SOE/OSS killed Greece 9 September 1944.

Discussion in 'SOE & OSS' started by gmyles, Mar 26, 2014.

  1. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    On the 9th September 1944, both engines failed on a C47, flying in bad weather, whilst on a photographic reconnaissance mission over central Greece. The aircraft crashed into the side of a mountain near the hamlet of Stevenikon. As well as the crew on board the Dakota of 12th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS) based in Brindisi were several members of both SOE Force 133 and their US counterparts the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Those lost on board were:

    DAVISON P Captain Pilot (also CO 12th TCS)
    VOLK J 2Lt Co-Pilot
    QUEGAN E.L. Captain Navigator
    GINGERESKY P S/Sgt Radio Operator

    HOXSIE T Cpl Engineer
    POBERAJ A AC2 Air Despatcher

    FARISH L.M. Lt-Col OSS
    HISCOCKS EH Lt-Col SOE
    FORBES-HARRISS CR Major SOE
    WATSON G Captain SOE
    POTGIETER V Lt SOE
    THOMAS KWC Cpl SOE

    The resulting fire made individual identification impossible. As the majority of the victims were American, they were all laid to rest in the US National Military Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

    Would welcome any more info on mission and aircraft (ie tail number) if possible.

    Thanks as ever

    Gus
     
  2. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    will have a look at the files and see whats there

    Steven
     
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  3. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Steven,

    I hope that you have some luck as this flight sounds more than a Photographic Mission and I look forward to this thread's development.

    Regards
    Tom
     
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  4. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    None of the SOE Personnel have a surviving P/F this will need a little more digging in the Greek Operational Files, I did not think that C47s were used for P/R

    S
     
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  5. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    From the composition of the SOE Party on-board it looks like a mission being deployed

    Of the five SOE people two were engineers and one a signaler - the use of a Dakota would suggest a landing operation - if it was a demolitions mission the aircraft could have also been carrying the explosives hence the difficulty in ID'ing bodies.

    I think a Photo Recce mission is a definite non-starter
     
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  6. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Steven,

    It does Sound like a flimsy cover Story for a Mission.

    Regards
    Tom
     
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  7. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    HI everyone

    Thanks for the help.

    Lots on Google, on the OSS chap, Lt Col FARISH. He was an US olympic rugby player prior to the war.

    I found one that suggests he was a soviet agent. http://20committee.com/2013/02/10/american-hero-soviet-agent-lt-col-linn-farish-oss/

    It also suggests that he had volunteered for downed aircrew rescue missions.

    I also have a copy of "Unearthing Churchills Secret Army - The Official List of SOE casualties and their stories" by Martin Mace. And none of them are mentioned.

    Good read by the way.

    Gus
     
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  8. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

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  9. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    http://www.specialforcesroh.com/showthread.php?23613-Hiscocks-Edgar-Herbert&highlight=hiscocks


    Hiscocks, Edgar Herbert 162576 SOE Force 133 - parent unit Royal Armoured Corps - killed in air crash Greece


    Email request on the site as at Sep 2012 - "This man was my grandfather and I know nothing about his military service. I have applied to the MOD to release his service record to me but it hasn't arrived yet. Does anyone know anything? I didn't even know he was in SOE until today. Anything would be helpful.
    Thank you.
    Geoff"

    Worth pursuing? Is anyway here on the SF ROH site??
     
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  10. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

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  11. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    HI

    I found this on page 69 of "The C-47: Flying Workhorse of WW II" By Richard Harvey

    Our second operational loss came in September, and it was a sad one indeed, for our tour of combat duty was about at an end. Capt. Paul E. Davison, our Commanding Officer at the time, was the pilot, and according to reports from the target over which he crashed, both of his engines seemed to cut out at the same time, and he was powerless to control the airplane’s headlong plunge into a mountainside. Everyone on the aircraft was killed, and a heavy pall of gloom hung over the Squadron for a long time afterward. The dead were: Capt. Paul E. Davison, pilot, 2nd Lt. Joseph C. Volk, copilot, Capt. Edward L. Quegan, navigator, Cpl. Theron E. Hoxie, engineer, S/Sgt. Peter Gingeresky, radio operator, one Yugoslav dispatcher, and six American officers who were to be dropped on the field.

    Gus
     
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  12. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Gus,

    Well found and confirmation that it was an Operational Mission.

    Regards
    Tom
     
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  13. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Thanks Tom

    Just found another article about Lt-Col Farish. mages.wiley.com/images/db/pdf/9780470084564.excerpt.pdf

    Seemingly he was known by some in the OSS as "Lawrence of Yugoslavia". In it is says:

    "In September 1944 Farish was killed in an airplane crash in Greece, en route to a rescue mission in that country when the motors of his transport plane failed for an undetermined reason."

