Operation: Bouillon, France

Date: 12th May 1940 (Sunday)

Unit No: 103 Squadron, Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF), Bomber Command

Type: Battle I

Serial: P2193

Code: PM:C

Base: Betheniville France

Location: Curfô, north of Bouillon, France

Pilot: Plt Off. Edgar Elliot Morton 40635 RAF Age 25. KiA (1)

Air Gnr: AC1. Alexander Strachan Ross 61376 RAF Age 19. KiA (2)

Mr Pierre Michiels of the Cercle d'Histoire de Bouillon contacted us in January 2016. The text of this page had been prepared by him for a remembrance service in May 2015. We are grateful for this information, we have been assured that Michel Beckers who placed this page, received the information via a third party.

REASON FOR LOSS:

It had been decided that 103 Sqn would not fly with an observer to conserve crew losses. The normal crew complement for the Battle aircraft was a three (3) man crew.

When the three (3) aircraft from 103 Sqn arrived above the village of La Chapelle at the French border, they encountered heavy Flak from the column. Flying over the turn at the top of the Route de France at 17:15 hrs, close to the Ferme des Mouches, the first aircraft had already dropped its bombs on a tank column and was taking avoiding action.

The other two turned north then right towards Curfô. 218 Sqn Battle I P2183 was shot down minutes before Plt Off. Morton aimed at the end of the convoy on the ridge of Curfô in an attempt to block the truck convoy in the défilé.

218 Sqn Battle I P2183 HA:? – Flown by Plt Off. Frederick Sidney Bazalgette 70790 RAF was KiA, whilst Obs: Sgt. William Henry Harris MiD, 560630 RAF and Wireless Operator/Air Gunner LAC. Harry B. Jones MiD, 536398 RAF were successful evaders.

Note: The then WO. Harris MiD was killed on the 17th December 1943 when his 100 Sqn Lancaster III JB674 collided in mid-air with 100 Sqn Lancaster III JB678 near Grimsby, Lincolnshire on an operation to Berlin (13 KiA, 1 injured).

P2193 was ripped apart by Flak giving Plt Off. Morton no time to aim and release his bomb load before the plane crashed near Curfô between the main road and the angle with the local railway track, 200 meters away from where 218 Sqn Battle I K9353 had just crashed. One of its bomb exploded when it hit the trunk of one of the big pine tree bordering the road to Bouillon.

218 Sqn Battle I K9353 HA:J – flown by Flt Sgt. John Bland Horner 580159 RAF. He and Sgt. Leonard Charles Flisher 564186 RAF and LAC. Leslie Douglas Davies 537015 RAF were KiA.

The mission report drawn up by the only surviving crew confirms that P2193, was hit by Flak and crashed in flames at 17:20 hrs in fields close to the main road. To its side another crew managed to drop its four (4) bombs on vehicles assembled in the village of Noirefontaine before it is also hit by Flak.

Short video describing the crew and loss of Battle I P2193 PM:C (Courtesy of Tom Bowen, Michael Beckers and Peter Schlebaum)

The second 103 Sqn Battle I L5512, turned at low altitude to the south. The pilot was mortally wounded, but managed to cross the Meuse river and land the aircraft on it’s belly close to the village of Haraucourt in France believing he had saved the life of his gunner.

103 Sqn Battle I, L5512 PM:? – Flown by Plt Off. George Barry Morgan-Dean 40131 RAF and AC1. Horace Basil Sewell 53136 RAF were KiA.

(1) Edgar Elliot Morton graduated from King’s College and became an employee in a lawyers firm. Having no career opportunity he left for Sydney, Australia where he a similar job. He did not seem to fancy that kind of life because he applied for a short duration commission with the RAF, and in 1937 left for the United Kingdom hoping to have a better possibilities.

Beginning of January 1938 he started his pilot training in Scotland and continued in March at No 1 Depot in Uxbridge, Middlesex, before becoming qualified at the end of that year at No 10 Flying School in Ternhill, Shropshire. With his flying badge and after navigation training in Manston, Kent, he was assigned to 52 Sqn at the beginning of 1939. After that he joined 103 Sqn as a volunteer for France within the Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF).

(2) Alexander Strachan Ross was a qualified radio-operator. He lived here with his mother, father and brother David, until he left to join the RAF. They were a very close family and he and his brother played for hours on the meadows with their many friends and neighbours. There was little money for expensive toys but lots of open space to practice his many sporting skills. Alex was a very clever child and gains a scholarship to a local church school where he became the best in school at both academic subjects and his first love sport.

When he moved on to secondary school he played both football and rugby for the school teams captaining both at one stage. He was a physically strong lad and was much admired and sought after to be a member of teams. Although the school leaving age is 14 for most boys Alex cleverly stayed on to achieve further qualifications before leaving school to join the RAF. His family was extremely proud of him. He always wanted to join the RAF and was particularly interested in communications. He joined as soon as he was old enough and was a regular before the war began. When war was declared he took his responsibility to fight for his king and country very seriously.

Burial details:

The unidentifiable remains of the crew were buried later in the Curfô cemetery of the Commune, Morton’s parents were not able to visit it until 1964.

Plt Off. Edgar Elliot Morton. Sensenruth Communal Cemetery (Curfoz), Joint grave 1-2. Born in February 1915 at Te Aroha, New Zealand. Son of William Portlock Morton and Lucy Elizabeth Morton of Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand.

AC1. Alexander Strachan Ross. Sensenruth Communal Cemetery (Curfoz), France. Joint grave 1-2. He was born in 1921 in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. Son of Robert and Henrietta Ross, of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Compiled for Aircrew Remembered by Michel Beckers. Thanks to Mr Pierre Michiels of the Cercle d'Histoire de Bouillon. Also to Mrs Margaret Ross, niece of gunner Alexander Ross, who sent the detailed information on Alex's life to Pierre, Mrs Sarah Morton, mother of pilot Edgar Morton, whose letter from 1964 Pierre recently found, detailing her son's life, Mr Eric Urbain, Mr David Fell 103 Squadron archivist and webmaster, for the 2 pictures of Morton and Ross. Reviewed, updated and video link added, thanks to Tom Bowen, added to the reorganised report (Jul 2025).

We hope to work with Pierre in the future as he has carried out extensive research into losses in his area of Belgium. He is also preparing a webpage on the loss of Lancaster DS690 of 115 Squadron on the 13th/14th July 1943. We also have a basic page on the loss of Sqn Ldr. Robert Baird.

Other sources listed below:

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