Ian Cross (RAF officer)
Ian Kingston Pembroke Cross | |
|---|---|
Squadron Leader | |
| Service number | 39305 |
| Unit | No. 38 Squadron RAF, No. 103 Squadron RAF |
| Battles/wars | World War II
|
| Awards | Mentioned in Despatches |
Ian Kingston Pembroke Cross (4 April 1918 – 31 March 1944), was a British
Pre-War
Ian Cross was born in
Early service career
Cross joined the
Wartime service
His first operational sortie (mission) was on 3 December 1939, an anti-shipping strike on German vessels near Heligoland. On the night of 20 February 1940 on a search for enemy shipping his bomber Vickers Wellington Mark IA (serial number P2526") flown by Flight Lieutenant M Nolan, (Cross being the second pilot) ran out of fuel on their return and the crew had to jump by parachute leaving the aircraft to crash.[9][10] Soon afterwards Cross was appointed "first pilot" and he went on to complete 34 operations (missions) and finish his tour of operational duty. Posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Bassingbourn[11] he was unhappy as a flying instructor and pressed for a return to operational flying. He was promoted flight lieutenant on 3 September 1940[12][13] Cross was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross on 13 September 1940 for his bravery during his first tour of operations with No. 38 Squadron RAF[14][15] In August 1941 Cross succeeded in his aim to return to operational flying and was posted to No. 103 Squadron RAF to fly Vickers Wellington bombers. He flew sixteen further missions and became "B" flight commander,[16] promoted temporary squadron leader on 1 December 1941[17]
Prisoner of war
On 12 February 1942 the
Cross was taken into captivity becoming prisoner of war No. 189 at
'Great Escape'
For the Great Escape operation Cross was one of the primary tunnellers and also oversaw and controlled the "penguin" team[23] for the dispersal of the many tons of sandy earth excavated during the tunneling operations - much of it hidden beneath the floor of the camp theatre via a trap door constructed for the purpose beneath seat No. 13 working with Jimmy James.[24][25] He was one of the 76 men who escaped the prison camp on the night of 24–25 March 1944, in the escape now famous as "the Great Escape". When the Germans discovered the escape they began extensive well planned manhunts. Ian Cross was one of the prisoners recaptured relatively quickly by local patrols and were initially held locally.[26] Nineteen recaptured officers were loaded into a lorry the following day and moved to Görlitz prison under Gestapo control. Here the numbers of recaptured officers grew until thirty-five were held there.[27] The prisoners were threatened with death and interrogated harshly but not physically. On 30 March 1944 two of the survivors saw three large sedans with ten Gestapo agents collect six officers, Ian Cross, Mike Casey, George Wiley, Al Hake, Tom Leigh and John Pohe.[28][29][30][31] they were not seen again, their cremation urn labels stated that they died on 31 March 1944 and had been cremated at Görlitz.[32][33][34] He was one of the 50 escapers executed and murdered by the Gestapo.[35][36][37] Originally cremated and buried at Żagań, he is now buried in part of the Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery.[38][39][40] where his parents chose the inscription "Faithful unto death, To his God and Country" for his headstone.[41]
Post-war investigation found that a Gestapo agent named Lux led the squad who shot the group of six recaptured airmen beside the autobahn near Halbau on the instructions of a senior officer named Scharpwinkel.[42]
He was amongst the 47 murdered officers named in the British and Commonwealth press when the story became public knowledge on or about 19–20 May 1944[43][44] The Glasgow Herald of 19 May 1944 published an early list naming several officers including Cross[45]
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross awarded on 13 September 1940 for his bravery with No. 38 Squadron RAF[46][47]
Other victims
The Gestapo executed a group of 50 of the recaptured prisoners representing almost all of the nationalities involved in the escape.
