Operation: Ramrod, France

Date: 30th July 1942 (Thursday)

Unit No: 154 Squadron, 11 Group, Fighter Command

Type: Spitfire Vb

Serial: BM194

Code: HT:S

Base: RAF Fairlop, Essex

Location: Saint-Omer, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Charles Edward ‘Ted’ Hurt 48425 RAF Age 20. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Fairlop in Essex on a Ramrod operation to Saint-Omer. Escorting Hurricane bombers. Attacked and shot down by Fw190s from I./JG26.

A total of sixteen (16) fighters were lost on this mission, two (2) of which came from 154 Squadron.

122 (Bombay) Squadron:

Spitfire Vb BM242 MT:? – Flown by Sgt. Alfred Montgomery McPherson 411917 RNZAF;

Spitfire Vb BM266 MT:? - Flown by Sqn Ldr. Leon Prevot – Shot down by Fw190 near St. Omer. Evaded capture and returned to England in September (died 28th April 1994);

Spitfire Vb BM352 MT:Z - Flown by 38 year old, Plt Off. Jack Garfield Durkin J15103 RCAF – Hit by Flak and abandoned over the Channel. Missing, Runnymede Memorial;

Spitfire Vb BM244 MT:A - Flown by Sgt. Tore Skjeseth N745 RNoAF – Shot down by Fw190 off Pas de Calais - Killed.

154 (Motor Industries) Squadron:

Spitfire Vb BM374 HT:? - Flown by 21 year old, Sgt. Ian Maclaren Dawson 778410 RAFVR - Killed, Dunkirk Town cemetery.

174 (Mauritius) Squadron:

Hurricane IIb BP768 XP:? - Flown by Sgt. Ellis Ronald Charman 400859 RAAF. Baled out 2 to 3 miles SE of Audruicq. He evaded capture and returned to the UK on the 6th October 1942;

Hurricane IIe BE684 XP:? - Flown by Sgt. William Young Denison R82771 RCAF. Stalag 8B, Lamsdorf, PoW No. 25129;

Hurricane IIe BE552 XP:? - Flown by Sgt. Joseph Rene Roland Boyer R79196 RCAF - Crashed in the English Channel and was rescued.

340 (Free French) Squadron:

Spitfire Vb AR363 GW:W - Flown by Sqn Ldr. Joseph Lambert F.30697- Evaded capture;

Spitfire Vb BM584 GW:M - Flown by Adj. Yves André Georges Debac - Shot down by Fw190 near St. Omer. Killed.

350 (Belgian) Squadron:

Spitfire Vb BM176 MN:M - Flown by Plt Off. Henry E. Marchal 87678 - Wounded but safe.

616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron:

Spitfire VI BS108 YQ:? - Flown by Plt Off. Ronald Geoffrey Large DFC, 113371 RAFVR – Shot down by fighters, baled out and rescued;

Spitfire VI BR167 YQ:? - Flown by Sgt. Michael Hadley Frederick ‘Mike’ Cooper 791150 RAFVR - baled out and rescued;

Spitfire VI BR597 YQ:? - Flown by Plt Off. James Robert Mace 118169 RAFVR– Stalag Luft 3, PoW No: 43091;

Spitfire VI BR243 YQ:? - Flown by Sgt. Donald Lee 1068365 RAFVR – Damaged by fighters near Boulogne and crashed landed at RAF Biggin Hill - Killed

Burial details:

Plt Off. Charles Edward Hurt. Longuenesse Souvenir Cemetery, St. Omer, Plot 8, Row A, Grave 19. Grave inscription reads “IN MEMORY OF OUR BELOVED TED. MOTHER, CEDRIC, JOAN, JACK AND JOYCE.” Birth registered in the 4th Qtr of 1921 in Leek, Staffordshire. Son of Charles Julian and Annie (née Coates) Hurt of Enfield, Middlesex, England.

Reviewed, corrected and updated by Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot. (Aug 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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