Gordon Greenacre and the crew of LW647 MP-W, 76 Squadron RAF

A Memorial to G. C. Greenacre

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This web page is dedicated to Gordon Greenacre and the crew of LW647 MP-W, a RAF Halifax bomber of the 76 Squadron that was shot down over Germany in the Second World War. Gordon was my great-uncle's son, my grandmother's brother Clifford's son, and my Mom's cousin. Gordon has been described by one of his friends as 'a tenacious and gallant' pilot. In 2008, my Aunt Enid who still lives in England, graciously sent me Gordon's childhood Bible. Inside the front cover is his name and a date written by hand "Gordon Greenacre Dec 25th, 1929". He would have been seven years old at that time.

Gordon Charles George Greenacre was born on February 1, 1922. An only child, he lived in Wroxham, England with his parents, Clifford Edward and Daisy May Greenacre. Gordon won a county scholarship at age 11 to Paston Grammar School, North Walsham. Before his military service in World War II, he was employed by the Norfolk County Council government offices.

The bases that Gordon flew from is still being researched but it is known that the 76 Squadron was based in Linton-on-Ouse from July 1942 until June 1943. The squadron moved again in June 1943 to Holme-on-Spalding Moor . According to writer W.R. Chorley, Gordon had been with the 76th Squadron for almost a year at the time of his death in March 1944. That time frame would have put Gordon at Linton-on-Ouse.

This excerpt is from the book "To See the Dawn Breaking" by W.R. Chorley, regarding a reference to an attack on Cologne, Germany in July 1943; "The flak barrage was strong, Sgt Gordon Greenacre's aircraft was hit in several places and his rear gunner, Sgt Brawn received a painful wound. Disoriented, Greenacre wandered from his intended course and their return to an emergency landing at Flartford Bridge near Basingstoke was only accomplished with much difficulty. This must have been an unnerving experience for this young crew operating for only the second time, but Gordon Greenacre would prove to be a pilot of exceptional courage in the coming months of the campaign."₁.

According to his daughter (Diane Salt Van Dyk), Charles Norman Salt was on this July 3/4, 1943 flight to Cologne after a last minute change was made to the flight plan. He was to have flown side but was changed to the rear. Charles was wounded and spent some time in the hospital. Tony Monk was also on this mission. Interesting enough as of 2011, the two surviving veterans, Salt and Monk, still keep in touch.

The "OttAzzEll" Aircraft

 

This picture shows the crew in front of a Halifax aircraft, named "OttAzzEll" (Hot As Hell?). For a time it was thought that this aircraft was flown regularly by the crew but a mystery has developed. The aircraft may have been used by Gordon's crew at the time this picture was taken or it was used as a background for other crew pictures. This picture was sent to me from my Aunt Enid in Norwich, England. Crew names are written on the back. Starting from the top of the ladder is Gordon Greenacre, Tony Monk, Jack Arneil, Alfred Thorpe, and Jack Henthorn. Standing on the ground at the left of the ladder is Douglas Maw and Arthur Death to the right. There are fourteen bombs painted on the fuselage. It is possible that the parachute in the middle of the bomb symbols represents a "Gardening" operation. Gardening was the RAF code word for mining operations, where anti shipping mines were dropped by parachute into waters off the enemy coast. Under the pilots window it reads "The Maddest Skipper" and to the right under each of the two windows "Joan" and "Blondie". It is interesting to note that Alfred Thorpes wife was named "Joan". To the far right is the text "Nellie Darling".   

Another copy of the picture shown above has since been located and sent by Chris. During the war, it was sent by F/O Gordon to Marjorie Addison. On the back is the signature of each crew member in the relative position of the crew in the photograph. Alfred Thorpe added "Joe" after his name. It is very interesting that Gordon wrote on the back "Best wishes to Bobbie from the crew of WIZZO 6th February 194?". The "4" in the date appears to have been changed to a "3" or viceversa. The aircraft behind the crew is named "OttAzzEll" yet the note from Gordon written on the back states the crew name of "WIZZO". It is not known if this name was painted on the crew's aircraft.

The picture to right also once belonged to Marjorie Addison. The inscription on the back reads "To Bobbie with love and best wishes Gordon 6/2/4?" (February 2nd). The last digit of the year has also been changed. Looking at the position of the right propeller blade and shadows, the picture appears to have been at a different time although the background looks the same. The crew names are listed on the back (l-r), "Arty Death  Jack Henthorn  Alf Thorpe  Gordon  Jack Arneil  Tony Monk  Douglas Maw". Thanks again to Chris for providing these pictures and information.

In December 2011, another RAF crew photograph surfaced with the same aircraft "OttAzzEll" in the background but it only shows nine bombs on the fuselage (along with "Gardening" symbol). This photo must have been taken earlier than the one with Gordon's crew. It is possible that this crew was assigned to the aircraft at the time the picture was taken. The photo once belonged to Jack Eric Ball, a tail gunner in the 76th Squadron. He is second from the left. The other crew members are not know but could be those listed with his name on the same Operations Recod Book (ORB) page as F/O Gordon during the 22/23 October 1943 Kessel operation. According to the London Gazette, J.E. Ball received the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) on October 13, 1944 and survived the war. Thanks to his son Eric for sharing this picture and information.

