From a flying helmet to a memorial panel in Blije, Friesland, Northern Holland (7 Squadron, Short St

I have been encouraged to write this by by Amberdog45. This is the story of my dad and the crew of his plane that was shot down in 1942. No-one died and all were captured and taken to Stalag Luft III after the Dulag and their processing. It’s a story that, for me, unfolded gradually over a number of years.

My dad died in 2002 and my sister and I had the task of sorting through everything in the house. I knew that he’d been writing his memoirs for the family but I didn’t know the extent of his writing. At the time I was a busy teacher and his laptop was kept to one side for quite a time, a number of years, in fact. However, I also found a flying helmet in a package that had come from Holland! I assumed it was dad’s and as my sister wasn’t too interested I took it home with me. I was fascinated by it...to think, dad had worn this when he’d been shot down and he’d have had it as a POW! But hey... how did a Dutchman have it? Who was the Dutchman who’d sent it to him? Well now I’m not too sure of the order of these events but I wrote to a newspaper in Holland, ‘The Leeuwarden Chronicle’ because I’d found out that he came down in Holland, they put me in touch with Hille Oppedijk who has been researching for many years and Hille told me that the helmet wasn’t dad’s but belonged to another crew member, Henigman. I was gutted. However, I didn’t think that it was mine to keep and determined to track down Henigman’s family in Canada. I wrote to various organisations connected with the RACAF and veterans and eventually they were found so I sent it (with much trepidation) to them and they confirmed that it had arrived safely. Maggie Henigman was really pleased and told me a little of her father and his life.

Article About Hille And Dad 2009 by Gillyches1 posted Nov 18, 2017 at 10:33 PM

Bill Goodman by Gillyches1 posted Nov 18, 2017 at 10:35 PM

After the article that was printed I heard from Hille:

22 Oct 2009


Dear Gill,

Now on thursday morning I do have time to answer your most interesting email, out of my second country the United Kingdom.

First of all it is an very great honour that you would like to get in contact with me, I was not only very surprised after Mr Pier Santema's phonecall from the Dutch, almost Frisian Newspaper called De Leeuwarder Courant'', but I didn't expect it at all this type of question!

I will meet Mr Santema at the Leeuwarder Courant today at 1400 hours local time here,its 1300 hours UK time,and we'll discuss the file and other information that I have from your father,and his complete crew from Short Stirling W7471 MG-J.

Since my childhood I knew from the story of this particular Stirling from No 7 Sqn, Homeplate the former RAF Oakington in Cambridgeshire,who came down in the early hours of Sunday June 7th 1942 between the villages of Blija and Holwerd, which is almost 10 to 15 km NE of the village were I live Hallum.

The first correspondence about your father's Stirling I did in the early eighties, with Mr Gerrit Zwanenburg, also from Friesland, city of Harlingen, who was than in charge of the Royal Netherlands Airforce Recovery Team or Salvage Group,in Dutch translated the so called Bergingsdienst''.

The first correspondence about this Stirling that I had made with the RAF, was after an letter that I wrote to the RAF Bomber Command Association Newsletter, about information over this particular Stirling and its crew.

I received an most interesting letter out of New South Wales Australia,from an city or village called Cremorne Point,dated November 8th 1995,which was from your father W.E. Goodman (Bill).

I was again very surprised and under deep impression, because I didn't expected this at all!!

The last letter and the complete file about your fathers crew was received here in Hallum,in July 2000, which was again a very great honour!!!

That particular file came out of Withington near Manchester, from the address 192 School Grove,I think you must knew it very well?

About the flying helmet, which I returned several years ago, which was also very precious to me as well, I can tell you the following story about this helmet;
I can nothing say about the type of helmet itself, because I received it from the Jansma Family in the village of Ferwert, I think when I was almost 13 or 14 years old, now I am 42,and born in February 1967.

They told me the story, out of their memories, and I wrote it all down, and they gave me this leather helmet as gift, I said are you sure??

