09/08/2026
Today in 1944, 614 Squadron suffered one of our greatest ever losses when seven of our aircrew were killed during an attack on Romanian oilfields providing most of the fuel for N**i Germany.
We’re very proud that one our reservists serving in Romania today went to the war cemetery in the capital, Bucharest to honour those comrades from his squadron who were killed 82 years ago.
AS1 Jon Bridge is a Driver with 614 Squadron and was mobilised from his civilian job as an HGV Driver with Pickfords to serve with 121 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) at the 86th Air Base Borcea as the RAF led NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission on the Alliance’s eastern flank.
AS1 Bridge organised a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Bucharest War Cemetery where those seven aircrew are buried.
In wartime, 614 Squadron flew many raids against targets in Romania and the Balkans from their base in Italy, including the vital refineries at Ploesti – whose oil kept the N**i war machine moving. We were then operating in the highly specialised Pathfinder role - the only RAF squadron to do so outside the UK.
The targets near the capital Bucharest were among the most heavily defended in Europe and bomber crews paid a heavy price. The raid on 9 August 1944 against the Romana-Americana refinery was particularly costly and the seven of our aircrew killed when two of our Halifax aircraft (JP110 ‘I-Item’ and JP282 ‘Q-Queenie’) were shot down were: pilot, Flt Lt Robert Douglas Langton; navigators, WO Harry Bath and Fg Off Thomas Joseph Rogerson Turner; flight engineer, FS Herbert George Jones; tail gunner, FS John William Clarke and bomb-aimers, FS Peter Brunton and Plt Off Walter Joseph Martyn. Six crew from these two aircraft survived and were captured by the enemy and were held as prisoners of war, as were four aircrew of a further 614 Squadron Halifax who bailed out of their damaged aircraft but which limped home to Italy.
AS1 Bridge, who laid a wreath and poppy crosses at their graves said, 'I'm proud to be here serving in Romania and to be able to pay tribute in Bucharest to fellow members of 614 Squadron from the war. It was emotional seeing the seven graves here and to think about their service and their sacrifice. It's something that I'll never forget and I'm grateful to everyone on 121 EAW and 614 Squadron who helped make this event happen.'
Officer Commanding 614 Squadron, Wg Cdr Lee Matthews said, 'I'm delighted that one of the Squadron’s aviators used his spare time to organise such an important visit, while enlisting the support of EAW personnel to help him, despite being on busy operational deployment. It was especially poignant coming on the back of our visit to the CWGC Bari War Cemetery in Italy in March when we visited ten graves of Squadron members who lost their lives in the same campaign'.
Heddiw yn 1944, profodd 614 Sgwadron un o'n colledion mwyaf erioed pan laddwyd saith o'n aelodau awyr wrth ymosodiad ar gaeau olew Rwmania roedd yn darparu'r rhan fwyaf o'r tanwydd i'r Almaen N**i.
Rydym yn falch iawn bod un o'n gwarchodwyr yn gwasanaethu yn Rwmania heddiw wedi mynd i'r fynwent rhyfel yn y brifddinas, Bucharest, i anrhydeddu'r cyd-aelodau o'i sgwadron a gafodd eu lladd 82 o flynyddoedd yn ôl.
AS1 Jon Bridge, yn yrrwr gyda 614 Sgwadron, a gafodd ei symud o'i swydd sifil fel Gyrrwr HGV gyda Pickfords i wasanaethu gyda 121 Adain Awyr Ymgyrchol (EAW) yn 86 Base Awyr Borcea wrth i'r RAF arwain Cenhadaeth Gwella Heddlu Awyr NATO ar floc dwyrain y Cynghrair.
Trefnodd AS1 Bridge ymweliad â Mynwent Rhyfel Pwyllgor Mynwentydd y Gymanwlad (CWGC) yn Bucharest lle mae'r saith aelod awyr hynny wedi eu claddu.
Yn ystod y rhyfel, hedfanodd 614 Sgwadron lawer o ymosodiadau ar dargedau yn y Balcanau a Rwmania o'u sylfaen yn yr Eidal, gan gynnwys y cyfleusterau distyllfa bwysig yn Ploesti – a gadwodd olew y peiriant rhyfel N**i yn symud. Roeddem ni wedyn yn gweithredu yn y rôl Pathfinder uwchbenedig - yr unig awyrlu RAF i wneud hynny y tu allan i'r DU. Roedd y targedau ger y brifddinas Bucharest ymhlith y rhai mwyaf diogelu yn Ewrop ac roedd criwiau bomio'n talu pris uchel. Roedd y mosg ar 9 Awst 1944 yn arbennig o ddrud ac roedd y saith o'n criw awyr wedi'u lladd pan gafodd dau o'u heiddo Halifax eu saethu i lawr, sef y pilot, Flt Lt Robert Douglas Langton; llywiwr, WO Harry Bath a Fg Off Thomas Joseph Rogerson Turner; peiriannwr hedfan, FS Herbert George Jones; tanio craidd, FS John William Clarke a chwblhawyr bomiau, FS Peter Brunton a Plt Off Walter Joseph Martyn. Fe oroesodd chwech o'r criw o'r ddau awyren hyn a gaeth eu cipio gan y gelyn, gan dreulio gweddill y rhyfel fel carcharorion rhyfel, fel yr oedd chwech o griw awyr 614 Squadron Halifax arall a groesodd o'u heiddo wedi'i niweidio ond a adawyd i'r cartref i'r Eidal.
Dywedodd AS1 Bridge, a osododd gylch blodeuog a groesau popi ar eu beddau, 'Rwy'n falch o fod yma'n gwasanaethu. ym Rwmania ac i allu talu teyrnged yn Bucharest i gyd-aelodau o 614 Sgwadron a fu’n rhan o’r rhyfel. Roedd hi’n deimladwy gweld y saith bedd fan hyn a meddwl am eu gwasanaeth a’u aberth. Mae’n rhywbeth na fyddaf byth yn ei anghofio ac rwy’n ddiolchgar i bawb yn 121 EAW a 614 Sgwadron a helpu i wneud y digwyddiad hwn yn bosibl.'
Dywedodd Swyddog Gorchymyn 614 Sgwadron, Wg Cdr Lee Matthews, 'Mae’n bleser gen i fod un o heidiodd y Sgwadron wedi defnyddio ei amser hamdden i drefnu ymweliad mor bwysig, tra’n cael cymorth gan staff EAW i’w helpu, er gwaethaf bod ar ddyletswydd weithredol brysur. Roedd yn arbennig o symudol wedi ein hymweliad â Maes Beddau Rhyfel CWGC Bari yn yr Eidal ym mis Mawrth, pan ymwelwyd â deng bedd o aelodau’r Sgwadron a gollodd eu bywydau yn yr un ymgyrch'.
Pictures/Lluniau: 121 EAW
RFCA for Wales
Air Officer Wales