 

Final Mission to Nuremburg

I recently learned that Gordon was very likely engaged to Marjorie "Bobbie" Addison who at the time was a Leading Aircraftwoman in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAFF) based for a time at Home on Spalding Moor. She was a flying control operator and knew Gordon very well. According to her son Chris, she "had always led me to believe she was engaged to him when he died".  Marjorie had stood on the tarmac on the night of Gordon's last mission and waved him off.  This was not something she had done before but she had a premonition that night.

On the night of March 30, 1944 at 22.11 hours, the crew of LW.647 took off from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, England. This was the crew's 21st mission₅ and Gordon's 32rd, but he volunteered for this mission when the pilot for the crew became sick. (Editor's note: I'm not exactly clear on the statement that he volunteered when the pilot became sick since this seems to have been an established crew already. This information is from the newspaper article below). They were to bomb the city of Nuremburg, Germany on the night of March 30-31, 1944. Enroute to the target, the bombers found the target covered with thick clouds and the aircraft bathed in the light of a full moon. To make matters worse, the straight flight path over German defenses combined to make the bombers easy targets. After two German fighters missed the aircraft, a Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighter shot down the Halifax bomber, the 48th₅ aircraft shot down attacking Nuremburg that night. War records credit German Luftwaffe pilot Oblt. Schmidt III./NJG 1 for the downing₃.

From the account published in the book, "Raid on Nuremberg" by Martin Middlebrook (pg 142-143), Gordon's plane was attacked from underneath by twin 20mm upward (60-80 degrees) firing cannons called "Schräge Musik". These were first used in August 1943 and were fitted to rear bulkhead of the cockpit of Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighters. This allowed the fighters to fire almost vertically and attack aircraft from underneath, where they were very vulnerable. Hit in the left wing from below, a fire broke out and spread rapidly to the fuselage. Gordon ordered everyone to bail out, shouting 'For God's sake get out!'. Jack Henthorn was able to abandon his wireless operator post and get out. Shortly after, the crippled bomber went into a dive and exploded. The flight engineer, Tony Monk, also survived the crash. Arthur Death was wounded and parachuted out but did not survive₃.

In Middlebrook's book (pg 171), Tony Monk gives this account of the incident and his survival; "I reached the escape hatch which was already open but the G was terrific, pressing the whole of one's body down. I couldn't move. I thought 'This is it. This is the end.' I had been brought up in a religious family and put my hands together and prayed. I seemed to relive the whole of my life in seconds. Then, there was a terrific roar in my ears and the next thing I knew I was somersaulting over and over in the air."

Guy Edwards, also a 76 Squadron POW, was to later recall seeing Sergeant Henthorn at a bus stop before the Nuremberg mission. The crew had been promised three days extra leave upon their return from Nuremberg₂. Another account of the Nuremburg bombing of March 30-31 can be found in "Halifax Squadrons of World War 2" by Jon Lake (pages 37-39).

The aircraft crashed in Nieder-Moos (Niedermoos), 6 km NNW of Freiensteinau, Germany, 20 km SW of Fulda, Germany. Five members of the crew were killed including the pilot and two were taken prisoner. The killed were buried April 1st at Niedermoos and were later reinterred at the Dürnbach War Cemetery after the war. This account is published in W.R. Chorley's book, "Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1944". The town of Greiensteinau is stated but should be Freiensteinau.

 

 

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Pilot

Greenacre, Gordon Charles George (156083), Flying Officer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (killed - age 22). Only child, son of Clifford Edward and Daisy May Greenacre, of Wroxham, Norfolk, England. Gordon's fiance at the time of his death was Marjorie "Bobbie" Addison. Another close family friend or perhaps previous girlfriend was Audrey N. Bosworth.

Crew

P/O Monk, Anthony , Flight Engineer (POW, Camp L1. No PoW No.)

Thorpe, Alfred (155998) Flying Officer, Navigator, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (killed - age 25). Son of Lawrence and Mary Jane Thorpe, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire; husband of Joan Louise Thorpe, of Sutton-in-Ashfield, England.

Arneil, (Jack) Adam Scott (173604) F/S Pilot Officer - Bomb-aimer, (killed - 21). Son of Robert A. B. Arneil, and of Agnes W. Arneil, of Barnton, Midlothian, England. (Note: name was spelled Arnell on other site, Arneil name has been confirmed on a Greenacre family photograph and in the ORB entries)

Henthorn, Jack A Sgt, WOp (Wireless Operator), (POW interned in Camps L6/357, Stalag 357 (Kopernikus), POW number was 3430)

Maw, Arthur Douglas (J/19452), Royal Canadian Air Force, Pilot Officer, Top Turret Gunner, (killed)

Death, Arthur Henry, (J/19181), Royal Canadian Air Force, Pilot Officer, Tail Gunner, (killed - age 23). Son of William H. Death and Lizzie Death, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Those killed are buried in the Dürnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany

Arneil, A S - Grave 6. F. 17
Death, A H - Joint grave 6. F. 18-19
Greenacre, C G - Grave 6. F. 16
Maw, A D - Joint grave 6. F. 18-19
Thorpe, A - Grave 6. F. 15

This article was posted in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper in England on October 14/15, 1946:

 

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