On 20th January 1944 the aircraft he was on operations with was shot down by flak over Berlin. Four of the crew managed to bail out and were taken prisoners of war. Four others were killed after the aircraft crashed in the area of Hirschgarten Friedrichshagen, Berlin. Two of the crew's bodies were recovered and buried in 1946 in the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery - P/O Eric Arthur Church the wireless operator and air gunner and Sgt. Kenneth Frederick Stanbridge who was the co-pilot on this mission. Two were classed as missing - W/O II Charles Gordon Dupueis another air gunner and Sgt. John Bremner the flight engineer. These two are remembered at the Runnymede War Memorial. Until now ..........
Reg Wilson visited Berlin in 2005 with his German speaking daughter, Janet Hughes, to try and find some answers to the question that had been burning in his mind "Where are these two other colleagues they class as missing?"
They met up with local historians and and found some witnesses and the following year he returned and with the help of various volunteers found the wreckage of his aircraft. Also found were human remains and with the aid of DNA samples taken from Sgt. Bremners sister, positively identified the remains. Sadly, to date, the remains of W/O II Charles Gordon Dupueis are still unrecovered. However there are many of us who are working to resolve this type of problem and in time all the boys can have their own resting place!
A funeral will be taking place on 16th October 2008 and Sgt. Bremners will be buried with full military honours at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery alongside his other fallen comrades. The other surviving members are amazed at what Reg has done and although Laurie Underwood is too ill to attend, Sgt Bremners sister Marjorie (89) will be joining Reg at the funeral. George Griffiths (The pilot) died in 1998. Rear gunner John Bushell added that his abiding memory of John is singing our hearts out together at a piano bar in York. He was a war hero who gave his life for his country.' John Bushell will also be attending the ceremony along with relatives of other crew members.
Left above: Reg showing various articles recovered from Halifax LW337 Centre: Reg with his wife Barbara during the search for his aircraft. Right above :John Bushell showing his former "POW" ID card
Halifax Crew Wedding Group
The survivors of the crash of Halifax LW337 gather at the wedding of Flying Officer Laurie Underwood on 6th June 1945 in Middlesbrough. From Left to Right: Pilot Officer Reg Wilson Bridesmaid (Unknown) Flying Officer George 'Gag' Griffiths Flying Officer Laurie Underwood plus late wife Beryl Bridesmaid (unknown) Sergeant John Bushell Bridesmaid and other guest (unknown)
(Photographs and information kindly supplied to the Aircrew Remembrance Society on the eve of Reg Wilson's trip to Berlin on the 13th October 2008 - we also thank the Daily Mail for bringing this information to the public eye and to other relatives of the crew who also contributed to this article)
The British Library is preserving this site for the future in the UK Web Archive at www.webarchive.org.uk All Aircrew Remembered on our Remembrance pages, are therefor not just remembered here, but also subsequently remembered and recorded as part of our nation’s history
and heritage at The British Library.