Operation: Hamburg

Date: 31st October 1941 (Friday)

Unit: No. 77 Squadron (mottoL Esse potius quam videri - To be, rather than seem) 4 Group

Type: Whitley V

Serial: Z6953

Code: KN-?

Base: RAF Leeming, Yorkshire

Location: Unknown

Pilot: Sgt. Arthur Frederick Conroy Couch 1164422 RAFVR Age 21. Missing, believed killed

Pilot 2: Sgt. William Lowe 1186854 RAFVR Age 21. Missing, believed killed

Obs: F/O. Frank Simpson 67082 RAFVR Age 27. Missing, believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O.. Robert John Albert Cleverdon J/15850 RCAF Age 21. Missing, believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Temple Hall R/54012 RCAF Age 30. Missing, believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Weather: Occasional rain with fog before dawn. Slight showers morning, fine in the afternoon and evening.

(Sgt. irving Whitley V Z6943 - Sgt. Sanderson Whitley V Z6975 - Sgt. Lord Whitley V Z6952 - Sgt. Roberts Whitley V Z6950 - P/O. Scott Whitley V Z6922S - Sgt. Affleck Whitley V Z6641 - Sgt. Carmichael Whitley V Z6956 - Sgt. Couch Whitley V Z6953)

Taking off at 16:56 hours with 7 other aircraft.
23 year old, P/O. Donald Atherton irving Aus/402359 RAAF from Queensland, Australia in Z6943 failed to take off due to technical problems. Sadly he was lost the following year in the same aircraft with all his crew. Further details here.

During this operation the squadron lost another crew:

21 year old, Sgt. Harold Every Roberts 1375133 RAFVR, from Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, flying Whitley Z6950 which crashed at Postsee West of Preetz, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Z6953 failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea.

The remainder of the squadron returned by 02:35 hrs the following morning.

Above L-R: Sgt. William Lowe, P/O.. Robert Cleverdon, Sgt. Arthu Couch, F/O. Frank Simpson and Sgt. William Temple Hall.F ront sitting ground crew

Burial and further details:

Sgt. Arthur Frederick Conroy Couch. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 41. Born on the 27th April 1920 in Tewkesbury, England. Son of Oscar Putt and Ada Elizabeth Couch (née Toms), of Torquay, Devon.of Torquay, Devon., England.

Sgt. William Lowe. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 47. Born on the 14th September 1920 in Bedford England. Son of George Storey and Olive Winifred Lowe (née Roberts), of Blandford Forum, Dorset. Husband of Elizabeth Lowe (née Mulcahy married on the 02nd December 1940)

F/O. Frank Simpson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 30. Son of John and Clara Ellen Simpson, of Gorton, Manchester, England.

P/O. Robert John Albert Cleverdon. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 50. Also remembered on parents grave at Pine Hills Cemetery Scarborough, Ontario. Born on the 10th August 1920 in Toronto. Enlisted on the 22nd June 1940. The son of John Robert (died 1953, age 61) and Doris Marie Cleverdon (née Seager - died 1975, age 77) of 127 Hurndale Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Brother of Allan Gordon and David Owen

Sgt. William Temple Hall. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 61. Born on the 04th July 1911 in Montreal . Worked as news editor for the Alberta newspaper prior to service, Enlisted on the 15th June 1840. Husband of Elizabeth Hall and father of Grant and Geddis. Adopted son of Grant and Malley Hall (mée Hay, married 27th February 1931 - parents died shortly after he was born parents surname Temnle of Winnipeg)11317-127 Sytrrt, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the Paradie RCAF Archives, National Archive, Kew AIR- 27-65-51/52,

Other sources as quoted below:

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