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This is a story of very brave man, W/O S.S. Ramsden

CREW LIST

PILOT - F/LT. W.I.COVINGTON DFC

NAV - F/SGT. T.LANCASHIRE

FLT ENGINEER - J.L.N.CANHAM

B/AIMER - F/SGT S. POWELL

W/OP - W/O.S.S.RAMSDEN RCAF

MID GUNNER - F.JACKSON

REAR GUNNER - SGT. J. MACKNIGHT

F/Lt. Covington and Sgt. Macknight evaded capture. The rest of the crew were taken as Prisoners of War. They took off from Bourn in Cambridgeshire on the night of August 10 / 11 1943. The target was Nuremberg. Their Lancaster was Reg. No. JA-716. Squadron Code letters of —J. W/O Ramsden flew his first operation to Berlin in 1942. On his last operation he was captured and became a P.O.W.

Here we come to the come to the sad ending for this airman as he was included with P.O.W’s who were forces to march from ‘Fallingsbostel’, away from the advancing Allied Forces. On 21st April 1945 the group were marched to ‘Dammereez’ before being billeted in 3 large barns. At about 1 am that morning they could hear the sound of Allied engines of a mosquito. The following account is given by a warrant officer J.D Garland. RAAF:

‘Then the barn parallel with ours exploded as it was hit by a bomb. We could hear the aircraft as it left the scene, then the roar of its engines could be heard again as he mounted another attack on the farm. Our barn was next inline and most of us just lay there transfixed with dread. The sound of the engines were high pitched and I watched as he opened up with rockets and the tracers came poring through the thatch and caught it alight.

As the tracers came through the roof the Kriegles started to move hurriedly outside the barn. Sammy Ramsden (a Canadian) was leaning up against the wall with blood streaming down his thigh. Jock Durran had been killed and about 16 wounded.’

Although he said he was ok, W/O Ramsden died of his injuries that same day at a P.O.W camp at Schwerin where he was buried. He was subsequently moved to the Canadian cemetery at ‘Choloy’ in France.

More of this story can be read in ‘Footprints in the Sands of Time’ by Oliver Clut.

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Becky Barugh of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Des Evans and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Des’s stories:

• Bale out!
• Missions from Woodhall Spa
• I didn’t quite get the chop
• Little humour in adversity
• Ted Porters Crew
• The ‘Augsburg Raid’
• S/L Sherwood’s recommendation for the Victoria Cross
• The worst night of the War…
• The worst night of the War (Part 2)
• The worst night of the War (Part 3) - Crew
• The worst night of the War (Part 4) - Losses
• The worst night of the War (Part 5) — Extract from ‘the Berlin’ Raids’
• The worst night of the War (Part 6) — Bombers over Berlin
• The worst night of the War (Part 7) — Combat Report
• A Dedication to Skipper Wing Commander Ted Porter - Pause for Thought
• A Dedication to Skipper Wing Commander Ted Porter — A Navigators View of the Route to Heaven
• Did you know?
• Flight Operations carried out with Sgt. D.C Plaunt
• Flight Operations carried out by Sgt. J.J Johnson
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ after baling out on 9th — 10th June 1944
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ after baling out on the 9th - 10th June 1944 - Continued
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ - 11th June 1944
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ - 12th — 15th June 1944
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ - 16th - 18th June 1944
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ - 19th — 23rd June 1944
• The experiences of ‘Taffy’ — 24th August 1044
• ‘Our Heroes’

For further stories read ‘ACHIEVE YOUR AIM’ by Kevin Bending

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