Remember Them

Remember. Flying Officer Niels Juul Rysen Steen BUCHWALD. No.222 Sqaudron. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Killed In Action on the 13th October 1944 aged 29.

Niels Juul Rysensteen Buchwald was born on 1st August 1915. He was the son of the prefect of Viborg, Stefan von Buchwald. He graduated from the Cathedral School in Viborg in 1934. During a stay in England he trained as a civilian pilot and returned home to commence studies in social science at the University of Copenhagen. Described as an adventurous individual he became restless with his studies and, seeking adventure, he joined the Danish Navy and trained as a Naval pilot. On the 22nd December 1938, he was appointed Flyverløjtnant af 1ste Grad (Flight 1st Lieutenant). He was discharged from the Naval Air Service in 1940 following an incident of reckless flying in a civilian aircraft, and so returned to his university studies. In August 1942, he managed to escape from occupied Denmark after paddling the Sound between Denmark and Sweden in a kayak. After arriving in England he reported to the Danish recruiting office in London, where he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force and is trained as fighter pilot. On 30th March 1943 Niels was attached to No. 5 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit (No. 52 Intake), at Tern Hill, holding the rank of Acting Pilot Officer. At the end of advanced training he was posted to No. 61 Operational Training Unit. On 14th August 1943, two years after his escape from Denmark, Niels was posted to No.234 Squadron where he served for two months before being posted No.222 Squadron. In September 1944, as the allied forces struggled for superiority in Holland, Buchwald was about to be withdrawn from operational service. In his memoires, the Danish legate, Count Reventlow recounts meeting with the young pilot. The Reventlows had rented a country house outside London during the summer of 1944. One Sunday, Buchwald, who was on leave, paid the family a visit and sought Reventlow’s opinion on whether to sign up for a second operational tour. He signed up, despite the advice from Count Revenwlow to do the opposite. F/O Buchwald took part in many operational sorties. On 6th October 1944 he took part in a dive bombing and strafing mission attacking self-propelled guns in a wood North of Baarle-Nassau in Holland. He returned to base with his Spitfire’s starboard mainplane “bent upwards” as it is described in the squadron ORB.  On 13th October 1944, Niels Juul Rysensteen Buchwald took off at 1255 hrs. from the Advanced Landing Ground at Merville, France, in his Spitfire IX L.F. (PT718 ‘ZD-‘) on a skip bombing and strafing mission. The squadron was attacking a German strongpoint in the village of Schoondijke, Holland. Buchwald’s section also strafed a number of motorised transport vehicles entering the village. Following the second attack Buchwald, flying as Red 4, was nowhere to be seen, despite the section searching for him. Niels Juul Rysensteen Buchwald had been killed.

He was initially buried in Holland but in 1946 a Danish relief worker in Holland discovered his grave. On 4th November 1946, his body was repatriated in a ceremony in the Cathedral in Viborg. He is buried at Bislev Cemetery, Denmark.

Remember. Sergeant Thomas Daye GRAHAM and Corporal SAMUEL JOHN EDWARDS. No.12 Service Flying Training School. Killed in Action on the 11^th October 1941.

On the night of the 11^th October 1941Sergeant Tom Graham, a 19 year-old Pilot from Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, and Corporal Sam Edwards, a 29 year-old Pupil Pilot, from Fishponds, Bristol, took off from RAF Grantham in Lincolnshire on a short training flight in an Airspeed Oxford (AB767). Unknown to the two airmen was the fact that an ace German night-fighter pilot, Hans Hahn, was flying his Junkers JU-88 in the vicinity, on the prowl for unsuspecting British bombers that were returning from operations over Europe. Hahn had previously served with a bomber unit and was a veteran of the Blitzkrieg campaigns that were such a success for the Germans. He was transferred to night-fighting operations and joined Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 where he was assigned to III/NJG2 and achieved his first night Intruder victory on the 24^th October 1940 when he shot down an Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley (P5073) flown by Pilot Officer Anthony Glyndwr Davies, injuring the Pilot and his Wireless Operator but taking the lives of three other crewmen. Hahn went on to destroy at least 12 British fighters and bombers and was responsible for taking the lives of at least 26 airman. He was awarded the Knights Cross on the 9^th July 1941 is known to have been wounded on at least one occasion.

When he encountered the Airspeed Oxford of Sergeant Graham and Corporal Edwards he was piloting Junkers JU-88C-4 “R4 + NL” (0851 werkenummer). He is believed to have brought his aircraft to bear on the unarmed British aircraft in readiness for an attack but, for an unknown reason, he collided with the Oxford and both aircraft plunged to the ground. The Junkers crashed near Barrowby village, Lincolnshire, killing Leutnant Hans Hahn, Unteroffizier E.W. Meissler and Unteroffizier H. Scheidt. The Oxford came to earth at Dysart Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire. The two British airmen were buried in their home towns and the crew of the Junkers are now buried in the Cannock Chase Cemetery, Staffordshire.

