Operation: Duisburg, Germany

Date: 26th/27th March 1943 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit No: 429 (Bison) Sqn, RCAF, 6 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Wellington X

Serial: MS487

Code: AL:C

Base: RAF East Moor, Yorkshire

Location: 3 km SE of Wassenaar, Zuid Holland

Pilot: Fg Off. George Fox 123109 RAFVR Age 31. KiA

Observer: Sgt. Albert Arthur Skelly 1235073 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Gordon Hutchinson Murray 1082668 RAFVR Age 20. Evader (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Plt Off. Peter Spencer Penrose Bastian 126739 RAFVR Age 22. KiA (2)

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. James MacQuarrie Murray 1108414 RAFVR Age 22. PoW No: 42730 * (3)

* Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the night of the 26th/27th March 1943 429 (Bison) Sqn detailed eleven (11) aircraft to join a force of four-hundred and fifty-five (455) aircraft on an operation to bomb Duisburg in Germany.

Homebound MS487 was hit by Flak, which damaged the port engine, fuel tanks and flying controls. The aircraft crashed at 22:30 hours on an estate known as De Raaphorst, 3 km SE of Wassenaar (Zuid Holland). Claimed by 2. & 3./Marine-Flak-Abteilung 816 (Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1943 Part 2 - Theo Boiten).

(1) Sgt. Murray baled out and landed at Voorschoten, near Leyden Holland on the 27th March.

He was sheltered at various addresses until the 19th May when he was taken to Hasselt in Belgium. The next day he was taken to Brussels and was then helped by the Réseau Comète (Comet Line) organisation. He stayed in Ixelles for four (4) days before being taken by train to Paris with Sgt. Goddard, 2nd Lt. Contopidis and Sgt. Minor from the USAAF by Jean Masson and were fortunate not to have been betrayed by him. (Ref 1. pp 14-15).

Note: Jean Masson was a Belgian traitor named Jaques Desoubrie (Jean-Jacques, Jean Masson and Pierre Boulain were aliases) who had infiltrated the Réseau Comète (Comet Line) escape route in Brussels and Paris. He was responsible for the Nazis rounding up dozen of members of the Réseau Comète and Allied airmen. He was finally captured and stood accused at a French military trial in Lille. He was convicted and condemned to death for having participated in the capture and assassination of members of the resistance and for sending Allied military to their deaths in violation of the Geneva convention. He was executed by firing squad.

Sgt. Ronald G. Goddard 1333556 RAFVR was the Navigator from 78 Sqn Halifax JB873 which shot down by a German night-fighter returning from an operation to Bochum on the night of the 13th/14th May 1943 (2 KiA, 5 PoWs, 1 Evader);

2nd Lt. Homer Contopidis O-795207 and Sgt. Walter E. Minor 31134430 were the Navigator and Tail Gunner respectively from 410th Bombardment Squadron (H), 94th Bombardment Group (H), B-17F 42-29627 which was shot down by Flak on a mission to Lorient on the 17th May 1943 (1 KiA, 5 PoWs, 4 Evaders).

On about the 4th June the four (4) evaders were moved to a flat in Lyon where they met with Sgt. Sankey, Plt Off. Everiss, Sgt. Ford and Sgt. Turner from the RCAF.

Sgt. Joseph Sankey 119320 RAFVR who was the Rear Gunner from 10 Sqn Halifax II DT788 which was shot down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Köln on the night of the 14th/15th February 1943 (1 KiA, 5 PoWs, 1 Evd);

Plt Off. Stanley F. Everiss 126042 RAFVR and Sgt. John B. Ford 1217375 RAFVR were the Navigator and Mid-Upper Gunner respectively from 90 Sqn, Stirling III BK725 which was shot-down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Mannheim on the night of the 16th/17th April 1943 (1 PoW, 7 Evaders);

Sgt. Alvin Clinton ‘Al’ Turner R62322 was the Flight Engineer from 419 (Moose) Sqn Halifax II DT646 which was shot down by a night-fighter homebound on an operation to Essen on the night of the 5th/6th March 1943 (1 MiA, 5 PoW, 1 Evader).

The eight airmen were split into two (2) groups and the first to leave on the 6th June 1943 were Sgt. Sankey, Plt Off. Everiss, Sgt. Ford and Sgt. Turner. They linked up with the other four (4) at Lavelanet via Carcassonne east of Foix.

On the night of the 8th/9th June they started walking towards the mountains and crossed the frontier into Andorra on the 10th June. The group stayed in a hotel for three (3) nights and then set off walking again to Manresa in Spain arriving there on the 20th June. From there they caught a train to Barcelona and the British Consulate. (Ref 2. pp 149, 151-152).

Sgt. Murray was flown out of Gibraltar on the 27th June 1943 arriving at RAF Hendon the next day.

Warrant Officer (WO) Murray was appointed to a commission on probation and promoted to 196006 Plt Off. on the 7th February 1945 (London Gazette 8th May 1945). His promotion was confirmed and promoted to Fg Off. on the 7th August 19454 (London Gazette 31st August 1945). He was granted the substantive rank of Fg Off. with effect 7th February 1946 (London Gazette 20th January 1948). On the 10th June 1958 he relinquished his commission retaining the rank of Fg Off (London Gazette 5th August 1958).

Gordon Hutchinson Murray was born on the 15th March 1923. He passed away on the 20th October 2007.

(2) On the 21st December 1942 Plt Off. Bastian was aboard Wellington III DF624 AL:? of 429 (Bison) Sqn took off on a training flight from their base at RAF East Moor. The aircraft was close to the North Yorkshire Moors when it suffered an electrical failure which caused the propellers on both engines to go into a fully fine pitch.

