Operation: Dive bombing, Geldern, Germany

Date: 6th October 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 440 (City of Ottawa) Squadron, RCAF, 143 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: MN805

Code: I8:D

Base: ALG B-78 Eindhoven, Netherlands

Location: 1 km (¾ ml) south of Geldern, Germany

Pilot: Flt Lt. Charles Sydney Aistrop AFC J13484 RCAF Age 24. KiA

Above Flt Lt. Charles Sidney Aistrop AFC from his Service Record

REASON FOR LOSS

On the 6th October 1944 Flt Lt. Aistrop took off from B-78 Eindhoven at 07:55 hrs and joined seven other Typhoons on a mission to dive bomb the marshalling yards at Geldern in Germany.

The circumstances leading to the loss of Flt Lt. Aistrop was reported by Flt Lt. Harold Orville Gooding DFC J10608 RCAF:

“On the morning of Oct. 6/44 I was Red Leader of a formation on an operational flight to Geldren. About twenty miles west of the target the formation received heavy flak but continued on all intact. F/L Aistrop was flying as Blue four and was last seen just before the formation went into its dive.

After bombing the target the formation circled it once and set course on a Recce. Further north. F/L Aistrop did not rejoin the formation and was not heard to say anything on the R.T. nor was he seen to crash near the target area”.

Investigating officers located the wreckage of Typhoon MN805 approximately 1 km (¾ ml) south of Geldern close to the Geldern-Straelen railway line.

Geldern is some 32 km (20 ml) SSE of Kleve and 8 km (5 ml) due east of the Dutch border.

His body was Initially interred at the Nieukerk Military Cemetery Grave 7, about 7½ km (5 ml) SSE of Geldern.

Burial details:

Above Grave marker for Flt Lt. Charles Sidney Aistrop AFC. (Courtesy of Wouter van Dijken – FindAGrave)

Flt Lt. Charles Sidney Aistrop AFC. Recovered and laid to rest at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery 25.F.16 on the 16th July 1947. Inscription: ‘TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WE LOVE IS NOT TO DIE’. Born on the 3rd January 1920 in Renfrew County, Ontario. Son of Robert Charles and Rachel (née Bryant) Aistrop. Husband of Verna Alice (née Cliff) Aistrop, of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

The Air Force Cross (AFC) awarded to Plt Off. Aistrop whilst at #1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) RCAF. London Gazette 16th April 1943.

Notification: The Minister for Air personally and the Chief of the Air Staff on behalf of himself and all ranks of the Royal Canadian Air Force congratulate you most heartily on the award of the Air Force Cross made to you this day by His Majesty the King. You will be invested with this medal at a later date. In the meantime you should wear the ribbon.

Researched by Ralph Snape and dedicated to this pilot and his family.

Other sources as quoted below:

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