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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

206408

Flt Sgt. Reginald Bernard Shepherd

Royal Air Force 540 Squadron

(d.14th May 1943)

I would like to tell you the story of my wife's uncle Reginald Bernard Shepherd, who having joined the army, decided in 1941 that he wanted to join the air force. Reg, did all his training in Canada, 2 months flying Tiger Moths, gradually flew a lot of different aircraft during his training, Oxford, Master 1, Master II, Anson, Blenheim IV, Beaufighter, then the Mosquito with the 540 Squadron.

Reg was shot down in France on a reconnaissance operation, it is said he managed to get his plane down outside the village. We cannot be sure where he had been as none of the letters we have from the Air Ministry in 1943 would say. He was presumed missing for 6 months. Reg was 23 years old.

The other crew member was Flight Sargeant H.W. Evans aged 19, who parachuted from the aircraft before it crash landed. He was eventually to get away to Switzerland.

We have since, through letters from the Mayor of Longuyon, Dr Gousset, dated 05.04.45, found that Reg was shot in the head, no one from the town was allowed to touch Reg, not even Dr Gousset. The Germans, however, had all his papers, watch, valise etc. Dr Gousset goes on in his letter that it was his duty to see to Reg's burial and the town arranged for a coffin with internment in the French Military section of the town cemetery, alongside French soldiers killed in WW2. The letter goes on the say that the people of Longuyon laid flowers & wreaths on Reg's grave, which the Germans hated and he was afraid that some people would be put in prison. With this letter he also sent a photograph of the grave with the promise it would be attended to in the same way the French graves would be. To this day I can say this promise has been kept, even last year having a new headstone.

All this information is from Reg's Pilots Log Book, letters from Air Ministry, private letters from Reg, letters from Longuyon, which are all kept by my Mother-in-Law, June Belchem, Reg's younger sister, who is now 82.

We can tell from his log book that he flew operations to Drammen, Stavanger, Egersland, Grimstadt, Falkenau, Hoff Kaaden, Bergen, Bruxells, Pilzen & Prague, sadly the final page reads 'Death Presumed 14.5.43'. It would be nice to know where he had been to on the day he was shot down, as it's the only date missing from his Log Book. We know from information from Dr Gousset that the Mosquito he was shot down in had the identification number DZ523.

My mother-in-law, with her husband Derrick, since just after the war have been to Longuyon on numerous occasions, have met some of the people involved in this, found out that Dr Gousset was in fact part of the RAF Escape Committee they made life long friends with the Banckart family. Mrs Bannckart being the local interpreter for the allies. I have myself, with my wife, also been over to Longuyon.

We feel we know Reg at 23 from his photographs in his album of his training in Canada, pictures of his girl friends during his air force days, his athletic club photos, I feel he lived a full life in his short 23 years, sadly bought to an abrupt end. He was obviously liked from all the photographs with friends, there is also a letter from Switzerland from Flight Sargeant H.W Evans on 27.2.44 which shows the bond between the two men, quite moving.




Additional Information:

F/S R.B. Shepherd and his observer/navigator F/S H.W. Evans were tasked to take bomb damage assessment photos of targets in the Pilsen area. They took off from RAF Benson at 11:00. The Mosquito he was piloting, DZ523, was a PR.IV.

I have been researching RAF photo recce ops and aircrew for a considerable time and would be happy to try and help with any further information if you are still researching Shepherd. Please feel free to drop me a line.

Andy Fletcher



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