This Canadian Survived WW II, But Didn't Make It Home-- Part 2: Plane Crashed While Carry POWs

After that telegram, Stanley and Loretta Hilchey were devastated, says their grandson , Bruce Hilchey.  Bruce's father is  Glyn Hilchey, Ray Hilchey's only surviving brother.

Ray Hilchey, 22, served as navigator  with Royal Air Force Squadron 514.    While the war was technically over, on May 9 his squadron was in the sky as part of an effort to repatriate tens of thousands of prisoners of war in Europe, according  to the book "Nothing Can Stop Us:  The Definitive History of the 514 Squadron RAF."

Now with nothing left to bomb,  the massed fleet of planes in the Bomber Command was put to good use flying Allied POWs home.

This did not go completely smooth.  Under Operation Exodus, the squadron's first task was for ten aircraft to pick up liberated POWs in Juvincourt, France.

Hilchey, along with six other crew members and 24 POWs took to the air at 12:15 pm local time for RAF Waterbeach, about 100 kilometers north of London.  Within ten minutes,  a message was sent from the plane that they would have to make an emergency landing.  

It circled  the Roye-Any Airfield twice and then crashed.   Every one on board died.  Their bodies were buried at  the Clichy  Northern Cemetery, in the northern part of Paris.

--GreGen

The Navy at D-Day

Another person wrote that the air and naval forces at D-Day were under ridiculous restrictions which greatly reduced their effectiveness.  (Most people in the thread believe the aerial and naval bombardment at D-Day was ineffective.)

Air Forces were ordered to  delay their release so as not to hit landing craft and troops on the beach so most exploded two miles inland.  (Maybe this was to prevent reinforcements.)

The United States had three old battleships, a heavy cruiser and  30 or so destroyers there.    They also had serious restrictions which reduced their effectiveness until ordered in close.  When Allied destroyers were ordered to come up close at Omaha Beach, this changed, but some ran aground.

One destroyer was sunk by a German mine.

--GreGen

Pilot Deaths Back in 2014: Hermann Greiner and Charles Read

HERMANN GREINER  (1920-26 September 2014)

German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award of Nazi Germany.  He was squadron commander of the 1st Night Fighter Wing and credited with 51 aerial victories over Allied aircraft, including four American bombers during daylight and 47 British bombers at night.

CHARLES FREDERICK READ  (1918-17 September 2014

Beaufighter pilot for RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force), flying the Bristol Beaufighter British long range heavy fighter often called the "Beau."  Led the No. 31 Squadron, No. 77 Wing in the Southwest Pacific.

He once flew a "Beau" under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

--GreGen