The site of the Junkers crash has been the subject of a number of excavations by various aviation groups over the years.

Remember. First Officer Edwin Allan GRUNDSTROM. No.8 Ferry Pilots Pool, Air Transport Auxiliary. Died in a Domestic Accident on the 7^th October 1942 aged 26.

Edwin Allen Grundstrom was born in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, on the 2^nd November 1915 the son of Mannie & Ellen Grundstrom. He completed his first solo flight on the 16^th July 1936, after only four hours and ten minutes of instruction, when the average needed was ten hours. Combining his passion for flying with another, photography, he took up aerial photographic work. From 1936 to 1938, he worked for the American Bosch Corporation, where his father was also employed, as a draftsman and, later a photographer and commercial artist. He was hired as a staff photographer for the local newspaper, The Republican, where he remained until joining the war effort. He was also a photo contributor to the Sunday Union newspaper. On June 2, 1941, he left Springfield for a position with the Air Transport Auxiliary as a ferry pilot in Canada, but with no expectations that the position would lead him across the Atlantic. Immediately following that agreement, however, Edwin signed a one year contract to fly planes from England to Africa. In less than two weeks, Edwin departed Montreal aboard a B-24 Liberator en route to Newfoundland, then on to England where he was to be flying Spitfires and Hurricanes by early August. In December 1941, he wrote home that he would be flying two-engined bombers, Blenheims, Oxfords, Wellingtons, Whitleys, and Hampdens. With his usual rapid grasp of training, he was cleared to fly the bombers after only one hour and fifteen minutes of education. In February of 1942, Edwin signed a contract for a second year. At the time of his death he was attached to No.8 Ferry Pool in Sydenham, Belfast, and had recently completed training to fly Stirlings, the Royal Air Force’s first operational four-engined bomber. Despite all of the potential hazards of ferrying aircraft for the war effort, Edwin died on October 7, 1942, as a result of injuries suffered from falling down a flight of stairs in Belfast. His remains were initially buried in the US Cemetery Lisnabreeny, Belfast, Ireland, but then reinterred in the Cambridge American Cemetery. A memorial service was conducted at Saint James Episcopal Church in Springfield on October 12, 1942, attended by an overflowing crowd including his siblings Elmer, Harry, Hartley, Adeline (Grundstrom) Johnson Spakanik, Emma (Grundstrom) Bacon and Lennea (Grundstrom) Doherty.

Remember. Corporal Basil James JOHNSON. No.13 Maintenance Unit, Royal Air Force. Died of Wounds on the 2^nd October 1940 aged 21.     

Near the East boundary of St.Mary’s churchyard in the village of Henlow, Bedfordshire, can be found a small plot that contains the graves of a number of service personnel who lost their lives whilst serving with the Royal Air Force in times of both war and peace. Amongst these are that of Corporal Basil James Johnson who lost his life during the dark days of the Battle of Britain. At 15.55 on the 26^th September 1940 a lone twin-engined German bomber emerged from cloud some 3,000 feet above RAF Henlow.  As the enemy aircraft flew towards the airfield the ground defences’ began to fire at it but with no apparent effect. It then dropped a stick of eight high explosive bombs from a North-Eastern direction, one of which exploded on the tarmac outside of Shed 189. A second stick of bombs dropped a short distance outside the Station Boundary and demolished two houses and caused some civilian casualties. The Station casualties were as follows:

903969 AC1 Harold Parrington - Died Of Injuries aged 20.

572493 LAC Ronald Jack Munday - Died Of Injuries aged 18.

159142 LAC Herbert Heaton - Died Of Injuries aged 39.

648341 AC1 Walter Leslie Carver - Died Of Injuries on 27th September 1940 aged 22.

550877 CPL Basil James Johnson - Died Of Injuries on 2nd October 1940 aged 21.

572206 LAC L J Eaton -Died Of Injuries on 12th October 1940 at Fairfield Hospital, Arlesey, aged 21. 25296

LAC E M Mills – Injured.

292127 AC2 E F Tracey – Injured.

Remember. Second Lieutenant John PULLAR. No.25 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Killed in Action on the 24th September 1918 aged 19.