So after a great afternoon, I took my bicycle and drove back to Hallum, with this for myself very precious RAF gift!

Inside the helmet was the name Henigman written with ink, he was not worn by your father itself.

After the correspondence I decided to sent it back to your father, it hurt a bit, because it stood for years at my workroom, aviation and flying (history) is much more than an hobby, so after all for me no hard feelings at all to post it your father in the United Kingdom.

Your other question concerning your father aircraft and Ops Details;

They flew Short Stirling MK1 W7471 MG-J from no 7 Sqn RAF Oakington.
That particular night 6-7 June 1942 they departed and took off from Oakington at 2359 hours, almost midnight to fly an operational sortie to the German harbour city of Emden, NW Germany.

Crew consisted of Flying Officer N. L. Taylor Pilot, Sergeant C.F. Henigman 2nd Pilot, Pilot Officer E.J. Earngey Navigator, Pilot Officer F.J.Travis Wireless Operator,Sergeant W.E. Goodam your father Front Gunner, Sergeant J.H. Arnold Rear Gunner, Flying Officer H.D. Spry Mid Upper Gunner,and Sergeant G.J. Macnamarra was the Flight Engineer.

After they were shot down by the German Ace Ludwig Becker,the whole crew was made POW.

After transport and interrogation at Dulag Luft near Oberursel,city of Frankfurt Germany, the Luftwaffe had once their Interrogation Centre for Allied Aircrew,for Intell reasons only, the Officers in the crew went to Stalag Luft 3 near Sagan Poland, famous from the Great Escape, the NCOs in the crew of Non Commissioned Officers went to Kopernikus, and Arnold to POW camp Heydekrug.

For this moment a lot of information, so read it in your own time, and if you do have some questions, what I can imagine, do not hesitate and write me.

Once again I didn't expect it all, but it makes me very proud that I can help you, to tell the story of your father and its crew.

It is an privilege and an very great honour I can assure you, no problem at all!!!!

If you would like to get in contact with me

Hille Oppedijk

He also sent me a letter that my dad had sent to him!!! [Dad was living in Australia at that time]

Copy of letter from W.E. Goodman to Hille Oppedijk - 8th Nov 1995

Dear Hille,

I have just received from a friend in New Zealand a copy of a notice in the Bomber Command Association’s Newsletter in which you ask for news of the crew of No. 7 Squadron Stirling, MG J (W7471) which crashed in fields near Blija, mainly on those owned by Willem Jansma (and were put out of use for the remainder of the year) at about 01-08 hours, Sunday 7th June 1948.

The crew was composed of Flying Officer N.L. Tayler DFC, Captain; Flying Officer E.J. Earngey (Australian) Observer (Navigator/Bomb Aimer); Pilot Officer St. J. Travis (Rhodesian)Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – on radio; Flying Officer H. Spry Mid-upper Gunner; Sergeant W. E. Goodman Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – Front Gunner; Sergeant J.H. Arnold DFM Rear Gunner; Sergeant C.F. Henigman (Canadian) for navigational experience, acting as 2nd pilot. Tayler, Earngey, Spry and Travis were later promoted to Flight Lieutenant, Sergeants Goodman, McNamara, Arnold and Henigman were later promoted to Warrant Officers. As I think you are aware we all survived and became prisoners of war.

I met up with Travis and McNamara and we hoped to ‘walk home’ to England, but it was not to be so.

After attempts to find assistance, during which time we hid in a drainage canal to avoid a large black motor car which was approaching, and which we thought to have been an official vehicle, we entered Ferwerd where we met a youth, son of M’heer Esselink, the Burgomeister and went with him into the Town Hall (Gemeenterhuis?). We were later joined by his father and Chef-Veldwachter Romke Smidt, who arrived in the same motor car from which we had hidden.

Together they started to assemble clothing and other items to help us, and were arranging that we should be passed on, when Romke Smidt was informed the Germans knew where we were. He took the only course open to him, and at the same time to safeguard himself, the Esselink family and, probably Ferwerd itself. He arrested us, and the clothing etc was hidden just before the Germans arrived.

