INVESTIGATION REPORT.
FROM: No. 21 Section. No.4 M.R.& E.U., R.A.F. (GERMANY)
TO: Air Ministry S.7 Cas.
DATE: 18.12.1946
YOUR FILE OR FOLDER REFERENCE: P.413743/2/44.
YOUR CASUALTY ENQUIRY NUMBER: 1220 (also 95 RAAF.CAS)
OUR REFERENCE: 4 M.R.E.U/906/1220
NAME OF SEARCH OFFICER: F/O R.A. SAAGER
TARGET: BERLIN
AIRCRAFT TYPE AND SERIAL NUMBER: HALIFAX 111 HX. 311
DATE REPORTED MISSING : 15/16.2.1944.
PLACE OF CRASH WITH MAP REF: FALKENBERG N53 Z9457
PLACE OF BURIAL, WITH MAP REF: AHRENSFELDE N.53 Z9658
CREW: Aus. 415244 P/O FISCHER, J.W. A/B. P.D.
J. 20359 A/S/L. Rielander, A.V. Pilot B.D.
J. 8940 F/L Penalagan, R.H. 2nd Pilot Missing
Aus. 413755 F/O Foskett, B.W. Nav. B.D.
218517 P/O Jones, F.W. Wop/AG B.D.
159677 P/O Dowding, A.F. F/Eng. Missing
2216237 Sgt. Lucas, S.L. A/G Missing
1311036 Sgt. Bartley, F.W. A/G Missing.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION AND FINDINGS:
The Aircraft:
According to the Ahrensfelde cemetery records the aircraft of the
above mentioned crew was shot down in Falkenberg on 16.2.1944.
The Crew:
The Cemetery records reads, corresponding exactly to the inscrip-
tion on the communal cross:
7 Canadian Airmen
shot down 15.2.1944 in Falkenberg
Off. R.C. Reilander 20359
Off. B.W. Faskett 413755
"Faehnrich" (P/O) Danes 1336774
and 4 unknown Canadian airman.
All buried 18.2.44 in Field 2 communal Grave 3.
The burial was carried out with full military honours by
a German Air Force detachment. The military parson was unfortunately
unable to attend due to a breakdown in his transport.
The graves were tidily kept and decorated with fir branches
in traditional German winter style. During the war the present Burgermeis-
ter's wife and her friends made a point of tending these graves.
Conclusion.
In the large communaln grave at AHRENSFELDE this crew is on the
right, taking in bodies 17 to 23.
Body 17 was identified as that of F/O Foskett, as he was
wearing R.A.A.F. B/D. and had No. 413755 on the tab inside his socks.
This disproves the order of burial as given on the cross, as
F/O Foskett should be body 18.
Body 20 had S/L. braid on the burnt remains of a B/D tunic,
proving it to be that of S/L. Reilander.
On body 23 parts of R.A.A.F. B/D were found, making it the
body of P/O FISHER, the one remaining Australian in the crew.
As P/O braid was found on body 22 it is reasonable to
suppose that it is the one of P/O. JONES, listed in the German Records
as "FAEHNRICH" DANES 1336774. 1336774 is P/O JONES' airman no.
"FAEHNRICH" of "OFFICER" on probation has the equivalent rank of
P/O braid was found and JONES was the only P/O listed in the German
Records, I suggest that body 22 be accepted as that of P/O JONES.
Officer type shirts were found on both, body 18 and 19, making
them the bodies of F/L PENALAGAN and P/O DOWDING or viceversa, as they
are the two remaining officers in the crew.
Body 21, on which parts of O.R/s shirt were found, I
suggest is the mortal remains of Sgt. LUCAS and F/S: Bartley the two
O.R's in the crew. This body was burnt to cinders making it impossible
to determine, if it was not in fact two bodies. Also no fragments of
an O.R's shirt were found on any other body.
The cemetery authorities had a request to discover
particulars about the one remaining member of this crew, made by the
Military Information Centre, Berlin, for personnel killed in the war
or taken prisoner. Their efforts to find any details were in vain.
(See attached translation of this report)
REBURIED BERLIN BRITISH WAR CEMETERY HEERSTRASSE.
Plot Row Grave.
J.20359 A/S/L. REILANDER, A.V. PILOT VII E 11.
Aus.413755 F/O FOSKETT, B.W. Nav. VII E 12.
Aus.415244 P/O FISCHER, J.W. A/B. VII E 16.
168517 P/O JONES, F.W. Wop/AG VII E 17.
159677 P/O DOWDING, A.F. F/Eng. VII E(Comm 13.
J.8940 F/L PENALAGAN, R.H. 2nd Pilot VII E unal 14)
2216237 SGT. LUCAS, S.L. A/G VII E 15)
1311036 SGT. BARTLEY, F.W. A/G VII E 15)
R.A. Saager, F/O
Search Officer.
J.W. Willis- Richards, S/Ldr.
C.C. No. 21 M.R.E.S. R.A.F.
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