Amongst the 52 Service graves in the small British cemetery of Huby-St. Leu near Hesdin, Pas-De-Calais, is that of John Pullar. John was the son of James and Catherine Johnston Pullar, of Hawkhill, Dundee. In civilian life he had worked for Ralli Brothers, a jute merchants, in the Royal Exchange Buildings, Dundee. He enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps in September 1917 and was posted to France in April 1918.

On 29th March 1918 the Squadron occupied an aerodrome at Ruisseauville, temporarily coming under the command of 81st Wing and later 54th Wing before returning to 9th Wing. The Squadron performed high altitude long-range operations, sometimes going over100 miles into enemy territory, reconnoitring road and rail targets. This was a role well suited for the DH4. The DH4s performance was so superior that any combats which took place were usually in the Squadrons favour. The continued advance of the allied armies rendered frequent changes in the areas to be reconnoitred during August and September.

On the 24th September 1918, his 19th Birthday, John had been performing a reconnaissance patrol and was returning to his base when a German machine was encountered. He disposed of this aircraft but was quickly set upon by another eight enemy planes. He managed to dispose of one of his attackers but was shot by another and fatally injured. Although he managed to land his aircraft he did not survive his injuries, a young life sadly wasted. Spare him a thought on his birthday.

Remember. Captain Stephen Peter REED. Air Transport Auxiliary. Killed in a Flying Accident on the 23^rd September 1940 aged 28.

On the 23^rd September 1940 Stephen Reed was ferrying a Beaufort fighter aircraft (N1177) from Whitchurch to Dumfries. He took off at 10.24hrs and at 12.00hrs was approaching Dumfries from the South-East in an attempt to land. The weather was very rough and as the aircraft approached the ground the throttles were heard to open and the Beaufort swung and banked steeply to the right, then crashed a short distance outside of the leeward boundary of the airfield. Although Stephen Reed was rescued from the aircraft he died a short time later as a result of his injuries. A Court of Inquiry found that Stephen, although very experienced, had not flown a Beaufort before. It concluded that the accident was probably caused by the pilot undershooting the airfield and, in an effort to reach the ground, opening the throttles too quickly. One of the engines failed to respond and it swung round before the Pilot could regain control. Stephen Reed is buried in the Troqueer New Burial Ground, Dumfrieshire.

Remember. Pilot Officer Dennis Samuel Martin BURRELL. No.269 Squadron. Royal Air Force. Killed In Action on the 19^th September 1939 aged 26.

In amongst the 124 graves that can be found in the Sleepyhillock Cemetery in Montrose, Scotland, is that of Pilot Officer Dennis Burrell. He was the son of Wilfred and Bertha Daisy Burrell and the husband of Marjorie May Burrell, of Oxhey, Watford, Hertfordshire. Dennis, a former cricketer for Middlesex County, was serving in the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War and, having trained as Pilot, was posted to No.269 Squadron. The squadron had been formed on the 7^th December 1936 from “C” Flight of No.206 Squadron at Bircham Newton and moved to Abbotsinch with Ansons for coastal reconnaissance duties. Shortly before the outbreak of war, the squadron moved to Montrose for patrols off the east coast of Scotland.

On the 19^th September 1939 Dennis was piloting an Anson on patrol when the crew spotted a German Flying Boat circling over two merchant tankers. The Anson approached the flying boat and was about to open fire on rear of aircraft when a burst of fire from the enemy machine killed the pilot instantly.  The Navigator, Sgt William Willits, managed, with difficulty, to get the pilot out of his seat and took control of the aircraft. He then managed to successfully bring the aircraft back to base.  The Air Gunner had no chance of bringing his gun to bear on the enemy aircraft at any time and it was last seen flying out of range. The return fire from the flying boat was deadly accurate as the Death Certificate for P/O Burrell states “"gun shot wound to head”“. Sgt Willits was awarded a Distinguished Flying Medal for his actions and was the first Airman to be awarded a gallantry decoration in the Second World War.

The official citation states; “Sergeant Willits was the second pilot and navigator of an aircraft engaged in combat with an enemy flying boat in September, 1939. When, during an attack, the pilot had been shot through the head and had collapsed over the control column, this airman, in spite of the pilot’s inertness and the extremely low altitude, succeeded in obtaining control of the aircraft. After the dead pilot had been moved entirely clear of the controls Sergeant WILLITS piloted and navigated the aircraft back to the base, a distance of about 140 miles. The airman’s skill and presence of mind undoubtedly saved the aircraft and the lives of the other members of the crew.”

My deepest thanks to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for their enduring work across the cemeteries of the world. Without their efforts the headstones that we see on our visits across the Battlefields would undoubtedly no longer exist, and the stories of heroism and sacrifice that lay behind them could never be told.