This is the documentary companion to The Last Flight of Miss Canada, the story of my uncle Rhéal Robineau and the Halifax bomber LW.597, lost over southern Germany on the night of 25–26 February 1944. The papers below are the primary sources that flight rests on: the 1946 casualty memorandum, the 1947 investigation that located the grave, and the statements the five survivors filed from their prison camp. I have left them in their own words, correcting only obvious transcription slips; the substance, the names, and the map references are exactly as recorded. Read together, they are about as close as any of us can now get to standing in the aircraft as it came apart.
Report No. 1 — Library and Archives Canada (1946)
In 1946 the RCAF made further inquiries into the deaths of aircrew who had not returned. The memo below, from Archives Canada, recommended that the investigation continue. Its results appear in Report No. 2.
Our File: J.91090 (R.O.)
Royal Canadian Air Force, Ottawa, Canada — 19th June, 1946
Casualty Enquiry G.1176 (P.414208/44) — American Zone
Halifax LW.597 was reported missing on the 25th/26th February, 1944, as the result of operations against Augsburg.
O-886266 — 1st/Lt A.L. Lubold — pilot — safe
J.23342 — F/O A.G. Turton — nav — safe
J.25697 — F/O R.A. Richards — A/B — safe
1561875 — Sgt. Cannon, J. — WOp/AG — safe
R.220136 — Sgt. Robineau, G.E. — A/G — Missing P.D. (now J.91090 P/O)
1553058 — Sgt. Thompson, ?. — A/G — Missing
1803536 — Sgt. Bean, L. — F/E — safe
The entire crew is safe with the exception of the gunners, P/O Robineau and Sgt. Thompson. The aircraft crashed near Risstissen (map ref. L49/x56). F/O Richards was told by the Germans that the two Air Gunners were in hospital, which was not identified, and that there was little hope for their recovery. The Germans told F/O Turton that both the Air Gunners were killed and gave Sgt. Robineau's flying boots to him to wear. Ehingen (map ref. L49/x46) and Ulm are also mentioned in repatriation statements, so it is possible the hospital is located in one of those towns. It is known that the Gunners died, as F/O Richards was shown their identification tags soon after he was taken prisoner.
In view of the conflicting statements, it is suggested that enquiries be made in the vicinity of the crashed aircraft to locate the graves, in the event the information about the hospital should be incorrect.
(W.A. Dicks), Group Captain, for Chief of the Air Staff.
Report No. 2 — The Investigation Report (1947)
This report was completed after the war, when unaccounted-for casualties were no longer simply presumed dead and investigators were sent to find physical evidence. It contains an eyewitness account that, even now, is hard to read.
Investigation Report
From: No. 3 M.R.E.U., B.A.F.O. — To: Air Ministry, P.4. (Cas), 73/77 Oxford Street, London
Date: 20th January, 1947. Investigation Officer: F/Lt. McKitrik. Section: 17.
A.M. File Reference: P.414208/44/RCAF Eng. — Cas. Enquiry No: G.1176. Section Reference: 17 MRES/G.1176.
Aircraft Type and Number: Halifax LW.597. Date and time: 0200 hrs, 26.2.1944. Position of Crash: 1½ km S.W. of Frankenhofen. Map Reference: Sheet N.48/X.377.713.
Crew / Particulars of Burial:
Sgt. Robineau, G.E. — A/G (Can) — Mass grave. Joint cross. No inscription.
Sgt. Thompson, W. — A/G (Eng) — Mass grave. Joint cross. No inscription.
1st Lt. Lubold, A.L. — Pilot (American) — Safe.
F/O Richards, R.A. — A/B (Canadian) — Safe.
Sgt. Cannon, J. — WOp/AG (English) — Safe.
F/O Turton, A.G. — Nav. (Canadian) — Safe.
Sgt. Bean, L. — F/E (English) — Safe.
Cemetery and Map Reference: Cemetery at Frankenhofen, "X" 385.720. Articles Found: Nil.
Results of Investigation and Finding: Exhaustive investigations in the Ersingen–Risstissen areas revealed no trace of any aircraft. I proceeded to the Rathaus, Ehingen ("X" 47.67), and examined the relevant files for the whole of Ehingen Landkreis. The only incident recorded there which refers to a British aircraft was a report from the Bürgermeister at Frankenhofen ("X" 38.72) concerning a supposedly American four-motored bomber which crashed near there on the night of 25/26.2.1944. Herr Reisch, clerk to the Landrat, who is at present compiling a record of Allied personnel buried in this area for the French Authorities, assured me that this was the only aircraft to crash at that time in the whole Ehingen area. The following is a report I took from Herr Eierstück, Bürgermeister of Frankenhofen:
"About 0200 hours on the night of 25/26.2.1944 I was standing outside my home watching the air attack against Augsburg, when suddenly I noticed an aircraft approaching me in flames, flying from the direction of the target. When over our village it commenced to make large descending spirals, and in all it circled Frankenhofen three times before it finally plunged into the woods about one and a half kilometres S.W. of the village.
"Search parties immediately went out to look for any fliers who might have parachuted into our parish and also to visit the scene of the crash. There, lying among the widely scattered wreckage, two badly mutilated and charred bodies were found but not removed. Within an hour of the crash three flyers were brought to my house, all three having been captured in the immediate neighbourhood of the village. Of these three, one was definitely a dark-haired officer, one was a blond Sgt., and the other was presumably a Sgt. with dark hair, but I can't be certain of this as he was wearing a white sweater. All three were tall and slender and very young, not being much more than 20 years of age.
"These men spent the night in my house, and about 0800 next morning they were taken to the Rathaus, where two of their comrades later joined them. Of these two, one had been brought from the village of Dächingen ("X" 39.40). This man was smaller and fatter than the others and had dark hair, and I believe that he too was an officer. He arrived about 0900, and at 1000 the fifth man was brought from Bremelau ("X" 33.73), and he too was said to be an officer. At 0830 hours a party of men with an officer arrived from the Luftgau at Ersingen ("X" 57.68), and they later removed all five prisoners to the airfield at Ersingen. The officer told me that this was the only aircraft to crash in the area during the night. Some police from Ehingen were left to guard the aircraft. The two dead airmen were buried on 3.3.1944 in the local cemetery, and a few days later the complete aircraft wreckage was removed by a detachment from Ersingen."
Herr Hohenlen of Ehingen, a member of the aircraft guard, told me when interviewed that he had spoken with the officer (Haupt. Maul) who came on 26.2.1944. This officer stated that the pilot was an American and that there were at least two other Canadians among the prisoners, so it was commonly assumed that the aircraft was an American one operating with the RAF. The two dead airmen were lying near the front of the fuselage when found. From the identity tags it was assumed they were Canadians, and they were buried as such. No names were passed to the Bürgermeister, so the airmen were buried as unknown Canadians, with no inscription on the wooden cross at the grave, as the Bürgermeister hoped to hear from the Luftwaffe at Ersingen.
From the above evidence it is quite apparent that this is in fact Halifax LW.597, and it is requested that the grave now be registered.
The Stalag Luft III Reports (1944)
The five survivors were sent to Stalag Luft III — the same camp later made famous by The Great Escape — where they were permitted to file reports on the flight. The memorandum below was forwarded to the Air Ministry; the middle extract concerns Rhéal.
Memorandum
From: Mrs. Llewellyn, 7 Belgrave Square, S.W.1 — To: Wing Commander A.B. Mathews, P.4. Cas (Can), Air Ministry, 73–77 Oxford St., London, W.1
6th December, 1944.
I enclose copies of reports received from the Senior British Officer, North Compound, Stalag Luft III, concerning Flight-Lieutenant A.G. Dickie (J.9270), Sergeant G.E.R. Robineau (R.220136), and Sergeant C.D. Duncan (R.183624).
Extract from the casualty report from the Senior British Officer, Stalag Luft III, dated 12th May, 1944:
F/O R. Richards, Serv. No. J.25697, POW No. 3585, states: "On the night of 25th/26th February 1944 we were attacked by night fighters 50 miles west of Augsburg. Our inter-communication was unserviceable after the attack and the aircraft caught fire. We bailed out over Eppingen. I was fourth to leave the aircraft. The German authorities at Dulag Luft told me that Sgt. Thompson and Sgt. Robineau were in hospital but did not say where. They also informed me that there was little hope for their recovery."
There were seven men on Rhéal’s plane. When it was shot down, Rhéal and the other gunner, Sgt. Thompson, died — probably before the aircraft even crashed. The other five parachuted to earth, some only barely, and were captured. They spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III. Once the war ended, the surviving crew filed statements describing the flight. The aircraft was Halifax III, serial LW-597, code QO-C, target Augsburg.
Pilot: Lt A. Lubold (O-886266) — POW
Flt/Engineer: Sgt L. Bean (1803536) — POW
Navigator: F/O A. Turton (J-23342) — POW
Bomb Aimer: F/O R. Richards (J-25697) — POW
Wireless Operator: Sgt J. Cannon (1561875) — POW
Mid-upper gunner: P/O G. Robineau (J-91090) — killed
Rear gunner: Sgt W. Thompson (1553058) — killed
Time off: 21:40. Time down: missing. Bomb load: 40 × 30 lb and 630 × 4 lb incendiaries.
Service file: Crashed 1.5 km southwest of Frankenhofen (L48/X-377713). A witness states that an aircraft came from the direction of the target in flames at approximately 02:00 hours; when over the village it made three large descending spirals and finally crashed in the woods, 1.5 km southwest of the village.
The crew’s own accounts of that night follow. They are the closest thing we have to standing in the aircraft as it came apart.
