Wyatt, J H

Flight Sergeant John Hugh Wyatt

Family/Last name:
Wyatt
Forename(s) and initial(s):
John Hugh
Date of birth:
21/7/1917
Service number:
754237
Military Unit:
Royal Air Force
Rank when captured:
Flight Sergeant
POW number:
27055
Camp
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf / Stalag 344
Data sources
View a commemorative certificate for this prisoner

My Grandfather John Hugh Wyatt was a POW at this camp….

His DOB 21st July 1917 and died 1991 in Taree, Australia….

He was a POW twice the first time when he and Lewis Hodges escaped and went back to the UK to fly again only for my Grandfather to become a POW and spend his time in Stalag VIIIB

John Hugh Wyatt RAF number 754237 POW number 27055 at camp 344

In the photo POW Group at Stalag VIIIB he’s 2nd row from back 4th person from the right.

Wyatt J.H.

Posted in: August 1940

Posted out: September 1940

Rank: Sergeant

Service No: 754227

Trade: Wireless Op/Air gunner

Operation: 04.09.1940

1500hrs. Five a/c detailed to operate from Mildenhall. Target – oil refinery A104 at Stettin or Semo/Mopa as an alternative.

All airborne by 20.07hrs. Four were known successful on main target.

Strayed off course and after being fired on by light flak from an airfield in Brittany the Hampden was force-landed in a field near St-Brieuc. While being held captive at a camp

Hampden P1347 missing with crew: F/O Hodges; Sgt. S.J. Hitchings; Sgt. J.H. Wyatt;; Sgt. L.C. Turnbull

From Bomber Command Losses 1939-40 by William Chorley:

4-5 Sept 1940 49 Sqdn Hampden 1 P1347 EA-D

F/O L.M. Hodges pow

Sgt. S.J. Hitchings pow

Sgt. J.H. Wyatt pow

Sgt. L.C. Turnbull pow

Near Toulouse, F/O Hodges and Sgt Wyatt managed to escape and both arrived home via Gibraltar, on 31st July 1941. It is believed they were the only Hampden aircrew to make a successful escape from a prisoner of war camp. F/O [flying officer] Hodges rose in rank to W/C [Wing Commander]  and in November 1942 took command of 161 Squadron which was involved with SOE operations.

I will continue to check the rest of the sites you have suggested but sincerely appreciate your help and assistance in this matter… His son Ian from his second marriage and my mother don’t know much about what happened during the war and what ever information we gain is more than what we currently have at the moment, any small amount is better than nothing… Apparently he didn’t talk much about it, to me and my mother we never had the opportunity to meet him so anything we can find is helpful in knowing him more…

Keren Hayles

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