McClenaghan, Ralph

Name: John Ralph McClenaghan

Born  14 September 1922

Hometown: Bethune, Saskatchewan

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 21

Died 17 September 1984 in Regina, Saskatchewan, age 62

Service: Royal Canadian Air Force

Service ID: R163578

Service Rank: Warrant Officer-2

Duties: Bombardier

Air Group: 514 Squadron

Airbase: Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire UK

Aircraft: Lancaster bomber LL716

Date shot down: 3 August 1944

Fate of crew: 3 captured immediately, 7 evaded, 3 of those captured (BAXTER, REID, and McClenaghan.

Evasion summary: Sheltered in Hedouville.

Date captured: 9 August 1944

Capture summary: Baxter, McClenaghan and Reid were guided into Paris from a village near Pontoise. On the 8th of August, they met Marcheret, at Prevot's flat. Ritter was already there. The next day, de Marcheret's assistant (Y.Lallier) took them by car to the Gestapo HQ, 

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78373

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, East Compound

Kriege ID: 8104

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Marlag und Milag Nord

Notes on internment: Approximately 3000 POWs were marched out by the SS in early April 1945, headed to Lubek. The column was attacked repeatedly by Allied aircraft. McClenaghan is not on the list of POWs at Lubek, but it is not comprehensive (only around 200 names).

Liberation: POWs on the march to Lubek were freed by the British Guards Armored Division on 27 April 1945. Those remaining at Marlag-Milag were liberated by the British 2nd Army on 2 May 1945, and airlifted to the UK by 15 May 1945.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

Veteran status:

Notes on Post-War period: