Le 16 février 1944 un avion de type Short Stirling appartenant au 199 Squadron de la Royal Air Force, basé à Lakenheath dans le Suffolk s’écrase au lieu-dit Boirac à Grun-Bordas près de Vergt. Leur mission était de parachuter des provisions à la résistance à Coux, à 20 kilomètres de l’impact, provoquant la mort des 7 membres d’équipage (4 Anglais, 2 Australiens, 1 Canadien) qui venaient, leur parachutage réussi, d’apporter leur contribution à l’édifice de la victoire qui, inexorablement, semblait alors se dessiner.
Les sept membres d'équipage sont inhumés au cimetière militaire de Mazargues à 6 kilomètres au sud-ouest de Marseilles.
Chaque année à 11h le 16 février, une cérémonie du souvenir se déroule à la mémoire des sept aviateurs alliés au monument aux morts de Grun-Bordas (carte). Les noms de ces sept hommes figurent sur le monument de la commune sur une plaque commémorative inaugurée le 10 novembre 1996.
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| Plaque sur le Monument aux Morts |
P/O Kevin Alphonsus ROBINSON 416641 RAAF pilote,
Sgt Ronald STUBBINGS 1577611 navigateur,
Sgt Reginald Alfred WILLIAMS 649053 mécanicien,
Sgt Gerrard CAINE 1525642 bombardier,
Sgt Arnold WHIMPENNEY 2216127 mitrailleur,
P/O James Alexander JACKSON 127619 mitrailleur,
F/S Henry Edward LAMBOURNE 421428 RAAF radio.
Discours de John Reid, partie d'un délégué britanniauqe de la Royal Air Force qui a assistait a la cérémonie le 16 février 2014 :
Mesdames et Monsieurs.
S'il vous plaît excusez mon mauvais français et j'espère que vous comprenez. Merci à tous d'assister à cette cérémonie spéciale aujourd'hui. Mon nom est John Reid et je servi avec la Royal Air Force Police pendant 26 ans et je suis maintenant un membre de la Royal Air Forces Association ici en France. Aujourd'hui, je suis heureux de représenter la Grande-Bretagne Attaché de Défense à Paris, Air Cdre John Maas, la Royal Air Force qui offre ses excuses pour ne pas pouvoir assister. Lorsque je participe à ces cérémonies ici en France, je suis touché par le dévouement de l'offre de la population française à la mémoire de ces jeunes hommes de la Royal Air Force et dans ce cas, les hommes de la Royal Australian Air Force qui sont morts pour la cause de la liberté. Cette cérémonie est un peu plus spécial pour moi comme l'un des aviateurs, Sergeant Caine, était de ma ville en Angleterre. Donc, au nom de la Royal Air Force vous remercier pour honorer la mémoire de ces braves aviateurs - Merci.
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| 2014 : commémoration du 16 février 1944 |
Tous nous remerciements à Terry DENNETT, Secrétaire de la RAF Association Sud-Ouest Branch (lien) pour avoir eu la gentillesse de partager ces photos prises en 2014 à la commémoration du 16 février 1944 à Grun-Bordas.
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On the 15th February 1944 at 23.05 a Short Stirling, part of Squadron 199, took off from their base at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. Their mission was to drop supplies to the resistanceat Coux. Their mission successful they began their return flight back home but for reasons unknown the plane came down 15 miles from their drop zone at Boirac, a small hamlet near Grun-Bordas in the Dordogne.
All seven of the crew lost their lives. Mistaken by Germans troops as American airmen they were buried at the American Military Cemetery at Mazargues near Marseilles.
Each year on the 16th February they are remembered by locals, family members and a delegation from the RAF association based in the South West of France. The commemoration takes place at 11 am at the Monument aux Morts situated near the church at Grun-Bordas. In 1996 a plaque was added to the monument in their memory.
The seven members of the allied crew who lost their lives during the mission :
RAAF 416614 PO Robinson, K A Captain (Pilot) (From Porte Pirie, South Australia)
RAF Sgt R A Williams, (Flight Engineer) (From Tottenham, England))
RAF Sgt R Stubbings, (Navigator) (From Yorkshire, England))
RAF Sgt G Caine, (Air Bomber) (From Barrow in Lancashire, England)
RAAF 421428 Flt Sgt H E Lambourne, (Wireless Air Gunner) (From New South Wales, Australia)
RAF PO Jackson, J A (Mid Upper Gunner) (From Canada)
RAF Sgt A Whimpenney, (Rear Gunner) (From Manchester, England)
Below is a translation of the poignant speech made by John Reid, member of the South West France Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association who took part in the commemoration on the 16th February 2014 :
All seven of the crew lost their lives. Mistaken by Germans troops as American airmen they were buried at the American Military Cemetery at Mazargues near Marseilles.
