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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

3rd June 1944

On this day:





If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.




Remembering those who died this day.

  • Black Bruce Graham. F/O. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Chaplin George Ernest. Flt.Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Duffy J. J.. Flt.Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Elliott Thomas Douglas. Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Gondola John Peter. Flt.Lt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Graham Robert Hartley. F/O. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Hogan John Arthur. Pte. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Hughes Francis Rodney. Flt.Sgt. (d.2nd/3rd June 1944)
  • James Harold Henry Thomas. Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Jones Geoffrey David. P/O (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Lindsay Roland George. Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Munns Maurice. Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Rolph Stanley William. Flt.Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Taylor Jack. Fus. (d.3rd June 1944)
  • Woodbine William. Sgt. (d.3rd June 1944)

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



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Want to know more about the 3rd of June 1944?


There are:58 items tagged 3rd of June 1944 available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.




Stories from 3rd June 1944





Fus. Jack Taylor. British Army, Lancashire Fusiliers. (d.3rd June 1944)

My Great-Grandfather, Lancashire Fusilier Jack Taylor, was killed at Myanmar in Burma on the 3rd of june 1944 by the Japanese invasion. He is buried at Taukkyan War Cemetry. He left behind his wife Lavinia and his genes live on in mine. RIP Jack.

Jack Driver



Flt.Sgt. Francis Rodney "Rodney" Hughes. Royal Australian Airforce, 40 Squadron. (d.2nd/3rd June 1944)

My Uncle Rodney was a member of 40 Squadron RAF from about November 1941 until his death in 1944. He was pilot of NL120 a Wellington X bomber that nominally had a crew of 6 but in actuality flew with a crew of 5, 2 Australians and 3 Brits.

At the time Uncle Rodney died they were flying night bombing missions from Foggia Main to the Balkans. In 1945 my mother, Isabelle Samuelson Hughes, who worked for the RAAF pay office in Sydney, was told by returning members of the Squadron that Uncle Rodney's plane had gone down over Yugoslavia but only 4 parachutes were seen and they felt Uncle Rodney had gone down with his plane after keeping the plane in the air as long as possible while his crew ejected.

This was all we knew for 62 years. Then I started research on the Internet in 2006 and found the family of the other Australian crew member who had travelled to Yugoslavia to find out what happened to the crew of Wellington Bomber NL120 on that fatal night of 2/3 June 1944.

Squadron were returning from night bombing raid over Giugiu, Romania to Foggia Main, Italy when NL120 crashed outside Krupac Yugoslavia. Eye witnesses to the crash (who were teenagers at the time) recounted that 4 crew members had successfully parachuted out -- this being consistent with the stories told to my mother. Two of the British crew were reunited in Krupac with many hugs but the crash had been witnessed by nearby Bulgarian Facist Soldiers who turned up in the village and took these two crew members prisoner never to be seen again. The third British crew member fled into the mountains and joined the partisans eventually making it back to England where he recounted his story for the BBC in about 2008.

The fourth Australian member died from bullet wounds inflicted by the Bulgarian soldiers while hanging in a tree from his parachute. Apparently a wedding ring was removed from this crew member's finger. The fifth Australian crew member was removed from the plane after it crashed.

The bodies were interred in Krupac Church and then after an extensive search in 1945/46 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission were moved to the War Cemetery in Belgrade (back row). The grave does not carry any identification because it could not be reliably established which body was which. That is they knew that they were the two (2) Australians but they weren't sure whether it was Uncle Rodney who died in the tree or whether he died in the plane.

However, by putting together little clues we believe (i.e. the Hughes family) that it was Rodney who died in the tree. The little clues are a) Rodney wore a wedding ring and he was the only one married and b) the plane went into the ground nose first (eye witness evidence) which means the body recovered was in the rear of the plane. As the 2nd Australian Crew member was the rear gunner and that position was the most difficult to exit from (the gun turret had to swivel to just the right position to allow crawling, cramped exit and needed to be mechinacally OK). Therefore the odds are it was the 2nd Australian (not the pilot) who died in the plane.

The old Wellington Heavy Bomber was known to the aircrews as the Wimpie but there was nothing wimpish about those aircrews. 40 Squadron and its fellows in 236 Air Wing were the only Commonwealth forces ever to be placed under the command of a foreign power. They were seconded to the 205 Group, 15th USAAF under General Doolittle of atomic fame. General Doolittle did look after the aircrews of 40 squadron moving them from the tents in the ankle deep mud sea of Foggia Main aerodrome to a bombed out school house in Foggia village itself.

While under the command of the 15th USAAF it was agreed that the US Air Force with their lighter more manouverable planes would fly the daylight raids and the Commonwealth Squadrons with their heavier but more reliable bombers (the Wellington was slow and heavy but almost indestructible) would fly the night missions.

On 2nd June 1944 the American's had not flown because their planes could not cope with the weather but the RAF flew their regular night mission over the Roumanian oil fields. It must have been a horrible flight in bad weather over enemy territory. On the way back NL120 was seen circling over Krupac (it made at least 3 circuits over the valley) before crashing. Why it crashed is unknown but as the Wellington was known to fly with enormous damage it must have been engine damage of some kind.