Post-war investigations saw a number of those guilty of the murders tracked down, arrested and tried for their crimes.[50][51][52]
| Nationalities of the 50 executed |
 21 British
|
 6 Canadian
|
 6 Polish
|
 5 Australian
|
 3 South African
|
 2 New Zealanders
|
 2 Norwegian
|
 1 Belgian
|
 1 Czechoslovak
|
 1 Frenchman
|
 1 Greek
|
 1 Lithuanian
|
References
- Notes
- ^ Google books excerpt Vance (2000) A Gallant company- Ian Cross
- ^ Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 978-0-935-55347-5.
- ^ "No. 34358". The London Gazette. 8 January 1937. pp. 170–171.
- ^ Flightglobal archive – link to page listing his commission
- ^ "No. 34447". The London Gazette. 26 October 1937. pp. 6616–6617.
- ^ Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC
- ^ "No. 34634". The London Gazette. 9 June 1939. pp. 3894–3895.
- ^ Chorley (1992), p.29
- ^ RAF Commands – specific to Cross aboard this aircraft
- ^ Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC
- ^ "No. 34964". The London Gazette. 8 October 1940. pp. 5902–5903.
- ^ Flightglobal Archive – page showing promotion
- ^ "No. 34945". The London Gazette. 13 September 1940. pp. 5488–5489.
- ^ Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC
- ^ "13 Base RAF website – Ian Cross DFC". Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ "No. 35383". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 December 1941. pp. 7114–7115.
- ^ Polish participation in the Great Escape – detailing Ian Cross DFC
- ^ "13 Base RAF website – Ian Cross DFC". Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Chorley (1996), p.30
- ^ Andrews (1976), photo page, copy German records
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.121
- ^ [1] Archived 17 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine[13 Base RAF website – Ian Cross DFC]
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.114-115
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.120
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.48-49
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.49
- ^ Vance (2000), p.264
- ^ Read (2012), p.240
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.49
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.159
- ^ Pegasus Archive - 50 murdered escapers
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.49 and 205
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.270
- ^ Vance (2000), p.289
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.205
- ^ Burgess (1990), p.270
- ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission casualty – Ian K P Cross
- ^ Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC
- ^ Pegasus Archive - 50 murdered escapers
- ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission, form H/2
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.186
- ^ Western Morning News, Dundee Courier and Yorkshire Post, 20 May 1944
- ^ [2][Ottawa Journal, 20 May 1944, p.17 – listing murdered officers]
- ^ Glasgow Herald page on line - article naming officers
- ^ "No. 34945". The London Gazette. 13 September 1940. pp. 5488–5489.
- ^ [3][Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC]
- ^ "No. 36544". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 1944. pp. 2615–2616.
- ^ [4][Unithistories website – career of IKP Cross DFC]
- ^ Read (2012), p.295
- ^ Vance (2000), p.310
- ^ Andrews (1976), p.188 and 199
- Bibliography
- Sean Feast (2015). The Last of the 39-ers. Grub Street. ISBN 978-1909166158.
- Jonathan F Vance (2000). A Gallant Company. Pacifica Military. ISBN 978-0-935-55347-5.
- Simon Read (2012). Human Game. Constable. ISBN 978-1-4721-1262-0.
- ISBN 978-0-593-05408-6.
- Allen Andrews (1976). Exemplary Justice. Harrap. ISBN 0-245-52775-3.
- William R Chorley (1994). RAF Bomber Command Losses, Volume 3. Midland Counties. ISBN 978-0904597899.
- ISBN 978-0-393-32579-9.
- ISBN 978-1-59114-097-9.
- ISBN 978-1-55591-536-0.
- Arthur A. Durand (1 January 1989). Stalag Luft III: The Secret Story. Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 978-1-85260-248-2.
- William R Chorley (1992). RAF Bomber Command Losses, Volume 1. Midland Counties. ISBN 978-1906537401.
External links
- Project Lessons from the Great Escape (Stalag Luft III), by Mark Kozak-Holland. The prisoners formally structured their work as a project. This book analyses their efforts using modern project management methods.