We were then actually arrested in the Geentehuis, and I have identified the actual room as that now used as the VVV Tourist Office. It is ironic that if we had not hidden from the vehicle and been seen by Esselink and Smidt we may not have been captured by the Germans.

You probably know that M’heer Esselink was later imprisoned by the Germans, but returned after the war as Burgomeister. Chief Smidt remained in his office throughout the war, respected by the Resistance for his help to them. Young Esselink was acting as a courier, escorting RAF after being shot down, attempting to evade capture and return to England when he was caught by the Germans, and shot.

I became friendly with Klass Malda of Blija who worked on the farm where our aircraft came down. He was able to tell me a great deal about just where I had landed by parachute, where I had walked and crawled to meet McNamara and Travis, also where we had called before we met young Esselink. Klaas died about two years ago, but we still visit his widow.

I visit England every year and every second year Betty comes with me. Whenever we are able, we visit Friesland, using the Anna Casparii Hotel, Harlingen as our base.

What a pity it is that I had not received the copy of your notice before we left Australia in June, as we were in Hallum just three months ago. That notice gives your address as ‘Le Boeyer’ but I wonder whether it should have been ‘Le Botter’. If so, I could well have seen it from M’heer’s Helleme’s home, 32 Noord Miedweg. As you will know, he was high in the Resistance and has told us much about what went on and various personalities.

I am sorry to tell you that I am the last living member of the crew. We all came through the war as prisoners. Only Spry was hurt when he landed by parachute, having sprained his ankle rather badly, but it was soon mended. Ted Earngey had rather a bad time as a prisoner. His stomach never recovered from imprisonment, and his hands became frost bitten.

Norman Tayler and I remained very close until he died about three years ago, both before I started spending much of my time in Australia, and since. We had flown together right from the start (as had Earngey, Travis and Arnold – the nucleus of our original crew, with McNamara joining us soon after) and the operational bond remained to the end.

In retirement from work I did a great deal of research, from capture to Leeuwarden where O/blt Becker, who shot us down, was based with II/NGJ2, to Amsterdam’s Centraal Station where I had tried to get away from the escort, to the Barracks (Kazerne Cramje Nassau, I believe) where we were kept in solitary confinement for several days. The building where we were held has been demolished, but I could identify the buildings across Singelgracht, or Mauritskade, as those I saw during periods of exercise.

From here the Luftwaffe took us into Germany, via Cologne, which had recently suffered the first Thousand bomber raid and where we met a certain amount of hostility from civilians. Next, down the Rhine Valley to Frankfurt and the Luftwaffe Interrogation centre nearby.

I should be very interested to learn how the helmet came into your possession, whether you can identify to which of us it had belonged, and if you wish, I can keep it together with records and copies of documents I have assembled of our tour of operations, of which, this one to Emden was to have been our last.

No 7 Squadron, RAF, is still very much operational, now flying Chinook heavy lift helicopters. It served in the Falklands and still has a Unit out there, it was in the Gulf War and in Bosnia as part of the NATO Rapid Response Force. In 1945 No 7 Squadron took part in the Operation Manna, when food was dropped to the Dutch people, and it seems fitting that it also came to the Netherlands to help during the devastating floods last winter.

The Squadron, being operational, still maintains full records going back to its formation before World War I in 1914, and it is my hope that when I pass on my research it may be amalgamated into their records.

For information, Cremorne Point is one of the headlands jutting out into Sydney Harbour, just a few hundred metres to the east of the Harbour Bridge and on the opposite side from this the Opera House, and towards the Pacific Ocean.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope that if we can get over to Friesland we can meet with you then.

Yours very sincerely,


(W.E. Goodman (Bill))

PS As I was composing this letter I received one from Mr Batchelder, also an ex-POW who also let me know of your notice, and from who you may have received information about me.

to be continued...

 

That's quite a story Gill. To think so many held the helmet too. Unbelievable bad luck the Germans found out where they were and so close to escape. Use the search engine to see if there are previous posts about the POW camps they were held in.

