The 38 Group D-Day RCM Deception Mission, Operation Tonga, 5th/6th June 1944
Stanley Neale was my Grandmother’s younger Brother. He died at only 21 years of age on D-Day. When I was a child, my Grandmother, often spoke to me of Stanley. I would make “Airfix” model aeroplanes and ask her: “was this ‘plane like Stanley’s?” She clearly always missed him. A few scraps of stories were handed down; “they crashed into a church steeple, you know”, and “they weren’t dropping bombs, only silver paper.” She had visited his grave in France with the family after the war, in the late 1940’s. A pilgrimage many families must have made after both world wars.
But what did Stanley actually do? What was his job? What type of aircraft was he in? What happened to him? What was he doing on D-Day? These things she did not know.
After Grandmother died, my Father found in her papers thirty letters from Stanley, written while he was in the RAF during 1942, 43 and early 1944. Of course these letters put a character and personality to a name and renewed my child hood question; what did Stanley do in the war?
Stanley’s RAF service was probably not that unusual, similar to hundreds of other volunteers: He was born in Coventry and signed up when just over 19 years old on 2nd December 1941. He joined as Aircrew; Wireless Operator and Air Gunner. He trained in Blackpool through 1942, and then attends RAF Yatesbury, No 2 Signal School. In 1943 he is sent to RAF Montrose in Scotland, to No 2 Flying instructors School. The back to England to RAF Madeley, Herefordshire, No 4 radio school. August 1943 up to Scotland again to RAF Dumfries, No10 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit.
From October 1943 to April 1944 he is with 42 OTU and 81 OTU (Operational Training Units) at RAF Tilstock, and RAF Sleap in Shropshire.
He joins ORTU (Operational Refresher Training Unit) in April 1944 and is stationed at Hampstead Norris. The ORTU at Hampstead Norris, a satalite station to RAF Harwell, was at that time tasked with training Tug Aircraft and Glider Pilots in the preparation for the invasion.
His service may not have been so unusual but his final mission was surprising and confirms again the huge contribution 38 Group RAF made to the war effort. Most probably one would expect his aircraft was lost either towing a glider or carrying paratoops. This was not the case.
Stanley died with 13 other men in the early hours of D-Day while undertaking a decoy, or deception operation to divert enemy attention away from the all important Airbourne glider and parachute landings.
Operation “Neptune” was the code name for the airborne assault on Normandy in the early hours of D-Day. The Cherbourg peninsula was allocated to U.S. forces, and the Caen sector to British forces.
Operation “Tonga” was the critical first phase of the British action, with numbers 3 & 5 Parachute Brigades of 6th Airborne Division being tasked with securing the east flank of the invasion beaches. This was to be achieved by capturing intact the 2 bridges at Benouville and Ranville, over the River Orne and the Caen canal; destroying the gun battery at Merville; destroying bridges to the east on the River Dives and setting up an anti-tank artillery line. This was to be undertaken in the first few hours of 6th of June. Nearly 100 gliders were used to transport the paratroopers to their destinations. These gliders were towed across the channel by Aircraft of 38 Group, and 46 Group RAF.
Deception was a major issue throughout the planning for D-Day. It was essential the enemy remained unsure for as long as possible where the inevitable invasion of Europe would take place. A complete spoof army was created in the east of England with inflatable tanks and mock up aircraft and landing craft. For months the enemy were encouraged to believe that the invasion would come further north, possibly around the Pas de Calais. On the night proceeding D-Day major deception operations were undertaken by the Royal Navy and Aircraft of RAF Bomber Command. In 3 separate major exercises the illusion of an approaching naval invasion fleet was created by use of aircraft, and ships, undertaking RCM (radio counter measures). Radar was in it’s infancy in 1944 but various jamming methods had been developed including the use of “window”; Metal foil, or silver paper, discharged from aircraft at set intervals produces an increased radar image. With precise formation flying relatively few aircraft, discharging “window”, working with motor launches towing reflective balloons, produced a radar image similar to that of an approaching fleet of ships. These RAF Bomber Command operations were code named Glimmer, Taxable and Cigar. Further; Operation Titanic involved dropping Dummy parachutists and exploding devices inland to simulate airborne landings.
Having determined how to deceive the enemy as to the location of the huge invasion fleet, consideration was given by the planners to the benefits that RCM measures could bring to the Operation Tonga airborne action. It was decided that 38 Group RAF would undertake its own deception operation in order simulate an airbourne attack to the north of the Seine estuary. The intention was to confuse the enemy radar system until the last possible moment as to the real location of the glider landings. It had been found that 5 or 10 aircraft discharging large amounts of “window” could be made to appear identical, on enemy radar screens, to a stream of as many as 100 to 200 aircraft. Therefore 10 aircraft, from 42OTU and ORTU, were tasked to fly with the main stream of tow aircraft and gliders across the channel, whilst discharging “window”. When the main stream of aircraft changed direction at an pre arranged point and headed away towards the River Orne, these RCM deception aircraft were to proceed on south easterly to cross the French Coast between Cap d’Antifer and Frecamp, fly inland then return home, continuing to discharge radar enhancing “window”. Clearly it was hoped that enemy tracking radar would follow the strong radar signal of the deception aircraft, and not appreciate that the main troop carrying group had slipped away in a different direction.
Orders were given for 10 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle aircraft of 38 Group to be modified for “window” dropping operations. 8 crews were detailed from 42 OTU and 2 crews from ORTU. They were to be based for this operation at RAF Hampstead Norris, Berkshire. The plan called for them to fly in 2 groups, 6 aircraft in the first operation and 4 in the second.
