SERGEANT WARD, V.C.

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 102, 27 October 1945, Page 9

SERGEANT WARD, V.C.

HOW HE MET HIS END

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

LONDON, October 25. It was.a German night fighter that caused the death of Sergeant J. A. Ward, V.C, Wanganui, on the night of September 15, 1941. This has been verified by Ward's Canadian observer, Flight Lieutenant L. E. Peterson, who escaped by parachute, was taken prisoner, and has now returned to Canada.

After Ward went missing, nothing was heard of him or his crew for some months. Then it was reported that he had been buried in Hamburg, but no. other details were available. !

With his crew, all Englishmen except himself and the Canadian, Ward took off to bomb Hamburg from the 75th Squadron's old station at Feltwell. in Suffolk.

"When we came in over the1 target at Hamburg, our flash bomb was not ready," said Peterson. "We took a circle past Hamburg and bombed on the way home. Just as the bombs were released, we got caught in the searchlights. There was no flak, so we knew there were night-fighters. About 15 to 20 miles out from Hamburg, a night-fighter attacked. One of the crew, Sergeant Gordon Sloman, R.A.F., who was second pilot, saw the fighter, which came in from the starboard side and attacked from the port with, cannon and .303.

"The aircraft was immediately a mass of flames and Ward was hit, but how badly I don't know. I also got hit in the left hip and opened the door for the front gunner. He and I baled out with our parachutes. "While I was coming down, I saw the aircraft go down and hit the ground in flames. The Germans claim that there were four bodies in , the aircraft."

This account was given by Peterson to R.C.A.F. officials. They had endeavoured to find him in England after he returned from Germany, but were unable to locate him before he sailed. It was also not possible to locate Ward's front gunner in England, either through the Air Ministry or at his former address.