Have you applied for your fathers Red Cross record yet?

Must get my Dutch pals to read this. Their family were involved in the Dutch resistance.

I just knew you had a story to tell. Thanks for posting. You're so lucky your father has left all this information.

 

There seems to be just one extant photo of their plane and it isn't awfully clear...but it was sent to me by Ger Boogmans, the Bomber Command representative for Holland in Amsterdam. It was taken, apparently at Oakington during the winter of 1941/42.



There is also a photo under the wing of the plane with some of the crew:

I don't have a date for this image, though.

The ORB entry for that night is here:


... to be continued

 

Thanks amberdog45... I'm pleased that you're enjoying it. There's more detail to come yet, though! Regarding the Red Cross report ... I've no knowledge of how to get hold of this, if there is one.

 

The 'official' version of events that was sent to the Gestapo was written by Romke Smidt:

Copy of Police Report

(Original in Dutch)

Borough Police

Ferwerderadeel


Pro Justicia


Re: Crashed Bomber

Report of Arrest

On Sunday 7th June 1942 at approximately 1-2 o’clock I, Romke Smidt, Chief of Police of the Borough of Ferwerderadeel (stationed at Ferwerd) was notified by telephone that there had been a battle between two aircraft, and that one of them had crashed in flames, presumably in the Borough of Ferwerderadeel. This statement came from the ‘Luchtwacht’ at Ferwerd, in the Borough of Ferwerderadeel.

They Mayor of this Borough was informed of the incident, as was the Chief of the Air Observer Corps at Ferwerd, Mr H. Robroch.

I immediately set out by car to investigate, accompanied by the aforementioned dignitaries. We were joined at Genum by Police Constable K. Westra (from Wanswerd) and the four of us continued our search for the crashed plane.

At Brantgum, in the Borough of West-Dongeradeel we were stopped by a patrol of the German Wehrmacht who had already arrested two men, who appeared to be English and claimed to be English airmen.

It appeared that a four engine bomber had crashed in Blija in the Borough of Ferwerderadeel. The aircraft was totally burnt out and parts of it were spread over four fields due to the explosion on impact.

They Mayor notified these findings immediately by telephone to the H.Q. of the Air Observer Corps in the Hague, also to the Wehrmachts – Kommandantur in Leeuwarden and to the Police Officer ‘beim Beauftragten des Reichskommissars’ (appears to be a German Police Department) in the Province of Friesland.

On arrival at the scene we found that the German Military Police were already present and we therefore did not continue the investigation but remained on guard until 6-00 o’clock to cordon off the area.

We established that there were no civilian casualties and there was no injury to cattle in the surrounding fields. There was no material damage to any building, but the fields in question were severely damaged, in particular, one owned by Willem Jansma at Blija where the aircraft actually came down. This field has been put out of action for the rest of the summer.

We were able to leave the scene of the crash after sufficient personnel of the Wehrmacht had arrived.

On our return to Ferwerd we found that three men were at the Town Hall who stated they were English Airmen from the crashed aircraft. I detained these men and notified the Commandant of the German Wehrmacht in Leeuwarden, who had them collected by car at 8 o’clock.

This report of arrest is compiled, signed and completed by me on Monday 8-6-42 in accordance with the oath taken at the commencement of my service.

Chief of Police


(signed) R. Smidt.

As you'll note the events are a little different from the actual events!

Another Dutchman, Harry Feenstra, compiled a pictorial map of what happened that night. Harry lives locally and conducts mud-walking tours in the area and told me that he sometimes finds evidence of the air war.



