F/O C D Thieme AFC RAFVR and crew – 576 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds and RAF Fiskerton – 1944/45
Failed to Return - 29th/30th August 1944 – Lancaster III – ME800 – Op Stettin
Also
Failed to Return - 21st/22nd February 1945 – Lancaster III – RA516 – Op Duisberg
Don Thieme has an unusual claim to fame as he went missing twice during his tour. The first time in August 1944 his aircraft was damaged during an attack on Stettin and the two Air Gunners baled out. Thieme and the rest of the crew managed to reach the safety of Sweden where all the remaining 5 successfully baled out. After a short period of internment by the Swedish authorities they were returned to the UK.
Thieme returned to 576 Squadron with his Air Bomber Henry Vine to form a new crew. This crew were in turn lost in a raid on Duisberg in February 1945. The aircraft was badly damaged by flak and then were attacked by a night fighter and the crew were forced to bale out on return when over the Netherlands. 4 of the crew survived and all evaded until finally liberated 3 months later.
Thieme was posted to 576 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in August 1944.
His crew were as shown below
F/O C Donald Thieme RAFVR ( pictured above ) - Pilot – 576 Sqn - Interned
Sgt LWF Gault RAFVR – Flight Engineer – 576 Sqn - Interned
Sgt Henry William Vine RAFVR – Air Bomber – 576 Sqn - Son of Henry William and Gladys Vine of Gidea Park, Romford, Essex – Interned.
This airman was killed on the 21st February 1945 - See below.
F/O H S Ravenhill RAFVR - Navigator - 576 Sqn - Interned
F/S O R Davison RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - Interned
Sgt J L Morgan RAFVR – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - POW - Camp L7 - POW No 751
Sgt J O O'Shea RAFVR – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - POW – Camp L7 - POW No 753
The first part of his tour was as follows :-
11/08/1944 – Douai – LM594 – F/O CD Thieme
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin – ME735 – F/O CD Thieme
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – ME800 – F/O CD Thieme
25/08/1944 – Russelheim – ME800 – F/O CD Thieme
26/08/1944 – Kiel – ME800 – F/O CD Thieme
29/08/1944 – Stettin – ME800 – F/O CD Thieme – FTR - Crashed near Gaddeboda, Sweden.
Two engines destroyed by flak and return to England was not an option. Navigator set course for Sweden. Two crewmen bailed out over Germany, the other five over Sweden. Two landed near Getaberga, two near Broestorp. Finally, the pilot landed near Glimåkra. The aircraft crashed in forest at Gäddeboda, Agunnaryd parish at 02:20 LT
Sgt Morgan and Sgt O’Shea were part of Trupp 33. They arrived at Bankau L7 on 18th September 1944. Both were involved in the march to Stalag Luft 3A Lukenwalde when L7 was evacuated.
….................
Don Thieme resumed operations with a new crew including Henry Vine who joined his former skipper as Air Bomber.
Second part of Thieme's tour
22/01/1945 – Duisburg/Hambourn - ? - F/O CD Thieme
28/01/1945 - Stuttgart/ Zuffenhausen – NG273 – F/O CD Thieme - Combat with jet fighter. Rear gunner opened fire and enemy aircraft replied. Evasive action taken and EA broke away. Aircraft severely damaged.
01/02/1945 – Ludswigshafen – ME801 – F/O CD Thieme
07/02/1945 – Kleve – ME801 – F/O CD Thieme
08/02/1945 – Politz – ME801 – F/O CD Thieme
14/02/1945 – Chemnitz – RA516 – F/O CD Thieme
20/02/1945 – Dortmund – RA516 – F/O CD Thieme
21/02/1945 – Duisburg – RA516 – F/O CD Thieme – FTR - Crashed near Roermond, The Netherlands.
Don Thieme gave the order to bale out as their when their position became hopeless. According to Sgt C P Crouch, who was rear gunner in this crew, the port wing was a mass of flame. The aircraft quickly started to break up with the port wing separating after 45 secs.
Don Theime was however trapped by the leg and only freed by the frantic efforts of his navigator John Lowing who dragged him down the forward escape hatch and pushed him through. John Lowing followed but sustained a dislocated shoulder to go with the shrapnel wounds in his arm and shoulder. He managed to pull his ripcord and landed safely in some trees quite near to where his skipper had come down. The pair were found by Dutch civilians and hidden for 3 months till they were liberated. As well as Don Thieme and John Lowing Sgt Crouch was also injured but managed to evade as did Sgt Wallis.
....................
F/L CD Thieme RAFVR – Pilot - 576 Sqn - Evaded
Sgt K Wallis RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 576 Sqn -Evaded
Sgt Henry William Vine RAFVR – Air Bomber – 576 Sqn - Son of Henry William and Gladys Vine of Gidea Park, Romford, Essex – Eindhoven Woensel War Cemetery, Netherlands.
W/O John H Lowing RAAF ( pictured above ) Navigator 576 Sqn - Evaded
F/S Cavan Beadon Robinson RAAF - Wireless Operator - 21 - 576 Sqn - Son of James and Mary Grace Robinson of South Perth, Western Australia – Eindhoven Woensel War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt Leslie Hull RAFVR ( picture above ) – Air Gunner - 19 - 576 Sqn - Son of Ernest and Annie Hull of Boston, Lincolnshire - Eindhoven Woensel War Cemetery, Netherlands.
Sgt C N Crouch RAFVR - Air Gunner - 576 Sqn – Evaded.
The 3 deceased rest in the Eindhoven Woensel War Cemetery
.....................
Post war Don Thieme continued to serve in the RAF. He was awarded an AFC in 1953 and was serving in the Far East at RAF Changi in the 50s or early 60s.
Compiled by David Fell with photo of Don Thieme courtesy of the Memories of Singapore website and the photo of John Lowing courtesy of the Lowing family. Leslie Hull photo courtesy of Maarten Janssen. Thanks also to John Jones for background info
Swedish Youtube video regarding ME800 which crashed in Sweden
ME800 - Sweden
....................
|