At twenty minutes before midnight on 5th June the first group of Six Albemarle RCM aircraft took off from Hampstead Norris and formed up over southern England with the main group of over 200 aircraft. The huge stream of aircraft crossed the south coast of England over Bognor Regis, Littlehampton and Worthing at 2500 feet, guided by navigation beacons. As they crossed the channel the six RCM deception aircraft dropped to 1700 feet and flew in pairs with the second and third pairs respectively 10 and 20 miles astern of the first. Their speed was 160mph. 60 miles from the French coast they began discharging the “window” silver foil. In each pair of aircraft, one carried 325lbs of type N window and the other 1200lbs of type M(B). This window was cut to affect both the Freya and Wurtzburg Radar systems of the enemy. The dropping rates had to be carefully maintained to give the correct effect. British Radar stations monitored the operation and observed the deployment of “window”.
When the stream of aircraft reached the pre arranged Turning Point A, (49deg 59’N. 00deg 30W), at 00.25 hours, the troop carrying aircraft turned off towards their drop zones on the River Orne, leaving the six decoy aircraft to continue to fly south easterly, crossing the French coast between Cap d’Antifer and Frecamp. The first pair of aircraft reported that contact was maintained between them until scattered cloud was encountered over the French coast. They were to continue inland and turn north on a distinct bend in the River Seine, identified as Turning Point D, Here they would be joining the planned return route of the main force.
The pilots of the first six RCM deception aircraft were as follows, all from 42 OTU:
Wing Commander Warne
Flight Lieutenant Cambell
Flight Lieutenant Finn
Flight Lieutenant Bolter
Flying Officer Webley
Warrant Officer Baldwin
The Albermarle, serial number P1442, C for Charlie, flown by Flight Lieutenant Finn did not return. No graves are listed for the 7 crew of this aircraft so it may have been lost in the channel. Their names are instead recorded on the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial, Surrey.
Before 2am the next group of four RCM Albemarle RCM aircraft formed up on the Hampstead Norris taxi way. Two crews were from 42 OTU, and two from ORTU. Unfortunately one of the aircraft, V for Victor, suffered engine trouble and was unable to fly. The other three took off at 02.16, 02.21 and 02.27. Again the RCM aircraft joined the main flight over southern England and 71 tug and glider combinations headed off over Littlehampton and across the channel. The flight plan was exactly as for the first group of six decoys; height 1700 feet, speed 160mph, deploy “window” from 60miles off the French Coast, and separate from the main stream at Turning Point A at 02.45 hours.
The pilots of the second flight of 4 RCM deception aircraft were as follows:
Squadron Leader Kemmirs, 42 OTU (engine trouble, did not fly)
Flight Lieutenant Russell, 42 OTU
Flying Officer Howe, ORTU
Flying Officer Garnet, ORTU
The two aircraft piloted by Flight Lieutenant Russell and Flying Officer Garnet returned safely. Albemarle V1745, B for Baker, flown by Flying Officer Howe crashed at St Sylvain. The crew of 7 are buried in the Church graveyard. Stanley Neale was Wireless Operator and Air Gunner on this aircraft.
Of the 9 flying decoy aircraft 2 were lost. 14 men were killed on this brief 38 Group RCM deception operation. Normally the Albemarle would have a crew of 4. It is thought the additional men were required to undertake the additional “window” dropping duties and precision navigation required.
The crews of the 2 lost aircraft are as follows;
Albemarle P1442, 42 OTU:
Flight Lieutenant James Finn, 29, Pilot. 121078
Flying Officer Douglas Smart, 24, Navigator. 146792
Pilot Officer Geoffrey Wellsman, 20, Navigator. 173130
Flight Lieutenant Percy Morgan DFM, 30, Navigator. 120941
Flying Officer Albert Andrews, 23. 139480
Flight Sergeant Roy Dunk, 23, Wireless Operator. 1075483
Sergeant Wilfred Francis, 22, Air Gunner. 1881149
Albemarle V1745, ORTU:
Flying Officer Graydon Howe, (RAAF) 24, Pilot. 423743
Sergeant Ernest Belcher, 22, Bomb Aimer.1611070
Sergeant Bernard Cane, 21, Navigator. 1601469
Flight Sergeant Alan Clark, 29, Navigator. 904519
Sergeant Stanley Neale, 21, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. 1581137
Sergeant Henry Pearson, 19, Air Gunner. 1868478.
Sergeant Clifford Scargill, 22, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. 1681158.
The success of the 38 Group RCM Deception operation can not be known for sure. It may be considered together with the overall deception plan and operations Glimmer, Taxable and perhaps mainly operation Titanic; the dropping of dummy parachutists, and exploding devices, north of the Seine. Various works on D-Day and the Battle for Normandy record the confusion in the German command. Even when the Normandy beach landings were being reported the German High Command remained convinced the real invasion would be further to the north. The deception operations certainly contributed to the confusion and indecision. Hope fully the 38 Group deception mission provided some delay to the enemy reply to the River Orne Airbourne landings.
The success of Operation Tonga is easier to determine: 360 aircraft and 98 gliders were employed; over 5000 troops were landed, the majority on or near their targets, together with 21 artillery pieces, 59 jeeps, 69 Motorcycles and a multitude of other specialist equipment. The objectives set for the 6thAirbourne Division were all achieved. Operation Tonga was only the very first phase of Operation Neptune and was complete in only 3 or 4 hours. 38 Group and 46 Group continued to transport the 6th Airbourne troops to France on the evening of 6th June, on operation Mallard, with a further 256 aircraft and glider combinations, and then operate re-supply missions under Operation Rob Roy over the following days.
So, a few childhood questions were answered for me, and a fascinating story revealed.
The invasion was much more than D-Day of course, the Battle for Normandy raged through June, July and August, with Paris being liberated on 25 August 1944. The airmen of 38 Group RAF made a huge contribution which is too often forgotten.
Steve BEDDER
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