...to be continued

 

Henigman, Clarence Francis: my Air Force recollections :: Canadian Military Oral History Collection

 

On that fateful night during which the crew were shot down...Oblt. Ludwig Becker had been busy! In dad's words:

"...Leeuwarden from where Becker had operated. He was an ace, nicknamed the ‘Professor’ because of the innovations with which he had been involved to improve night fighting tactics. One of those was the technique used against us when he flew beneath and attacked from below. We were his second ‘kill’ that night. His first had been a Wellington and he was on his way back to his base to rearm when he saw us. I understand we were his 42nd victory. A year later he was promoted to Hauptman (Captain) and given a day fighter squadron, but before he had chance to work out daytime tactics, he was shot down and killed on his first sortie with them. What a tragedy it was that such a dedicated man should be killed on the very day he was awarded one of Germany's’ highest awards, Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves."

After they'd all been taken into captivity Becker didn't just leave them to their fate, though, and dad states:

"After they had their sleep, Oberleutnant Ludwig Becker and his Radio Operator Josef Staub came to see us in the guardroom, but not to gloat. They seemed more concerned with our health and welfare as fellow fliers and not as enemies."

Which, if propaganda at the time would have us believe, was not something that would have ever happened. Perhaps even dad and the rest of the crew were both surprised and pleased about... after the war, though, we have learned that there was a certain sense of respect on each side for the other, a 'warrior's code' perhaps.

 

Thank you alieneyes... this was a link that I was going to put up here along with the information on the crew. You beat me to it!

 

After preparing dad's memoirs for publication as a book I started to learn what I could about his service and about the other crew members. I found his ORBs from 7 Squadron and downloaded them so that I could ascertain the various sorties that he'd flown. Between 26 Nov 1941 and the date of coming down in Friesland he'd flown 25. The last was on their return from Emden.

I mentioned his book.. his memoir was originally a larger document than that which I sent off to the publisher after much work editing it. Dad was 'old school' and was fairly proficient on a typewriter, but after I'd encouraged him to get a laptop he couldn't always get his head around the line-wrapping that occurs on a PC. As a result he used the 'Enter' button as a means for starting in a new line and this was a laborious process in removing them during editing. Stray full stops, apostrophes, some typos etc all had to be sorted out...and there are still some errors I'm afraid!

However, I got it published in 2013 after removing much of the stuff about his childhood growing up in Carlisle (although he'd been born in Maidstone, Kent) and the later chapters about his time in Manchester City Police. It was unfinished because poor dad just ran out of steam and lost interest in completing his police service section. However, I just kept the work that basically centred on the war up to his joining up and the post-war years before he left the RAF when he was in Blackpool. [Don't worrry - the early chapters have been sent to his old school in Carlisle and the last ones were sent to the Manchester Police Museum!]

I had to choose a title and write a forward, find some images and add some commentary to the text... but it's on sale at Amazon and Lulu Publishing. It's available as an e-book as well as paperback.

'Of Stirlings and Stalags: an air gunner's tale' by WE 'Bill' Goodman
Of Stirlings and Stalags: an air-gunner's tale eBook: W.E. 'Bill' Goodman, Gill Chesney-Green: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

...to be continued

 

On publication of the book I found that I was contacted by others interested in the story, and I was still searching for information despite the book's completion.

Ger Boogmans in Amsterdam was very helpful, Hille Oppedijk and I were still in contact, Maggie Henigman and myself were also still corresponding.. so there were lively exchanges.

It was then that Ger Boogmans told me about an organisation in Holland known as SMAMF (Stitchting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation) and informed me that Douwe Drijver and Alexander Tuinhuit were making plans to erect a memorial panel in Blije near to where their plane had come down. They wanted to gather what information they could about each man and to find a photo of each to put onto the panel. So, we all set to work trying to find out what we could!

I was able to trace MacNamara's family (using family history skills) and I spoke to his daughter on the phone ... she was both surprised and intrigued! She naturally put me in contact with others in the family. Similarly, I was able to trace the grand-daughter of Spry but after a promising start her father decided he didn't want to come along and said that he knew nothing about his father's service during the war. Arnold's son was definitely not going to come along as he felt that the War Office had not treated him well after the war when he wanted to donate his father's memorabilia...so he was also to be counted out. Travis's family were able to send us some information and a photo that was rather blurred, Tayler's family were very helpful and so were the Earngey family. Dad, after separating from my mother lived with Ted Earngey's widow in Sydney, Australia for many years... so there was an easily available connection there.

