HARLING John

Prior to the war John was a Sergeant in the Kent Police Force. He married Vivien M. Heppel in Worcester in 1942 and the couple had a son, John F. Harling, birth registered in the March quarter of 1945.

Flown by 22 year old Warrant Officer Ernest Smith of Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, the 515 Squadron, Royal Air Force Mosquito PZ161 3P took off at 0020 hours on 27 August 1944 from R.A.F. Little Snoring, Fakenham, Norfolk, to take part in a night patrol as part of a bomber support mission, above the long established airfield set in heath land to the north of the village Soesterberg, in Soest, Holland, which was in use as an airfield since 1910. The aim of the Mosquito raid being to prevent the enemy from switching on the runway lightning, and in so doing ensuring that German night fighter operations would not be possible that night. The Mosquito later crashed at De Eng in Soest, the cause unknown. PZ161 3P was one of two 515 Squadron Mosquitoes which were lost on the operation, but both crew members of the other aircraft survived the raid. Dutch aviation enthusiasts later unearthed the wreckage of a Mosquito, which although badly burned and damaged, the number PZ161 and 3P were still visible. Subsequent research carried out, later revealed that both the bodies which had been removed from the crash site, which on 29 August 1944 had been buried by the German military authorities with their identities unknown, then was revealed. Until 9 April 2003 John and Ernest’s headstones were inscribed as an unknown R.A.F. casualty’s, and both airmen were commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Since the above date their headstones have been removed and replaced with new ones by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Aircraft: Mosquito NS 944 Code 3P-?
Date of accident: 27th August 1944

Details: The aircraft took off at 00.20 on the 27th August 1944 from Little Snoring. Their mission was a night patrol above Soesterberg to prevent the enemy switching on their runway lightning so German night fighter operations would not be possible that night. The aircraft crashed at 01.15 at De Eng in Soest. Kees Damen, living in Soest in 1944 saw the burning remains of the aircraft at the place of the crash. The airmen were buried as unknown on 29th August 1944. Due to research of Kees Damen and Kees Blankenstijn, who got in touch with the 515 squadron association, it became possible to identify the two unknown airmen as Warrant officer E. Smith and Sgt John Harling. An official ceremony for the identified airmen was held on the 9th of April 2003.

The above information on the crash in which John Harling died was found on two different websites. Unfortunately the URLs for both websites are no longer operational.

A letter from Reverend James G. McNought, St George’s Vicarage, dated 19th May 1950 can be found within war records held at Worcestershire Archives requesting that John Harling be added to the county roll of honour.