Sgt R.A. Adams from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment was among those killed in an air crash on the 9th May 1945. The aircraft a Lancaster Bomber III, RF230-JI-B, from 514 Squadron was detailed to take part in Operation "Exodus “, the evacuation of ex-prisoners of war.
In addition to the crew of the bomber there were 24 army POW’s, ranging from private to captain from various regiments, as well as a lieutenant in the U.S.A.A.F, who was not on the manifest.
All the names of the aircrew and ex-POWs on board the aircraft are listed below.
Aircraft Crew Members.
- D. Beaton F/Lt.
- A. McMurrugh F/Sgt.
- R.B. Hilchey F/Off. RCAF
- J.G. Brittain F/Sgt.
- R.M. Toms P/Off. RCAF
- O.C. Evers P/Off. RCAF
List of POWS on board aircraft.
- Name. Regiment or Corps. Camp. Pow.No.Army No. Rank. Born.
- R.W. Wheeler Royal Engineers 07B 340 85759 Capt. Kent
- P.A.T. Campbell Royal West Kent Regt. 07B 224 124175 Lt. Southend-on-Sea
- E.T.T. Snowdon Royal Artillery 07B 1123 94190 Lt. West London
- R. A. Adams. Royal Warwickshire 344 12497 5111739. Sgt. Coventry
- E. L. Belshaw. East Surrey Regt 383 6774 2650397 Cpl. Wigan
- A. G. Thompson Worcestershire Regt. 344 6259 5253245 Cpl. Worcester
- G.W. Franks Kings Royal Rifle 8B 2584 6844798 L/Cpl. London
- H. Cummings Lancashire Fusiliers 344 35265 3461448 Fus. Salford
- O. Parkin Lancashire Fusiliers 21D 4948 3448706 Fus.
- J. Roe Irish Guards 8B 3308 2719806 Gdsm Birmingham
- A.J.S. Crowe Royal Artillery 7A 125860 840450 Gunner Preston
- A. N. Labotake SAA Gunner
- W.L. Lindhelmer PAL
- M. Maschit PAL
- T. Anderson Cameron Highlanders 7A 137173 2940187 Pte. Glasgow
- W. L. Ball Queens Royal Regt 8B 7289 804169 Pte. Ashford,Mx
- S.J. Bayston Green Howards 7A 4751822 Pte. London
- R.A. Betton K.S.L.I. 344 139030 4032985 Pte. Shropshire
- R.E. Clark Royal Scots 7A 14286 5954856 Pte. Bedfordshire
- W. Croston Pioneer Corps 8B 3737 2185985 Pte. Salford
- R. Danson East Surrey Regt 7A 135108 3392078 Pte. Lancashire
- R. Turnbull Durham Light Inf 8B 35785 4451208 Pte. Gateshead
- P. Yates Leicestershire Regt 07B 83763 14208422 Pte. London. SW
- T.J. Edwards Rfn.
The Lancaster took off at 0726 on the 9th May 1945 for the continent from Waterbeach and commenced the return flight from Juvincourt in France at 1215 hours.
A message giving their time of arrival was received at his base at 1219 from the pilot, shortly afterwards the pilot reported he was experiencing trouble with the controls and was putting back to Juvincourt. But a further message sent by the aircraft at 1225 stated that it was making a forced landing. Flares were fired off from an airfield on route indicating permission to land to which no acknowledgment was received.
At 1230 hours this aircraft was seen by a number of witnesses on the ground to approach Roye Ami airfield from the west at a height of 10,000 feet. After circling the airfield twice the aircraft was seen to go into a steep bank to port, before going into a flat spin and crashing into the ground one mile east of Roye Ami.
On investigation into the crash, it was not possible to account for the necessity for a forced landing, as the aircraft seemed to be fully serviceable or to establish definitely the cause of the crash, which must therefore remain obscure. The position of the passengers to the rear of the fuselage however indicated that the aircraft may have been tail heavy, this could have resulted in the pilot finding the aircraft to be dangerously heavy and believing that there was something seriously wrong with the aircraft, he prepared to make a force landing at the nearest airfield, where he lost control and crashed. But whether their incorrect positions were assumed before or after difficulties arose when the aircraft became out of control could not be determined.
All the passengers and crew lost their lives and were buried at Clichy Northern Cemetery, which is on the northern boundary of Paris.