This caused the engine revs to increase and then over-speed, eventually overheating the engines. Fearing that he was loosing control Sgt. Black ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft, which was done successfully. Sgt. Moore, the rear gunner, was confined to hospital with back injuries and Sgt. Black suffered minor injuries after landing on a fence.

The aircraft came down near Kirkby, a few miles south of Stokesley and was destroyed. RAF East Moor took charge of the crash site and sent transport to collect the crew, put a guard on the aircraft and destroyed the secret equipment which it was carrying. (Aircraft Accidents in Yorkshire).

Crew:

Pilot: Sgt. John Hannah Black R118059 RCAF;

Returning from a 'Gardening’ operation Wellington X, HZ260 AL:K of 429 (Bison) Sqn on the night of the 2nd/3rd March 1943 the aircraft was ditched some 87 miles off Cromer during a 'Gardening sortie’. A dinghy was picked up by an ASR launch on the 6th March with Sgt. Rothera and Sgt. Black aboard. Sgt. Black died of exposure a few hours before rescue arrived. The other three (3) crew members were posted MiA.

Observer: Sgt. Alexander Napier 657875 RAFVR;

Flt Sgt. Napier was appointed to a commission and promoted to 177025 Plt Off. on the 1st April 1944. He relinquished his commission retaining his rank of Flt Lt. on the 27 March 1957;

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. Peter Geoffrey Rothera 1387403 RAFVR;

Returning from a 'Gardening’ operation Wellington X, HZ260 AL:K of 429 (Bison) Sqn on the night of the 2nd/3rd March 1943 the aircraft was ditched some 87 miles off Cromer during a 'Gardening sortie’. A dinghy was picked up by an ASR launch on the 6th March with Sgt. Rothera and Sgt. Black aboard. Sgt. Rothera survived and returned to operations. The other three (3) crew members were posted MiA;

On an operation to Köln on the 3rd/4th July 1943 Wellington X LN296 AL:? of 429 (Bison) Sqn was shot down by a German night fighter. Sgt. Rothera and his crew were all KiA;

WOp/ Air Gnr: Plt Off. P.S. Bastian;

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. R.G. Moore R93167 RCAF.

No further information for Sgt. Moore has been found.

(3) Sgt. Murray was captured near the Hague on the 27th March and was admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam the next day with unspecified injuries.

On the 11th April 1943 he was transferred to the Reserve Lazarett (Hospital) in Hohemark, Dulag Luft arriving there on the 13th April. On the 20th April he was transferred to the Reserve-Lazarett (Hospital) 9C(a) at Mühlhausen near Bad Sulza in Thuringia arriving there two (2) days later.

On the 12th May 1943 he was transferred to main PoW compound at Stalag 9C, Mühlhausen. The following month on the 19th June 1943 he was transferred to Stalag Luft 6, Heydekrug, Memelland arriving there on the 23rd June 1943.

In early 1944 the Russian Army were advancing into the Baltic States from the North and the East preparation for evacuating the camp was being made. PoWs from Stalag Luft 6, the camp closest to the Russian advance, were in the "northern route" of the force-marches, and were transported to Stalag 20A by train in July 1944, and from there took part in the forced-march.

It was estimated that 100,000 PoWs took the northern route. It went to Stalag Luft 4 at Groß-Tychow, Pomerania then via Stettin to Stalag 9B and Stalag 357, Kopernikus at Thorn (Toruń) in Poland. He was amongst the PoWs that arrived at Stalag 357 on the18th July 1944.

On the 1st September 1944 the PoWs were force-marched from Thorn (Toruń) to the site of the former Stalag 11D, with construction being carried out by the Italian PoW from Stalag 11B. The camp was commonly known as Stalag 357, Fallingbostal but officially the designation was Stalag 357, Oerbke.

In early April 1945 the PoWs were informed by the Commandant Oberst Hermann Ostmann that 12,000 British PoWs were being evacuated from the camp in the face of the Allied advance. It appears that he was amongst those PoWs who remained at the camp which was liberated on the 16th April 1945 by British troops from B Squadron 11th Hussarsand the Reconnaissance Troop of the 8th Hussars. They were met at the main gate of the camp by a guard of Airborne troops, impeccably attired and led by RSM Lord. Sgt. Murray was interviewed on the 25th April 1945.

James MacQuarrie Murray was born on the 10th January 1921. His profession was a Roofing Slater in Lanarkshire, Scotland prior to enlisting in the RAFVR on the 25th June 1940.

Burial details:

Above: The Hague (Westduin) General cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Fg Off. George Fox. The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, Allied plot, Row 2, Grave 40. Grave Inscription: “WITHOUT FAREWELL HE FELL ASLEEP LEAVING ONLY MEMORIES FOR US TO KEEP”. Son of Frederick and Blanche Fox of Barnsley, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Albert Arthur Skelly. The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, Allied plot, Row 2, Grave 42. Son of William Henry and Eleanor Beatrice Skelly of Douglas, Isle of Man.

Plt Off. Peter Spencer Penrose Bastian. The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, Allied plot, Row 2, Grave 41. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1920 in Falmouth, Cornwall. Son of the deceased in Aug 1937, Surgeon Captain William Bastian RN and Lilian Maud (née Williams) Bastian of Burbank Cottage, Shiplake-on-Thames, Oxon, England.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Oct 2025).

Other sources listed below:

Reference(s):

1. "They Came from Burgundy" - Keith James: ISBN: 978-178803-647-4
2. “RAF Evaders” - Oliver Clutton-Brock: ISBN 978-1-906502-17-1

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