INVESTIGATION REPORT.
               
FROM:     No. 21 Section  No 4 M.R.E.U., R.A.F. (GERMANY)
TO:       Air Ministry. S.7.Cas.   77 Oxford Street, London. W.1.
DATE:     14.12.1946
YOUR FILE OR FOLDER REFERENCE:    P.4 11159/43/P.4. M.R. (2)
YOUR CASUALTY ENQUIRY NUMBER:    402
OUR REFERENCE   306/402.
NAME OF SEARCH OFFICER:    F/O. R.A.SAAGER.
TARGET:     BERLIN
AIRCRAFT TYPE AND SERIAL NUMBER:    LANCASTER 111 JB. 527
DATE REPORTED MISSING:   26/27  November, 1943.
PLACE OF CRASH, WITH MAP REF:     AHRENSFELDE     N 53 Z/9658
PLACE OF BURIAL, WITH MAP REF:    AHRENSFELDE     N 53 Z/9658

CREW:   123636 ( ex 1177587)  F/O.    R.E.V.  PUGH   DFM  Pilot   M.B.K.
       1803122                SGT.    P.A.   HARNES       F/E     M.B.K.
    Aus.410271                F/O     D.S.THOM           Nav.     Missing
       1391016                SGT.     G.W. PRESCOTT      A/B.    M.B.K.
       1334206                SGT.     A. NAVROMATIS     Wop/AG.  M.B.K.
       127784 ( ex 975139)     F/O    M.H. KING.          A/G.    M.B.K.
       143910 ( ex 917844)     F/O    G. BOOTH            A/G.    M.B.K.
       
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION AND FINDINGS:

THE AIRCRAFT:
     According to the cemetery records the aircraft of the above mentioned crew
was shot down on 26.11.1943 in AHRENSFELDE.

THE CREW:
     Cemetery records and communal cross agree, and read as follows:
        7 English fliers shot down 26.11.43 in AHRENSFELDE.
        Flg. G. Booth  143910
        Flg. M.H. King  127784,
        5 Unknown Fliers.
     The graves were well kept and decorated with fir branches.  During the war the
present Burgermeister's wife and her friends made a point of tending these graves.
     The burial was carried out with full military honours by a Wehrmachtsabteilung.
The military parson was unfortunately unable to attend due to a breakdown in his 
transport.

CONCLUSION.
     Exhumations of which the reports are attached revealed little, as the bodies
had been burnt and badly smashed.
     It was impossible to determine an order of burial as the bodies were buried in
three boxes, 2, 3 and 2 respectively.  The bodies were lying on top of each other,
and in two instances were almost completely merger into one mass.
     3 O.R ' s shirts were found on bodies 2, 3 and 4 proving them to be the bodies of
the tree Sgt's.
                 SGT.  P.A. BARNES
                 SGT.  G.W. PRESCOTT
                 SGT.  A.   MAVREMATIS.
The other four are therefore those of the four F/O's.

     REBURIED IN BRITISH MILITARY CEMETERY BERLIN HEERSTRASSE.
                                      ROW      PLOT    GRAVE.    
1 Sgt.                                 V11      H        8    
1 Sgt.                                 V11      H        9    
1 Sgt.                                 V11      H       10
1 F/O.                                 V11      H       11    
1 F/O.                                 V11      H       12.    
1 F/O                                  V11      H       13.    
1 F/O.                                 V11      H       14.

     I witnesses the reburial in the British Military Cemetery, which was carried
out with every mark of respect.  The cemetery, designed to accomodate 3,000,
has an attractive location on high ground, in open country between BERLIN MITTE
and SPANDAU.  Tall pines in surround add the finishing touch.

                        R.A.Saager,  F/O.
                          Search Officer.
                          
                      J.W.Willis-Richards, S/Ldr.
                      O.C. No. 21. M.R.E.S., R.A.F.

COPY.
                                                      73, Oxford Street,
                                                             W.1.
                                                        5th January, 1946.
P.411159/43/P.4. MR(2)

Officer in Charge,
M.R.E.S.
GERMANY.
                                        Casualty Enquiry G.402.
                                        -----------------------

              Lancaster III JB.527 "B" Merlin 38 Port Outer 9175/244171 Port
Inner 10381/245377 Stdb. Inner 11113/246109 Stdb Outer 1037/245033 was reported
missing on the night of 26/27 November 1943 as the result of an attack on BERLIN.

2.            123636(ex 1177587)  F/O. R.E.V. Pugh.    DFM.    Pilot.   M.B.K.
              1803122             Sgt.   P.A. Barnes.          F/E.     M.B.K.
              AUS.410271          F/O.   D.S. Thom.            Nav.     Missing.
              1391016             Sgt.   G.W. Prescott.        A/B.     M.B.K.
              1334206             Sgt.     A. Navromatis       Wop/Ag.  M.B.K.
              127784(ex 975139)   F/O.   M.R. King.            A/G.     M.B.K.
              143910 (ex 917844)  F/O.     G. Booth.           A/G.     M.B.K.
              
3.            Report from I.R.C.C. states that F/O's King and Booth, Sgt. Blake
and 4 unknown were killed and buried in Ahrenfelde Cemetery, Dissidenten Block 2.
Ahrenfelde is approximately 14 miles West-South- West of Holdenheim.

4.            Sgt. Blake was not a member of the crew and ist is assumed that one 
of the occupants of the aircraft was wearing effects of, and incorrectly identified
as, Sgt. Blake.

5.            A letter received from F/O. Booth's mother states that her nephew
was unable to find her son's grave at Ahrenfelde.

6.            Captured German records confirm the burial details but state that the
airchraft was shot down 2 km North East of Ahrensfelde near Berlin. Identity disc
was found for Sgt. King and 2 foreign money bags marked Sgt. Blake and F/Sgt.
Rathbone.

7.            It seems probable therefore that the crew are buried at Ahrensfelde
near Berlin and not at Ahrenfelde near Holdenheim.

8.            It would be appreciated if an investigation could be made to ascertain
the correct Cemetry in which the crew ar buried, and if possible the number of
each individual member's grave.

                                               C.W. WRIGHT.
                                       for Director of Personal Services.
Copy to: RAAF
        RAF. L.O. (ADGRE)
        No.3. MR & R.U.