    Maybe Farish was on a rescue mission. But why would so many SOE chaps also be on board? Could the aircrew rescue be the mission after the SOE team drop off?


    Another item in "Beacons in the Night: With the OSS and Tito's Partisans in Wartime Yugoslavia" by By Franklin Lindsay.

    "he was killed on September 9 in the crash of an aircraft attempting a clandestine night landing in Greece to evacuate downed American Airmen"

    Gus
     
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  14. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Gus,

    It still feels strange to me that so many High Ranking officers were on board.

    From the Information so far I find it hard to believe that it was a rescue Mission.

    A case of too many Chiefs and not enough Indians! Intriguing to say the least.

    Regards
    Tom
     
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  15. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Hi Tom

    Agreed. This was the first day of operations that culminated in the 2nd British Expedition to Greece on October 12-16. Most of the preparation work was undertaken by special forces and SOE Force 133. SOE and the Greek resistance had been told to harass the withdrawing Germans as much as possible. It can't be a coincidence then that a team of SOE was flying in on the very same day.

    On 9th September 1944, Vice Admiral Werner Lange, German Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Aegean implemented OPERATION LEANDER, which was the systematic withdrawal of all German forces from the Aegean Sea and Ionian Islands. All ports were to be destroyed and their approaches mined.

    On 9th September 1944, OPERATION APLOMB also commenced , when a single patrol of ‘M’ Squadron, SBS, commanded by Captain Paul F. Bassett-Wilson, MC, parachuted onto the Greek island of Kithera. Later that day they were joined by a ten man patrol of the LDRG. They recced the island and found the Germans had long gone. They then summoned the main force waiting in Italy.

    5 days later, on 14th September 1944, a single Landing Ship (Infantry), the 6893 ton, HMCS PRINCE DAVID, sailed out of Taranto under the protection of Aircraft Carrier HMS KHEDIVE, Destroyers HMS QUANTOCK, TENATIOUS, WILTON and GARLAND, and 6 Minesweepers of the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla. At 2128, on 15th September 1944, the Canadian LS(I) anchored itself half a mile off the coast of Kithera. On board were 530 men of FOXFORCE, under the overall command of Lieutenant-Colonel Ronnie J. F. Tod, OC 9th Commando. FOXFORCE which comprised of:

    • Advance Headquarters (AHQ) 9th Commando.
    • 9th Commando Force.
    • 3 additional patrols from ‘M’ Squadron, SBS.
    • 1 patrol of ‘L’ Detachment, Long Range Desert Group (LRDG)
    • 1 x 75mm Gun Section, Raiding Support Regiment (RSR).
    • 1 Machine Gun Section, Raiding Support Regiment (RSR).
    • 100 tonnes of equipment.

    High westerly winds and a moderate swell was causing the Landing Ship to roll and was hampering the launching of the Landing Craft (Mechanised). LC(M)18, carrying 2 jeeps and both the RSR’s 75mm guns, was ripped from its davits whilst being lowered into the sea and the Landing Craft (Mechanised) sank in 17 fathoms of water. Another LC(M) stuck a submerged obstacle and was also put out of action. The remaining 6 Landing Craft made 10 runs each and got everyone to St. Nikolo Bay by 0700 on the 16th September 1944. They received a rapturous reception by the local population.


    Gus
     
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  16. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Looked at my SOE Greece files -

    The drop was to be to grounds ran by the LILLIAN Mission - the grounds for this mission were two in number one for stores and the other for personnel - the two grounds were 10 km apart, An eye witness statement says that the first drop was to be to the Stores Ground followed by a second of personnel to the second ground. The aircraft did its first run dropping stores and circled for its second drop - as it circled the engines cut and a parachute flare was fired by the plane before crashing into the hillside. LILLIAN personnel recovered the bodies and buried them.

    The WTO Cpl Thomas had only joined SOE two days previously.
     
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  17. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    That's brilliant Steven thanks ever so much for clearing things up.

    I am currently finalizing an article on the 2nd British Expedition to Greece on its 70th Anniversary year.

    DIMBO is going to translate it into Greek and publish it there.

    Gus
     
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  18. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Steven,

    Thanks for the post confirming what really happened.

    Bad luck having both engines cut out together.

    Gus,

    My late father arrived in Greece on 1.1.45 with 4th Recce Div after being pulled out of the Gothic line.

    Regards
    Tom
     
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  19. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Tom

    PM me your email address and I'll send you a draft.

    Gus
     
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  20. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Gus PM me your email and I'll send you the SOE report

    Steven
     
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