Each year on the 16th February they are remembered by locals, family members and a delegation from the RAF association based in the South West of France. The commemoration takes place at 11 am at the Monument aux Morts situated near the church at Grun-Bordas. In 1996 a plaque was added to the monument in their memory.
Many thanks to Terry Dennet, Secretary of the RAF Association South West France branch
for sharing the photos taken at last year's ceremony in 2014.
The seven members of the allied crew who lost their lives during the mission :
RAAF 416614 PO Robinson, K A Captain (Pilot) (From Porte Pirie, South Australia)
RAF Sgt R A Williams, (Flight Engineer) (From Tottenham, England))
RAF Sgt R Stubbings, (Navigator) (From Yorkshire, England))
RAF Sgt G Caine, (Air Bomber) (From Barrow in Lancashire, England)
RAAF 421428 Flt Sgt H E Lambourne, (Wireless Air Gunner) (From New South Wales, Australia)
RAF PO Jackson, J A (Mid Upper Gunner) (From Canada)
RAF Sgt A Whimpenney, (Rear Gunner) (From Manchester, England)
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| Equipage du Stirling EF271 / Crew of Stirling EF271 Arnold Whimpenney Reginald Williams James Alexander Jackson Henry Lambourne Ronald Stubbings Kevin Robinson Gerrard Caine |
Below is a translation of the poignant speech made by John Reid, member of the South West France Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association who took part in the commemoration on the 16th February 2014 :
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Please excuse my bad French and I hope you understand. Thank you all for attending this special ceremony today. My name is John Reid and I served with the Royal Air Force Police for 26 years and I am now a member of the Royal Air Forces Association here in France. Today I am pleased to represent the Great Britain Defence Attaché in Paris, Air Cdre John Maas, Royal Air Force who offers his apologies for being unable to attend. When I attend these ceremonies here in France I am humbled by the dedication the French population offer to the memory of these young men of the Royal Air Force and in this case, men of the Royal Australian Air Force who died in the cause of freedom. This ceremony is a little more special for me as one of the airmen was from my town (Barrow) in England. So on behalf of the Royal Air Force thank you for honouring the memory of these brave airmen - Thank you.
Mr Reid would be happy to receive any further information on Sgt Gerrard Caine. His e-mail address is : papillon24300@yahoo.co.uk
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| Grave stones of the crew at the cemetery at Mazargues near Marseilles |
16 February 2015
Below are some photos taken at this year's ceremony :
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| Photo : P. Truchassout |
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| Photo : P. Truchassout |
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The following is an Article written by David Clifton. He served in the RAF for 16 years as a navigator and is now retired and living in the Correze department in the South West of France.
Monday 16th February was the 71st anniversary of the loss of RAF Stirling EF271 with all her
crew near the village of Grun-Bordas in the Dordogne department in SW France.
The aircraft had left RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk the previous evening, and had dropped
supplies to resistance fighters further south, and it is probable that it was shot down by a
German night fighter.
The crew were actually buried by the Germans in a cemetery in Marseille, as they believed
them to be Americans. However a plaque added to the memorial to the war dead of Grun-
Bordas is a testament to the high regard the local French people have for these men who gave
their lives supporting them.
The crew were:
RAAF 416614 PO Robinson, K A Captain (Pilot)
RAF Sgt R A Williams, (Flight Engineer)
RAF Sgt R Stubbings, (Navigator)
RAF Sgt G Caine, (Air Bomber)
RAAF 421428 Flt Sgt H E Lambourne, (Wireless Air Gunner)
RAF PO Jackson, J A (Mid Upper Gunner)
RAF Sgt A Whimpenney, (Rear Gunner)
Their ages varied from 28 to 20 years old.
Each year a ceremony is held to honour these young men. This is led by local French
veterans, and this year the local SW France branch of the Royal Air Forces Association was
invited to attend. Two wreaths were laid, one on behalf of the Association by Pamela Curtis-
Jones, the other on behalf of the RAF and the Defence Attaché in Paris by David Clifton.
John Reid, also from the Association had attended the ceremony last year, and discovered
that Sgt Caine was from his home town of Barrow in Furness. An article in the Barrow
newspaper put him in contact with Sgt Caine’s sister and nephew, and he was able to read out
a message from them thanking the villagers for their dedication and the remembrance
ceremony.
Bouquets were also laid at the memorial by a French school girl and the French veterans
association. There were brief speeches; national anthems and the haunting resistance anthem
were played.
When everyone gathered for the “vin d’honneur” in the village hall an elderly lady was
introduced who is 91 and she and her husband aged 94 actually witnessed the aircraft crash in
1944.
Pilot Officer Robinson, the pilot, was from Port Pirie in Australia, and the son of John and Annie Robinson. I believe that some of his relatives have already been to the village and seen the memorial. If these or any other relatives would like more information please contact me via RAF Association Sud-Ouest Branch (lien).
It was an honour to attend this ceremony, as it is with the many other similar
commemorations that the French have all over France.
David Clifton.
Further reading / A lire également :