To me personally it was amazing to learn the full story of Uncle Rodney's death exactly 62 years to the day after he died. Because that's what I haven't told you so far, I was sent this story on the night of 2/3 June 2006, 62 years to the day after he and his Australian comrade died. The only thing that I found sad was that my father had died exactly 5 years previously that is exactly 57 years after his beloved brother's death.

Claire Marie Hughes



Sgt. William Woodbine. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 78 Sqdn.. (d.3rd June 1944)

My uncle William Woodbine was stationed at Holme On Spalding Moor and who lost his life on 3rd June 1944 in a Halifax III bomber over France on Operation Trappas. I am searching for any information I have a few details after this date, i.e his burial site, but would like to know of anyone who knew or had contact with him before he lost his life.

Terry Woodbine



Flt.Sgt. George Ernest Chaplin. Royal Air Force, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Flight Sergeant (Pilot) GeorgeChaplin was the Son of James William and Lily Eliza Chaplin of Grays, Essex. He was 22 when he died and is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Flt.Sgt. J. J. Duffy. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Flight Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) J Duffy was the Son of James and Bridget Duffy; husband of Dorothy Lily Duffy, of Wortwell, Norfolk. He was 27 when he died and is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Sgt. Thomas Douglas Elliott. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) Thomas Elliott was the son of Anthony and Margaret Elliott; husband of Mary Ellen Elliott, of Millerston, S'clyde. He was 25 when he died and is buried in the Protestant Section of the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Flt.Lt. John Peter Gondola. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Flight Lieutenant (Navigator) John Gondola was the Son of John and Florence Gondola; husband of Edna Nancy Gondola, of Kingsbury, London. He was 20 when he died and is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Biolo, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



F/O. Robert Hartley Graham. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Flying Officer (Pilot) Robert Graham was the Son of Robert and Elizabeth Mildred Graham, of North Shields, Tyne and Wear. He was 23 when he died and is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Sgt. Harold Henry Thomas James. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Sergeant (Air Gunner) Harold James was the Son of Thomas and Gladys Hilda James, of Wallingford, Oxon. He is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Sgt. Roland George Lindsay. Royal Air Force, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Wireless Operator Roland Lindsay was the Son of John Gordon and Helen Ann Lindsay of Pitcaple, Grampian. He was 26 when he died and is buried the Malabo Cemeter, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Sgt. Maurice Munns. Royal Air Force, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Sergeant (Air Gunner) Maurice Munns was the Son of Arthur George and Anne Rosalind Munns of South Norwood, London. He was 22 when he died and is buried in the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Flt.Sgt. Stanley William Rolph. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 302 Ferry Training Unit. (d.3rd June 1944)

Flight Sergeant (Wireless Operator (Air)) Stanley Rolph was the Son of Albert Thomas and Pretoria Clara May Rolph, of Marks Tey, Essex. He was 21 when he died and is buried in the Protestant Section of the Malabo Cemetery, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

s flynn



Pte. John Arthur Hogan. British Army, Royal Army Service Corps. (d.3rd June 1944)

John Hogan was the son of Anne Hogan and Stepson of Reubin Lowe, husband of Phyllis Comfort Hogan, of Ramsgate, Kent. He was 34 when he died and he is buried in the Jedda Christian Cemetery in Saudi Arabia.

S Flynn



F/O. Bruce Graham Black. Royal Air Force, 158 Squadron. (d.3rd June 1944)

On Friday 2nd of June 1944, Flying Officer (Bomb Aimer) Bruce Black, took off from Lissett in the United Kingdom. The plane left at 22:13.

Crew:

  • Flying Officer (Pilot) W. M. Chant
  • Flying Officer (Bomb Aimer) B. G. Black
  • Flying Officer (Air Gunner) C. J. Nibblet
  • Sergeant (Flight Engineer) S. Thompson
  • Sergeant (Wireless Operator) J. K. Dunn
  • Sergeant (Air Gunner) W. Wales
  • Warrant Officer CL2 (Navigator) S. T. Lawrence

They flew with 158 Squadron in a Handley Page Halifax MK III, serial LV921, code NP-B. His mission and that of the other crew members was planned for Saturday, 3rd of June 1944. The mission was a bombing raid on the railway marshaling yards at Trappes. After bombing the target and before the pilot could gain altitude their plane was hit by a ME110 flown by Ltn. Frithjof Fensch of NJG 4. The plane was on fire and Bill Chant the pilot gave the order to bail out immediately. Stan Lawrence bailed out through the escape hatch below his seat and Bruce Black was ready to bail out, however it is assumed that his parachute did not fully deploy because of the low altitude. The plane made a large circle and crashed into a wooded area near the small town of Emance (Yvelines), 11 kms South West of the town of Rambouillet. Stan Lawrence was the only survivor and was rescued by the French Resistance, the remaining six crew members died in the crash.











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