F/S John F Ryan RAAF and crew – 576 Squadron – RAF Fiskerton – 1945.
Failed to Return - 16/17th March 1945 – Lancaster I – PA265 – Op Nuremberg
John “Jack”Ryan was an Australian for Black Rock, Victoria. He must have enlisted in 1942 when he was 18. He trained in Canada and then embarked to the UK in 1944. Whilst in North American he visited New York to see some of the well known jazz musicians of the time.
John and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron at RAF Fiskerton around the end of February or beginning of March 1945.
Their stint with 576 was very short sadly being lost on their 3rd operation.
12/03/1945 – Dortmund – RA563 – F/S JF Ryan
15/03/1945 – Misburg – RA563 – F/S JF Ryan
16/03/1945 – Nuremberg – PA265 – F/S JF Ryan – FTR - Crashed near the village of Wieseth, Germany.
The Lancaster was shot down by an unseen night fighter from underneath and crashed in a wood about a mile west of the village of Wieseth which is about 10 miles south west of Nuremberg. The aircraft exploded on impact and 6 of the crew killed. Their remains were buried in the local churchyard in a mass grave. The grave was exhumed after the war and the remains reburied at the Durnbach War cemetery.
Mervyn Hall, the rear gunner, managed to bale out of the aircraft shortly before impact and landed 200 yards from the crash. Another crew member also managed to bale out just before the crash but did not survive.
Sgt Hall was quickly apprehended by a local landowner who lived nearby and forbidden to approach the wreckage. He was later handed to the local mayor and locked up at the village police station. Subsequently he was collected by Luftwaffe personnel and taken to a local airfield
The wreckage of the aircraft was removed by a local scrap merchant with the exception of the 4000lb bomb.
This crew are thought to have been the victim of Erich Jung of Stab I./NJG2 and were one of 8 victims he claimed that night.
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All the deceased rest at the Durnbach War Cemetery.
F/S John Francis Ryan RAAF – Pilot - 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of Francis Michael and Mary Ann Ryan of Black Rock, Victoria, Australia - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt John Edward Taylor RAFVR – Flight Engineer – 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Jane Taylor of Simonside, South Shields, Co. Durham - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S Keith Leonard Challis RAFVR – Air Bomber - 21 – 576 Sqn - Son of Henry James Challis and Daisy Louise Challis of Manor Park, Essex - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
P/O Alan W Garnet RCAF ( pictured below )– Navigator - 23 – 576 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Kathleen Mildred Garnet,of London, Ontario, Canada - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt David Walter Edward Swift RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of Walter Edward and Eleanor Ann Swift of Forest Gate, Essex - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt John Symonds RAFVR - Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Mervyn A Hall RAFVR – Air Gunner – 576 Sqn - POW
P/O Alan W Garnet RCAF
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An interesting postscript concerns the sole survivor Mervyn Hall ( pictured above ) who incidentally confirmed that he never saw the night fighter and it is therefore thought the Lancaster was attacked from underneath.
During his short in the police station at Wieseth he shared a cell with a young German army deserter called Kurt Werner. Mervyn and Kurt exchanged names and addresses so that if either went missing the other could inform the family that they had met up at Wieseth if only briefly.
After Mervyn was liberated and repatriated to the UK Mervyn's family received a letter from Kurt to say he was back home and OK in spite of the food shortages in Germany and hoped that Mervyn was too. Mervyn was happy to respond in kind.
Mervyn passed away a few years ago and I am grateful to his son for sending me copies of documents and correspondence. Also the Ryan family in Australia for the photos and copies of a number of the letters John sent to his family.
Item compiled by David Fell with thanks to the Ryan and Hall families. Garnet photo courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Museum
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