We continued to search out what information we could and eventually we were able to source, from families and the internet, a set of photos for each man.

As a diversion, I was also able to contact the daughter of an Australian man, Errol Green, based at Oakington and who sounded like a real character in dad's book. I am still in contact with Helen who lives in Australia.

So, this is what we got on the crew:

FO Norman Leslie Tayler DFC - 'Buck' Service number: 565003 POW number: 560
12 Feb 1914 -Feb 1993

Norman Tayler , who was born in Wareham, Dorset, was known as 'Buck' to the
crew and his peers. "He had entered the RAF as an apprentice straight from school and
after two years qualified as a Fitter, the top ground trade. As far as we were able to
discover his pass had been such that he was a Leading Aircraftsman (LAC). His
service took him to various aerodromes, including a two-year posting to Habanya. I
gather it was during those two years that he reached the rank of sergeant and thus was
qualified to apply for a pilot's course. He trained on the old biplanes as a fighter pilot
in those pre-war days when Hawker Harts and similar biplanes were in use on fighter
squadrons. In those days night fighting was unknown, so his night flying experience,
in his own words, could be 'counted on the fingers of one hand'. He had acquired the
nickname of 'Buck' by this time but was not posted to a squadron. Instead he became
a test pilot probably for the twin reasons of his flying ability coupled with his
knowledge of aeroplanes. (He had to continue his studies to reach Sergeant.) He must
have been test flying for four years or so, during which time his studies had still
continued in his own trade, but just as importantly he had gained knowledge of other
trades which might have a bearing on the handling of an aircraft. Buck admitted that
the only aspect of which he had no knowledge was radio. Buck, the oldest man in the
crew and I the youngest became very good friends and I was privileged to peruse both
his flying logbooks. " (Bill Goodman)
He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.) which was instituted
on 3rd June 1941 and is a Level 3 Gallantry Award. It was gazetted on 9 Jan1942.
Norman died in Cheltenham, Glouchestershire.


...to be continued

 

More on the crew:
Sgt. Clarence Francis Henigman - 'Frank' Service number: R58530 POW number : 506
31 Jan 1920 - 22 Apr 1994

'Frank' Henigman was Canadian by birth and joined the Royal
Canadian Air Force. Although a 'second pilot' he wasn't flying at that
time as he was on board for navigational experience and it was only his
second operation. Frank and one other were captured near Brantgum.
He was initially interned in Stalag Luft III but then moved on to
Heydekrug and Thorn. He was promoted to Warrant Officer whilst in
captivity.
His daughter, Maggie, said that after the war: "Dad worked for the
Public Service as a Customs and Excise Officer in New Westminster,
where we kids grew up. He was a wonderful gardener, winning many
ribbons for his prize Chrysanthemums. Dad also made fabulous wine."
In 1985 he was interviewed as part of an oral history project and these
can be heard here: University of Victoria Digital Collections
compoundobject/collection/collection13/id/345/rec/1
Photo provided by SMAMF...thank you.


PO Edward Joseph Earngey - 'Ted' Service number: 402761 POW number: 547
19 Jul 1914 -

'Ted' Earngey was from Sidney, New South Wales, Australia.
He enlisted on 14 Oct 1940 and was discharged on 12 Nov
1945.
In Luft Stalag III "Ted Earngey had rather a bad time as a
prisoner. His stomach never recovered from imprisonment,
and his hands became frost bitten." Bill Goodman
"Ted Earngey, 'Little S' in Hut 110, cut out bits of the inside
of books, and the chisels and pliers fitted flush inside and
were never noticed unless the book was opened; and the
ferrets, fortunately, never went in for literature."
After Digger Macintosh moved a hut wall out by nine inches,
"Earngey parked a lot of material behind it." from 'The
Great Escape' by Paul Brickhill



PO Frank St. John Travis - 'John' Service number: 104538 POW number: 562
24 September 1915 - 1978

'John' Travis (centre), referred to by Bill Goodman and others as 'the dapper
Rhodesian' was, in fact, originally from Edmonton, Middlesex and moved to
Southern Rhodesia when he was about 10 and joined up as a Rhodesian
Airman with a Southern Rhodesian Air Force number.

