Operation: Gardening - Nectarines

Date: 21/22nd May 1943

Unit: No. 428 Squadron

Type: Wellington X

Serial: HE899

Code: NA-B

Base: Dalton, North Yorkshire

Location: Not known - lost without trace

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Clarence Norris Magnusson R/124246 R.C.A.F. Age 27. Killed

Nav: Fl/Sgt. Walter Charles Sutton R/144189 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Peter Healey Brand R/135031 R.C.A.F. Age 21. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Robert Edward Hagan R/120914 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Emery Kenneth Edwards R/105371 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 22.05hrs on 21st May 1943 joining 63 other Wellingtons, 36 Stirlings and 4 Lancasters on extensive minelaying duties in the Frisians and the River Gironde, and off La Pallice near La Rochelle, France - 104 aircraft in all. 3 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling were lost - 3.8% of the total force.

Above left: Fl/Sgt. Peter Healey Brand. Right: Fl/Sgt. Emery Kenneth Edwards

(2) Hagan Lake in Saskatchewan is named after Fl/Sgt. Hagan

Biographical Details

Fl/Sgt. Clarence Norris Magnusson was born on 30 August 1916 at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He was the son of Icelandic immigrants Harry Gordon and Ragnheidur (née Anderson) Magnusson. At the time of enlistment, he was employed by Canadian National Railroad.

Fl/Sgt. Walter Charles Sutton the son of Walter and Rhoda Olinda Sutton of North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

Fl/Sgt. Peter Healey Brand was born in Wallsend, UK on 16 August 1922, the only son of Oswald and Edith Annie Maria (née Stout) Brand. He had two younger sisters, Mary and Patricia. The family had migrated to Canada in 1924. Oswald was employed as the treasurer of the Quebec Pulp and Paper Corporation.

Fl/Sgt. Robert Edward Hagan the son of Henry Edward and Ada Irene (née McLaughlin) Hagan of Wolseley, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Fl/Sgt. Emery Kenneth Edwards was born in Toronto on 9 March 1923 the son of Arthur and Marjorie (née Crawford) Edwards . At the time of enlistment on 29 May 1941 he was employed as a stock keeper for G. Tamblyn Ltd. Later, Tamblyn's would become one of the largest pharmacy chains in Canada, before selling to Boots.

Biographical details and accompanying photographs kindly provided by our good friend and Canadian Researcher Dave Champion

Memorial details:

Fl/Sgt. Clarence Norris Magnusson. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 185.

Fl/Sgt. Walter Charles Sutton. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 185.

Fl/Sgt. Peter Healey Brand. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 181.

Fl/Sgt. Robert Edward Hagan. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 182.

Fl/Sgt. Emery Kenneth Edwards. Having no known grave he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 181.

Panels at the Runnymede Memorial

Researched by Jeremy Nicholson. With thanks to the following Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Les Allison and Harry Hayward - 'They Shall Grow Not Old', Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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