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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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403 Squadron Spitfire XVI TB737 Fl/Lt. Aitchison, Eindhoven Airfield, Osnabrück (Germany)

Operation: Armed recce

Date: 31st March 1945

Unit: No. 403 Squadron (Wolf)

Type: Spitfire MkXVI

Serial: TB737

Code: KH-

Base: Eindhoven Airfield 

Location: Near Osnabrück (Germany). 

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Edward Grant Aitchison J/8387 RCAF Age 26. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During the morning was shot down during dive bombing of a train near Osnabrück.

Some reports are that he was picked up after baling out and killed by the SS.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Edward Grant Aitchison. Nederweert War Cemetery. Grave IV.B.5. Son of John A. and Louise Aitchison, husband of Bronwen M. Aitchison, of Elora, Ontario, Canada.

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered - June 2015. With thanks to Grant John Wissler for photographs of Fl/Lt. Aitchison. For further details our thanks to the sources quoted below.

KTY/MB 17.06.2015

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Acknowledgements
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Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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