At the age of 11 he and the family moved to Rhodesia, not South Africa. It was from here, at the outbreak of war, that he ‘joined up’ by travelling back to England and enlisting with the RAF.

So, after being shot down on 7 June 1942 Johnny went to Stalag Luft III along with Bill and the others – although whilst some were moved on to other camps he stayed and became an important member of the ‘Escape Committee’ although he declined to actually take part in the actual escape. A wise decision in hindsight. He and others made a variety of items to aid the escapers – compasses out of old Bakelite gramophone records, for example. He had, apparently been a mining engineer before the war, and possibly was able to contribute to the tunnelling in terms of advice.

Post- war he was an estate agent for a while, then a car dealer, later he opened a luggage shop that he ran with his wife. He died in Weymouth, Dorset in 1978.

His son, Peter, wrote:

“Before the war my father had trophies for Rifle shooting and body building which were all left all packed away in Rhodesia when he went back to England and he never went back for them.

After the war my father started a Real Estate business in Essex with my uncle, but because of his interest in motor cars became a car salesman in London, later we moved to Exeter in Devon and he became manager of a prestige car company before buying a luggage shop that he ran with my mother until his death at age 63.”
After he was shot down he met Bill and Mac inland and wandered to Ferwerd.
Major Esselink's residence Ferwerd is where Bill, John and Mac were captured.
Johnny went to Stalag Luft III along with Bill and the others - although whilst
some were moved on to other camps he stayed and became an important
member of the 'Escape Committee' although he declined to actually take part
in the actual escape. A wise decision in hindsight. He and others made a variety
of items to aid the escapers - compasses out of old Bakelite gramophone
records, for example. He had, apparently been a mining engineer before the
war, and possibly was able to contribute to the tunnelling in terms of advice
and, I gather, constructed the bellows .
Post- war he was an estate agent for a while, then a car dealer and later owned a
luggage shop. He died in England after being taken ill travelling back from a
trip to France.


Sgt. William Edward Goodman - 'Bill' Service number: 1263380 POW number: 503
26 Apr 1922 - 14 June 2002

Bill enlisted on 8 Aug 1940 and was demobbed on 30 Dec 1947. This
operation was his 25th since joining 7 Squadson.
After they were shot down Bill landed in the Waddensea then he
crawled to the dyke, met John and Mac inland and wandered to
Ferwerd. Major Esselink's residence Ferwerd is where Bill, John and
Mac were captured.
They were all sent to Luft Stalag III initially... and Bill went on to
Heydekrug, then Thorn and Fallingbostal. Afterwards he was on the
long march and managed to escape being killed by RAF Typhoons that
strafed the marching men by diving into a ditch and hiding behind the
bole of a large tree.
After the war Bill, after a variety of jobs, joined the Manchester City
Police and rose through the ranks to become a Superintendant.
He retired early and lived in Sydney for many years with the widow of
Ted Earngey, Betty. However, after another heart attack he was unable
to travel so extensively and lived in Manchester until his death.

I've used a photo of his questionnaire after the war here:


Sgt. John H. Arnold 'Jack' Service number: 934266 POW number: 483
26 June 1911 - 1993

LONDON GAZETTE- 17 Apr 1942 -934266 Sergeant John Henry
ARNOLD, No. 7 Squadron. On the night of 28th March, 1942, this airman
was the rear gunner of an aircraft which took part in an attack on Lubeck.
During the return journey, whilst over the Heligoland Bight, the aircraft was
intercepted by an enemy fighter. Sergeant Arnold gave skilful evading
directions which enabled his captain to out-manoeuvre the enemy pilot.
Sergeant Arnold was thus able to deliver an accurate burst of fire, causing the
enemy aircraft to break away and dive towards the sea, with both engines on
fire. By his courage and fine shooting, this airman contributed materially to the
safe return of his aircraft. John Arnold was award the DFM.
Upon arrival at Oakington Jack and Bill were both sergeants, said Bill, "Our
Mess Secretary put Jack and me in the same ground floor room. It was quite
comfortable with the bathroom etc opposite. Very soon Jack had photos of his
wife all over the place, while I rigged up to the mains an old battery portable
radio I had acquired on my travels. I also had a Pifco electric trouser press
device that was spring loaded and clamped onto the crease and 'ironed' a nice
sharp crease in just a few minutes."
After being shot down, Jack landed in the Waddensea, after swimming/wading
to shore and was captured at 't Schoor'. He was initially sent to Stalag Luft III
and then to Heydekrug and Thorn.



Sgt. Sidney John McNamara - 'Mac' Service number: 903218 POW number: 513
30 Apr 1920 - 24 Jan 1978

On the night of 7 June after the plane came down, it seemed that
Mac came down in the mud. He met Bill and John Travis inland
and they wandered to Ferwerd.
"After a little while we noticed a woman at a bedroom window.
She was too interested for our liking. We were not far from the
railway, but that would not have been a good place to be. It was
now full daylight and people could be seen. We were quite
desperate by now, when it occurred to us that the youth at the
Town Hall had actually said 'Good morning'! We almost ran back
and he was still there, grinning, as he nodded us to follow him into
the basement. He was the Mayor's son and his father was just
about the last still in post who was an Allies sympathiser, the
others having been deposed by the Nazis and imprisoned." (Bill
Goodman)
After the war 'Mac' was a flight engineer with BOAC and flew
long haul commercial flights world wide until his retirement.



PO Harry Douglas Spry Service number: 78865 POW number: 559
19 Nov 1911 - 1979

Harry (centre) was from England. He was the only one to
sustain any injury that night... but luckily it was only
minor...a sprained ankle. He was moved to Stalag Luft III
with the others.
After the war Harry went to live in South Africa for a time
and then returned to the UK where he married and worked as
a master printer, in 1960 he moved to Teynham and worked as
a manager for Unwins off-licences. He divorced his wife in
1975 and moved to Herne Bay in Kent where he died.


That concludes the individual stories that I could find about the crew.

 

I've mentioned that there was a memorial panel to the crew erected in Blije and the families of MacNamara, Goodman, Tayler and Earngey attended. Travis' family were unable to attend because of a back injury of Travis' son who would be flying from South Africa, Maggie Henigman and family couldn't at the time afford to fly from Canada.

It happened in 2016 on the anniversary of the bringing down of their plane. This is the panel but you can see other photos and read about the trip on my blog.



Blog entries related to this event...
https://chartsblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/a-memorable-journey/
Harry Feenstra’s Mapped Story of the Night of 7 June 1942…
Part II of our incredible journey to Friesland

I think that about wraps it up. I think there is more I could write about ...but there is much here and on the blog... as well as the book if anyone is interested.

Cheerio for now,

Gill

 

Thanks for sharing all this info Gill. I liked how they made the compasses for escape. Here's the link to the Red Cross site for your Dad's POW records. They get so inundated for requests there is only a small window of opportunity to apply every quarter. I think the next intake of requests is going to be just after the New Year. If you use the search engine again you will see other members experience of the service. ICRC archives

 

Thanks very much, amberdog! That's really great!! I'll have a go.

 

Just as an extra here... some members of 7 Squadron were photographed while they were in Stalag Luft 3. I can pin the date only very loosely - from June 1942 until June 1943. Dad was moved on during June 1943...although I tend to favour summer 1942 as most of the men look reasonably healthy and well-fed. My dad is standing in the centre of the first standing row, directly behind the chap with the very white scarf who is seated, and dad is wearing his forage cap.

Photo of 7 Squadron members in Stalag Luft III 1942