Mullineaux, James John

Date of birth:: May 1918
Service number:: 547644 (NCO)/49699 (Officer)
Nationality:: British

Biography

James Mullineaux joined the Royal Air Force in 1937. An A.C. 1 by the outbreak of hostilities, he volunteered for duties as an Air Gunner, and was posted to No. 149 Squadron, a Wellington unit operating out of Mildenhall, Suffolk.
Mullineaux and the Squadron was as early involved in the war as September 3rd, 1939 when three of its Wellingtons carried out an armed reconnaissance of the North Sea, while on the following day its first bombing mission was flown against enemy warships at Brunsbuttel
Mullineaux went on to complete numerous sorties before ending his first operational tour in June 1940, one of the most memorable of which was the above cited daylight attack on enemy shipping at Wilhelmshaven on 18 December 1939 (Battle of Heligoland Bight) for which he was decorated with the DFM.
He was rested in June, 1940 after which he was posted to No.101 Squadron.
But on the night of 28-29 August 1942, when detailed to attack Nuremburg, his Wellington developed mechanical failure and his pilot was compelled to make a crash-landing 40 kilometres N.W. of Mannheim - the crew scrambled clear as the aircraft was enveloped in flames. He managed to evade for a few days before being captured at Landotan on 3 September 1942,
He was subsequently sent to Stalag 344 at Lamsdorf until August 1944, when he was transferred to Stalag Luft III at Sagan, scene of the "Great Escape". After an escape attempt during which he was on the run for three months, passing himself off as a Walloon, he was finally captured and interrogated brutally by the Gestapo and who beat him so severely that finally he shouted in German, "Stop it. I’m a British officer." Instantly the Gestapo interrogators snapped to attention and saluted him’
Mullineaux was finally liberated at Lubeck in May 1945, but suffered a series of nervous breakdowns resulting from the treatment he had received as a P.O.W.

Promotions:
? Sergeant
24 August, 1942: Pilof Officer on Probation (emergency)
24 February, 1943: Flying Officer on Probation (war sub)
24 August, 1944: Flight Lieutenant (war sub)
24 February, 1946: Flight Lieutenant

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Aircraftman, 1st Class
Unit:: No. 149 (East India) Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: January 16th, 1940

Recommendation:
"In spite of heavy enemy anti-aircraft fire and repeated enemy aircraft attacks, this airman, as Rear-Gunner in a Wellington aircraft, in a formation carrying out an operation against the Naval Base at Wilhelmshaven on 18 December 1939, showed great courage and coolness and succeeded in destroying a twin-engine enemy fighter (Me. 110), which was seen to go down in flames, and one other Me. 110 was destroyed in conjunction with his under-turret Gunner.’

Covering remarks of the A.O.C.:

‘This is the second occasion in which the above-mentioned Air Gunner has been instrumental in destroying enemy aircraft. On both occasions he has shown exemplary coolness and courage, and has maintained a well-controlled and accurate fire. On the first occasion his support fire against an enemy aircraft attacking another member of his formation largely contributed to its destruction."