The
tragic irony of war
Many WWII aircrew survived combat, only to lose their lives
over friendly soil. Andrew Stackpool reports.
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FSGT
Cecil Ryall, right, was among the 10 per cent of Bomber
Command casualties who survived combat operations but died
in training or practice flights.
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Photos
provided by Raymond Glynne-Owen
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AVIATION
is a risky business, even in peacetime. In war, the risks are
increased dramatically.
Not just because of enemy fire, but because of the demands on
airframes, components and personnel, and often a lack of reliable
spare parts to keep the aircraft flying.
It’s the stark reality of warfare that makes a simple memorial
in Northamptonshire, in the UK, the more pitiable. The three men
named on the plaque had survived raids over Berlin, only to be
killed on a simple test flight.
They are Flight Sergeant Cecil Ryall, RAAF, and RAF Sergeants
Thomas Higgins, and Sergeant George O’Neill. Flight Sergeant
Ryall was the wireless operator and waist gunner, the others the
tail and mid-upper gunners respectively.
Flight Sergeant Ryall was born at Bondi in Sydney on March 5,
1923, and enlisted in the Air Force on February 1, 1942.
Like so many others, he completed his initial training in Australia
before being posted to Bomber Command in the UK. After advanced
training there, he was posted to RAF No. 207 Squadron, which flew
Lancasters from RAF Base Spilsby in Lincolnshire.
On the night of November 18-19, 1943, Lancaster EM-V, DV361, under
the command of Pilot Officer Bill Baker, took off on a mission
against Berlin with heavy bombers from several squadrons. Included
in the crew was RAAF Sergeant Eric Clunas.
It was a lively night – 18 bombers went down – but in
the melee, DV361 collided with another Lancaster from RAF No.
9 Squadron. She lost an engine and suffered heavy damage to the
port wing and nose areas. Bomb aimer Flight Sergeant Jim Shimeild
fell to his death when the forward escape hatch was ripped out.
Pilot Officer Baker managed to retain control of the crippled
Lancaster and flew her back to Spilsby on three engines. Because
of the fuselage damage he suffered severe frostbite, but landed
safely. Subsequently, he would lose most of his fingers and was
unable to continue flying.
One can but imagine the elation the crew must have felt as the
bomber rolled to a halt and they evacuated.
Spilsby’s engineers took charge of DV361 and by late December
had her repaired.
On December 22, a new crew arrived. It was pilot Sergeant Geoffrey
Baker (no relation to Pilot Officer Baker), flight engineer Sergeant
Peter Groom, navigator Sergeant Richard Wellfare, bomb aimer Sergeant
Lawrence Hinch, mid-upper air gunner Sergeant George O’Neill
and rear gunner Sergeant Gibson.
Flight Sergeant Cecil Ryall took his place as the wireless operator
and waist gunner.
The crew boarded the aircraft and took off for a simple post-repair
test flight cross-country. No doubt they felt fairly safe, deep
inside home territory and friendly skies.
Flying couldn’t get much simpler, until the fire.
It started in one engine and couldn’t be extinguished. DV361
was going down and the captain ordered the crew to bail out. Something
went wrong. The four forward crewmen made it, but the exit door
jammed shut. Ryall, Higgins and O’Neill, who were aft, didn’t
make it.
The men died on the estate of the Duke of Gloucester at Brigstock
in Northamptonshire.
And the other four? They joined other crews, but the price of
duty was high. During the next nine months, all four died over
Europe.
Modern memorial at the crash site
IN
1998, the Duke of Gloucester approved the erection of a memorial
at the crash site.
On September 16, 1998, it was unveiled as a lone Lancaster, escorted
by a Spitfire and Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Historic
Flight, flew overhead.
The plaque reads, “In memory of Flight Sergeant Cecil Ryall,
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant
Thomas Higgins, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, Sergeant George O’Neill,
Air Gunner, Royal Air Force, who lost their lives when Lancaster
DV 361 of 207 Squadron crashed nearby on 22nd December 1943. We
will remember them”.
The story highlights a little-considered fact of wartime aviation.
According to Raymond Glynne-Owen from the No. 207 Squadron Association,
during World War II about 10 per cent of all Bomber Command’s
casualties occurred in training activities.
He cites his own uncle, who survived 36 bombing missions only
to be killed serving as an instructor at an officers’ training
unit.
