Sub/Lt. Herman Hirsch Becker DFC

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Ron Goldstein, Apr 13, 2010.

  1. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Due to the remarkable efforts of Martin Sugarman, Archivist to AJEX (Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen & Women) a Norwegian pilot’s grave on the tiny Danish island of Samso has just had a Shield of David engraved on the stone to show that he was Jewish.

    The story itself, concerning Sub/Lt. Herman Hirsch Becker DFC, is such a wonderful tale, that I was anxious to ensure that it was accurately reported. I asked Martin for his kind permission to re-print his own detailed report and this now follows:

    The Story
    Whilst carrying out research for my book, "Fighting Back" about Norwegian Jews who served in SOE in WW2, I contacted the Jewish Museum in Oslo. There, a fluent and enthusiastic English speaking Curator, Mrs Mats Tangestuen gave me some names, but also sent me an e mail version of the brochure for their permanent exhibition at the recently refurbished Norwegian Jewish Museum on Norwegian Jews who served in WW2. Included in this amazing brochure, a copy of which is in our Archives, was the story of two Norwegian Jewish airmen killed in action with the RAF/RNAF, Sub/Lt. Herman Hirsch Becker DFC, and Pilot Officer Norman Riung (he was killed over Le Havre in his Spitfire in July 1944 and his body was never found). Becker’s remains were buried on the Island of Samso off the east coast of Denmark, in a small churchyard with some other casualties from WW2.

    Sub/Lt.Herman Hirsch Becker’s is a sad story. Born in 1920, he was son of Hille Becker who immigrated from Smolensk to Norway in 1914, and Judith Zemechman, from St Petersburg. They married in Norway in 1915. There was a brother Israel, born 1916, and a sister Ada Abigail , born 1922. Herman’s parents and siblings all perished in Auschwitz. By July 1941, Herman had planned to escape to Britain and told his girlfriend Aslaug Hansen, who was from Stavanger. He arrived in England in August 1941, and then was sent to Canada by the RAF.

    Herman trained as a pilot in "Little Norway", Toronto, Canada but chose to become a Navigator after failing his pilot training, graduating in Feb 1943. He first served with 333 Norwegian Squadron, RAF, in Catalina Flying Boats on anti-submarine searches, completing 18 very long haul missions He then joined 464 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, albeit wearing the uniform of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

    Whilst on leave in August 1944 in England, he discovered that his family had been deported. On hearing this awful news he was deeply angry and volunteered for several dangerous missions, including during the Battle of the Bulge, targets in Germany and some special operations. His final mission was the famous special raid on the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen on March 21st 1945, flying in his Mosquito fighter bomber, escorted by Mustangs, having taken off from East Anglia.

    The raiders flew at an incredible 15 meters above the North Sea to get under the German radar; all the fliers were volunteers for this raid, whose aim was to free Danish Resistance prisoners who were about to be shot at the Gestapo HQ, whose walls the bombers were going to demolish.

    The aircraft came over the city at 11.30am in three waves. Sadly many civilians were killed in the raid - but so were many Germans and 26 Resistance fighters escaped. Nine airmen lost their lives. The raid was filmed by cameras in the aircraft and can be seen at the IWM archives. Herman’s plane, which was in the second wave, was shot down by German anti-Aircraft fire on the way home over the Storebelt Strait, off Denmark , and crashed into the sea; his body was washed ashore and buried at Tranebjerg, Samso Island, in Denmark.

    For many years his headstone was inscribed "Unknown English Pilot March 26th 1945 ", but in the year 2000, research by the Norwegian War Graves Service (NWGS) proved that it was in fact Herman’s remains (his name was in the tunic on the remains and his DFC ribbon on the left pocket) and the headstone was subsequently inscribed with his name. The body of his pilot, Australian Flying Officer John Herbert "Spike" Palmer, was sadly never found.

    After the war Aslaug married and became Mrs Meyer-Hansen. On May 29th 1945 , after the war ended, a telegram was sent to Becker’s family in Stavanger, from the RNAF, to say he had been killed in action; but nobody was there to receive it except his girlfriend. He was 24 years old when he died . He and his family had been obliterated by the Nazis. Aslaug still loves his memory.

    On obtaining a photo of Becker’s grave from the NWGS, however, in 2009, it was clear that there was no Star of David on his headstone. The author contacted their office and argued that it was inappropriate that there was no religious symbol, especially as it was the British Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) policy to respect the wishes of Jewish casualties all of whom had Stars of David, by law, and especially as he had been the last of his family. The CWGC said it was a decision for the Norwegians but at first the NWGS said they did not wish to interfere with the aesthetics of the headstones.

    Nothing if not persistent, I appealed again for them to reconsider, also pointing out that they had not said anything about his DFC award. Finally in March 2010, the NWGS agreed to add a Star of David and said that a local stone mason was going to be employed to carry out the task.

    So finally, with thanks to the help of Per-Otto Gullaksen of the NWGS, Mats Tangestuen and the CWGC, Herman Becker, DFC, RNAF/RAF, is properly commemorated in perpetuity, as a Jewish war hero.

    Finally.
    The link to the Museum is here: <http://www.jmoslo.no/utstilling/krigsdeltagere/krigsdeltagere02.html>
    If you use GOOGLE you can also use the basic Norwegian translation.
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    Attached Files:

  2. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    Thanks for sharing, Ron.
     
  3. Came across his grave during my summer holliday. A true Norwegian war hero. This is how the headstone looks now, with the Star of David in place, and the memory stone for all allied airmen who ended theyr lives on or near Samso. upload_2017-10-17_20-8-57.jpeg upload_2017-10-17_20-9-17.jpeg
     
    CL1 and 4jonboy like this.
  4. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Ron. Just seen this worthy thread.....an excellent account of an individual whose family was murdered by the Nazis but made it his task to join forces in an effort to defeat the ideology.....his sacrifice was not in vain.

    Strange cannot find him in the CWGC records which appear now to include those outside British and Commonwealth database.

    Samso is an island off the East Jutland coast well established in farming agricultural products...it was well known as Denmark is on the whole for dairy farming particularly piggeries. It's not far from Juelminde and Horsens,on the East Jutland coast .....pleasing mall towns and ports which I have visited a number of times.

    On the whole, Samso was regarded as a cushy posting for the Wehrmacht during the war.I know a lady who was born on the island and was a teenager during the occupation....typically with occupied non strategic islands,both the occupier and the locals were cooped up for the duration....Denmark being known as the Whipped Cream (Schlagsahne) Front..... used by German troops as a recreational area.However the Germans did not have everything going their way as research into the Danish Resistance reveals.
     
  5. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

  6. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Thanks Timuk.

    I thought I was getting used to the new website but searching for Becker brought up "no result"

    However just attempted a further search and it immediately came up.....I do not think it was finger trouble on my part.
     

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