Sgt. L. Bean — Flight Engineer (1 op). We left base, East Moor, after dark, around 21:30. Fairly cloudy weather but clear, a three-quarter moon above 10,000 feet. Only light flak until the target, but even there we seemed to be above most of it. We flew the whole way at about 21,000 feet. We arrived on time, but no flares had been dropped by the Pathfinders, so the skipper flew over the target and circled back into the bomber stream. Flares were down by this time. We bombed the target and turned onto track. About half an hour later the skipper asked me to check that the bomb doors were isolated on the hydraulics. I went back to check, taking my log to fill in. As I plugged into the intercom, I heard the skipper warning the gunners that there were fighter flares going down ahead. As far as I remember we stayed on course and did not weave. A few minutes later, around 02:00, I heard a banging noise underneath and the overload tank in the bomb bay exploded. I then heard the skipper give the order to bail out, and went forward and handed him his chute as he was leaving his position. I then got my own chute and went to follow him into the nose but stayed on the steps. Later, when the aircraft had dropped quite a height, the wireless operator managed to open the hatch. The order of leaving was wireless operator, pilot, navigator, bomb aimer and myself. After pulling the ripcord I blacked out and remember nothing until I came to in the snow. I had no chute or harness or Mae West, and two German landwacht with shotguns were standing around, apparently waiting for me to recover. When the tank exploded it blew the floor in and the flames came through.
F/O A.G. Turton — Navigator (1 op). Airborne 21:44 hours, 25.2.44; shaken by flak crossing the Schelde Islands, no known damage. Bombed the target at 22,800 feet, T.A.S. 237, at 01:22 hours. Set course from target at 01:23. At 01:42 we were hit in the belly by an unseen fighter while flying in lanes of flares. Other bombers were visible ahead, but the gunners didn't see the fighters attacking from below. The pilot immediately ordered abandon aircraft. I reached for my chute on the table and was flung to the floor as we went into a spin. I got my chute on with great difficulty. Five of us were huddled on the floor in the nose, unable to move. The aircraft levelled out into a flat spin. The wireless operator and I folded the navigation bench, and I opened the hatch with considerable difficulty. Someone went out as soon as the hatch was open, then I went out. I opened the chute after counting to five and was in the air about 20 seconds before landing in several feet of snow. Hearing engines, I looked up and saw the aircraft going over at about 300 feet in a wide flat turn to starboard, well alight from wing to tail. I could see right through the fuselage. She did a half circle and crashed and exploded in woods about three to five miles off. She burned, and ammunition exploded, for half an hour.
F/O R.A. Richards — Bomb Aimer (3 ops). On the night of 25/26 February we were briefed for Augsburg. Crossing the coast at Over Flakkee we were hit under the mid-upper gunner's turret by flak, but it caused no damage. At the target we took evasive action to get clear of searchlight batteries and heavy flak. We bombed at 01:17, one minute after zero hour. After leaving the target we were attacked by an Me-210 from underneath. He hit us in the reserve tanks and all controls were lost; the time was 01:40. As soon as the kite was hit, the pilot hollered to bail out. He, the navigator, the wireless operator, the flight engineer and I were thrown down in front of the escape hatch. We spun straight down, unable to move from the force, until — just when we were about ready for the crash — the aircraft began to flatten out by itself. We quickly opened the escape hatch: the pilot out first, then the wireless operator, then the navigator, who got stuck in the hatch. I had to help him out with a good hard push at about 800 to 1,000 feet. My chute had no sooner opened than I was in a big snow bank without my flying shoes. I got up and faced a number of men and boys with shotguns, all pointing at me. I was taken to a house where I met the flight engineer. The rest of the crew were found within the day, and we were taken to Dulag at Frankfurt.
Sgt. J. Cannon — Wireless Operator (1 op). Take-off was at 21:00 on 25 February 1944. Everything went all right until about 15 minutes after leaving the target, when we were hit by a fighter. To my knowledge no warning was given by the gunners, so no evasive action was taken. No cloud in the sky; nearest big town, Ulm. On being hit we lost control and went into a steep dive. I wasn't able to open the hatch until the aircraft levelled itself out at about 3,000 feet.
The German night-fighter claim
One more record closes the circle. A German night-fighter pilot logged a Halifax shot down west of Augsburg in the early hours of 26 February 1944 — and because only one Halifax was lost over that area that night, the claim is almost certainly Miss Canada:
The Halifax was claimed by Fw. Rauer, 3./NJG1, 40 km west of Augsburg, at a height of 5,500 m, time 01.33.
References and further reading:
- Library and Archives Canada — RCAF Casualty Enquiry G.1176 (file P.414208/44), memorandum of 19 June 1946.
- No. 3 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit, B.A.F.O. — Investigation Report, 20 January 1947 (F/Lt. McKitrik), incorporating the statement of Herr Eierstück, Bürgermeister of Frankenhofen.
- Stalag Luft III (North Compound) — Senior British Officer’s casualty report, extract of 12 May 1944, with the survivors’ statements.
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission — Dürnbach War Cemetery.
- The Bombing of Augsburg in World War II: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Augsburg_in_World_War_II
Leave a Reply