624 squadron aircraft and crew lost july 1944 to may 1945

Halifax  JN888  "T"  13/14 July 1944. Took off from  Blida 22.25 and failed to return from supply mission. The aircraft crashed high in the Pyrenees, above the town of Nistos, while engaged in the dropping of supplies to the French Resistance.  The Mayor of the nearby village of Nistos wrote in 1945: “The seven occupants of the plane were killed instantly. A shepherd boy found them on the 15th July.  At once a large group of inhabitants of Nistos went to the scene and they, along with Résistance fighters of the 3201 FTPF buried the seven heroes. They dug seven graves side-by-side and buried the heroes in beds of fern. It was impossible to take coffins there because the place was two-and-a-half hours walk away amongst precipitous mountains, and moreover this country was occupied by the enemy. We erected a wooden fence round their small cemetery and a cross, also of wood, bears the inscription: To the memory of our heroic allies, who died for France. Their graves will not be left untended.”       They were just 4 miles from their target,having flown over 600 miles by dead reckoning in the dark.Despite the crash and the loss of the crew, their mission was not a complete failure as the resistance members were able to recover many of the supplies in the shock proof parachute containerss

 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission did not recognise these graves until 2014 due to their inaccessibility. The men had been officially listed as "missing" since 1944. It was 70 years to the day, on 14th July 2014 when the CWGC finally placed a plaque in the local churchyard to commemorate the 7 aircrew. At a ceremony on July 12th 2014 the members of 624 squadron were given the freedom of the local city of Tarbes.

Halifax JN896 "R" took off from Blida on 14th August at 23.03 hrs. on an operation to a drop zone at Quincaillerie, France. The operation was part of the Massingham Mission. The crew made a successful drop and safely dropped  at Berre des Cervennes, a 2 man Jedburgh Team -Minaret - L.C.M. Hartley-Sharpe and J.W. Ellis. The aircraft was  lost on the return journey exploding at 0430 hrs 6 miles off the coast of S’Agaro, San Feliu de Guixols (Gerona), between Palamos and San Felip de Guios, Spain.

All members of the crew are commemorated on the Malta Memorial.

LK178    "V"   returned over base at Blida but could not land due to very poor visibility . Aircraft was diverted to Biskra. In thick mist and short of fuel P/O. McClure attempted to land his Stirling in a field about one mile East of Beni Mered. He hit some trees on landing and crashed badly, wrecking the aircraft completely. The dispatcher, Sgt. Emerson was killed, and the remainder of the crew were admitted to S.S.Q. suffering from shock and bruises 

Sgt. Emerson is buried at Deli Ibrahim War Cemetery, Algiers.

A funeral party for Sgt. Emerson and the crew of LJ984 left base at 0930 hours. on 19th August  . S/Ldr. Welshman represented the C.O. with seven other officers, 48 bearers and 50 N.C.O. and airmen followers.