission

At the end of March 1943 Frank had flown 87.4 hours on operations, all at night.

Following the loss of their Lancaster No. D4879 on the St Nazaire raid, Frank and Flight Sgt White tested a new aircraft on 2^nd April and found it to be unserviceable. The following night they resumed operations in Lancaster No. U711 with a raid on Essen. On the return leg, they landed at Church Fenton base where they stayed until 6^th April, possibly due to aircraft problems. The day they returned to Breighton they practiced cross country, low level, formation flying involving 60 aircraft for three hours.

Missions to Duisburg and Spezia followed on the 13^th and 14^th April. Then on 16^th April Frank and his crew mates set out with fourteen other Lancasters from 460 Squadron to bomb the Skoda arms works at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia.

The Pilsen raid was different from the previous missions they had done. It was staged during a full moon period in the hope that the target could be identified visually, and to offset the danger from fighters, full-scale diversionary raids were made on cities in Western Germany.

Navigational difficulties were encountered in locating Pilsen. We know that one Australian crew bombed Nuremberg instead whilst two others searched over a wide area without finding the Pathfinder flares that were supposed to have been dropped beforehand on the Skoda works and then set course for base, attacking Erlangen and Koblenz en route. Night fighters harried the Lancasters, which found the bright moonlight a hazard that outweighed the expected advantage of easier navigation. Consequently, heavy losses were experienced.

460 Squadron lost three aircraft that night, including Lancaster No. U711.

Frank's aircraft crashed near the small town of Boeblingen, 20 km south west of Stuttgart. Eight bodies were brought in to Steinhalde Cemetary in Stuttgart by German Luftwaffe authorities on 18^th April 1943. It was stated that the aircraft had crashed in or around Boebligen. The airmen were given full military honours at burial, with a Luftwaffe Chaplin present to conduct the ceremony. Each was laid to rest sometime during the afternoon of 20^th April 1943. (The eighth crew member was Sgt J S Stewart who had just completed pilot training. This was his first mission and he was aboard U711 as second pilot to gain operational flying experience.)

Particulars of the burial were recorded thus:

Separate graves for eight airmen, with small white cross inscribed in black lettering name and rank, where possible, and for the unknown in the three cases, "Unbekannte Englische Flieger 20/4/43". Each grave contains a coffin."

The five bodies identified by the Luftwaffe authorities were:

F H Ward, D E White, A K Parker, B Knilands, R H Baker

However, after the war the bodies were exhumed by the British authorities. In October 1948 Frank's wife Mary received a letter advising that the identification of five RAAF members had been established but the identification of Frank Ward, Flight Sgt Stewart and Flight Sgt Smith could not be effected. The remains of the entire crew were re-interred in adjacent graves in the Durnbach British Military Cemetery 28 miles south of Munich.

What were the events leading up to the loss of Lancaster No. U711 and its crew?

Official reports on the Pilsen raid mention navigational difficulties that prevented the bombers from locating the correct target. Consequently, secondary targets at Nurnburg, Erlangen and Koblenz were attacked instead.

Nurnburg and Erlangen are located just north of a straight line drawn between Pilsen and the crash site at Boebligen. We do not know whether U711 dropped its bomb load on Pilsen or secondary targets at Nurnburg or Erlangen. In the moonlit conditions that night the large Lancaster bombers would have been easily sighted by German fighter pilots. We can only surmise that one of these fighters spotted U711 during or just after the bombing run, attacked with machine gun or cannon fire and succeeded in destroying the aircraft. The crash site is over 200 kms from Nurnburg and Erlangen, so it appears that U711 was attacked as it headed back to base.

In 1947, the British authorities attempted to identify the exact crash site at Boebligen but could find no trace of a crash or any aircraft remains. Another 460 Squadron aircraft crashed near Ludwigshaven about 160 kms north west from Boebligen. The wreckage and remains of the crew were found over 50 years later submerged in a fishing lake near Ludwigshaven.

Postscript

Frank Ward was a typical Australian young man of his time who enlisted to help defend the British Empire against the Nazi tyranny unleashed by Adolf Hitler. Married to Mary only weeks before he left Australia, he found himself embroiled in an air war far worse than anyone could have foreseen.

The final months of his life at the 460 Squadron base at Breighton were miserable with the cold winter weather, the stress from undertaking night-time sorties over enemy territory and a longing for Australia and his loved ones. Frank and his crew mates would have developed a strong bond, as most bomber crews did, and the short leave breaks would have been largely spent together over drinks, card games and story telling. They flew together during one of the most dangerous periods of the war when bomber crew losses were very high, particularly amongst the Australian Squadrons.

The war dragged on for another two and a half years after the U711 crew met their fate. Many more airmen died over Europe before Nazi Germany was forced in to submission. The missions they flew played a major part in crippling the German war machine.

I hope that this account of Frank's short life will serve to perpetuate his memory across future generations of his descendants, so that his sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Bruce Hall Bowral NSW December 1999

Franks Air Observer's Wing

Tatenhill - Staffordshire

1656 Conversion Unit - Lindholme

460 Squadron - E. Yorkshire