Operation: Essen, Germany

Date: 23rd/24th October 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 625 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: LM691

Code: CF:O

Base: RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire

Location: 2000 yards SE of Aachen, Germany

Pilot: Sqn Ldr. Charles William Cowen Hamilton 88647 RAFVR Age? Safe (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. Victor Stringer 1874823 RAFVR Age 20. KiA

Nav: Fg Off. Geoffrey Laing 152788 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Fg Off. John William Brady 423280 RAAF Age 20. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Harry Martin DFM 1183447 RAFVR Age 23. KiA (2)

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Sgt. Isaac Lynas Murdoch 1896046 RAFVR Age 38. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Sgt. John George Durham 1592562 RAFVR Age 21. KiA

Above: Fg Off. John William Brady (from his Service Record)

REASON FOR LOSS

On the night of the 23rd/24th October 1944 nineteen (19) aircraft from the Sqn were detailed to join a force of one-thousand and fifty-five (1055) aircraft to bomb Essen in Germany.

LM691 was one of three (3) aircraft from the Squadron that failed to return. The other two were:

Lancaster I PA174 CF:G - Flown by Plt Off. Lloyd Allan Tweter which crashed on return to base, killing all aboard;

Lancaster III PB531 CF:H - Flown by Fg Off. Owen Henry Morshead. The aircraft and crew were lost without trace.

In the absence of any available report from Sqn Ldr. Hamilton describing the loss of his aircraft it was later established that his Lancaster was in a mid-air collision with 462 Sqn, RAAF Halifax III LL599 Z5:E.

It can be surmised that, as Sqn Ldr. Hamilton who was the pilot and was the only survivor, that it was probable that LM691 enroute to base inadvertently collided with LL599 from above and leaving the cockpit area relatively intact

The Missing Research & Enquiry Unit (MREU) report does not provide a location of the crash for LM691 except that it was SE of Aachen, however, in can be assumed that it crashed in the same vicinity at LL599 some 2000 yards SE of Aachen, Germany

(1) Acting Sqn Ldr. Hamilton was returned to England by air. Great satisfaction was felt throughout the Sqn. He had completed 31 operations and as a Flight Commander had never failed to inspire the confidence of all members of the Flight he commanded.

Acting Sqn Ldr. Hamilton was posted to 617 Squadron with effect 9th November 1944.

Sqn Ldr. Hamilton was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) whilst with 625 Sqn (London Gazette 5th December 1944)

On the 1st March 1948 Flt Lt. Hamilton DFC, retaining his rank of Sqn Ldr ., was appointed to the reconstituted RAFVR. He was then appointed to a commission as a Fg Off. in the General Duties Branch effective the 1st March 1948 (London Gazette 20th April 1948).

On the 1st March 1951 he was promoted to Flt Lt. (London Gazette 17th August 1951). On the 1st March 1958 he extended his length of service by 5 years (London Gazette 26th August 1958). On the 1st March 1963 he relinquished his commission (London Gazette 19th March 1963).

(2) Recommendation for the award of the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) to Flt Sgt. Harry Martin, dated 7th September 1944. Overall he had flown 61 Sorties with a total of 371 flying time.

“Flight Sergeant Martin, a Wireless Operator, is now nearing the end of his second tour of operations. His first tour of operations which was completed in November, 1942, was carried out in North Africa and consisted of 40 sorties and 286 hours flying in Wellington aircraft. His second tour of operations on Lancaster aircraft was commenced in May, 1944, and he has now completed 21 sorties totalling 89 hours operational flying. Flight Sergeant Martin has carried out his duties with the utmost coolness and skill during attacks on Duisburg, Dortmund, Les Hayons and Gelsenkirchen. His initiative was most clearly shown, however, during a daylight attack on Les Hayons constructional site on 24th June, 1944, for during the bombing run-up to the target, the aircraft was subjected to heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire as a result of which the [Bomb Aimer] was hit and seriously injured. Flight Sergeant Martin immediately went forward to the bombing compartment and, although unable to operate the bomb sight, he kept a close watch on the aircraft flying alongside his own and soon as he saw their bombs being released, he dropped his bombs. The photograph, which is taken with the bombing, shows that the bombs fell within the target area. Flight Sergeant Martin then administered to the needs of the [Bomb Aimer] and it is largely due to the successful first aid treatment that he applied that the [Bomb Aimer] survived. For tenacity, courage and devotion to duty which he has continually shown throughout his operational career, I strongly recommend Flight Sergeant Martin for an award of the DFM”.

The DFM was awarded to Flt Sgt. Martin and promulgated in the London Gazette on the 12th December 1944.

Burial details:

The bodies of Fg Off. Brady, Sgt. Stringer, Sgt. Durham and Sgt. Murdoch were recovered by an American Grave Registration unit and they were initially interred in the Henri Chapell American Cemetery, Plot D, Row 2, Graves 25, 27, 28 and 32 respectively. They were finally laid to rest at the Hotton War Cemetery on the 24th April 1947.

Above: The Hotton War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission)

The bodies of Fg Off. Laing and Flt Sgt. Martin DFM were recovered from isolated graves in a field. They were finally laid to rest in the Rheinberg War Cemetery on the 22nd May 1947.

Above: The Rheinberg War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission)

Sgt. Victor Stringer. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.4. Grave Inscription: “WE ALWAYS SPEAK HIS NAME, BUT ALL WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IS HIS PHOTO' IN A FRAME”. Born on the 16th September 1924 in Colmworth, Bedfordshire. Son of Archie and Mona Wilson (née Loakes) Stringer of Colmworth, Bedfordshire, England.

Fg Off. Geoffrey Laing. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 11.D.9. Grave Inscription: “AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM”. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1923 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Son of William and Gertrude Adelina (née Scaife) Laing of Harrogate, Yorkshire, England.

Fg Off. John William Brady. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.3. Grave Inscription: “NOBLY LIVED AND NOBLY DIED. SO DEARLY LOVED”. Born on the 5th June 1924 in County Clare, Ireland. Son of Patrick and Grace Brady of Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Harry Martin DFM. Rheinberg War Cemetery, 11.D.8. Grave Inscription: “ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE LOST CAN TELL HOW SAD IS THE PARTING WITHOUT FAREWELL”. Born in the 2nd Qtr of 1922 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Son of John Ben and Bertha (née Cartledge) Martin of Clay Cross, Derbyshire, England.

Sgt. Isaac Lynas Murdoch. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.2. Grave Inscription: “UNTIL THE DAY BREAK AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY”. Born on the 16th October 1906 in Broxburn, East Lothian, Scotland. Son of Robert and Isabella Reid (née McLelland) Murdoch. Husband of Christina Pearson (née Murdoch) Murdoch of Windygates, Fife, Scotland.

Sgt. John George Durham. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.1. Grave Inscription: “TO THEE, DEAR GOD WE LIFT OUR PRAYER, AND LEAVE OUR LOVED ONE IN THY CARE”. Born in the 4th Qtr of 1922 in Tynemouth, Northumberland. Son of John Walker and Jane Curry (née Thirwell) Durham of Sea Houses, Northumberland, England.

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

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