Archive Report: Allied Forces

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22/23.08.1941 106 Squadron Hampden AE220 P/O. McGruer

Operation: Mannheim

Date: 22/23rd August 1941 (Friday/Saturday)

Unit: No. 106 Squadron

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AE220

Code: ZN-?

Base: RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire

Location: Plankstadt, 5 km. west of Heidelberg, Germany

Pilot: P/O. Allan Frederick McGruer NZ/402201 RNZAF Age 29. Killed

Nav: P/O. James Paul Erly DFC J/3264 RCAF Age 25. Killed (1)

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Anthony Leonard Powell Rawlinson 924494 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Walter Goddard 1001141 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

P/O. McGruer and crew took of from RAF Coningsby at 21:40 hours, one of 41 Hampdens and 56 Wellingtons for a sortie against three targets in the city of Mannheim.

Although the returning crews reported numerous fires burning, German reports after the raid stated that only six high explosive bombs fell on the city. One house was badly damaged along with slight damage to five others. One air-raid worker was injured when the vehicle he was driving crashed en route to an incident.

Above left: P/O. Allan F. McGruer Right: P/O. James P. Erly DFC (courtesy Francois Dutil)

Hampden AE220, the only aircraft lost on the mission, was hit by flak and crashed some six miles south east of Mannheim near Plankstadt at 02:12 hrs.

(1) P/O. Erly enlisted in the Canadian Grenadier Guards before transferring to the RCAF. 
Upon completion of his training at No.1 ITS at Toronto, he was enrolled at No.1 Air Observer School, Malton and then at No.1 Bombing and Gunnery School at Jarvis, Ontario. James Erly graduated with his Observers Wing from No.1 Air Navigation School at Rivers, Manitoba on 23rd December, 1940. Upon his arrival in England, he was posted to No.16 OTU at Upper Heyford on 16th February, 1941 and from there to No.106 Squadron on 3rd May, 1941.

His father, W.J. Erly receives the Distinguished Flying Cross from the Governor General in a posthumous award to his son.

P/O. Erly was awarded his DFC for his participation in the successful raid carried out in daylight on 24th July 1941 against several German warships which included the battleship Gneisenau, moored at the port of Brest.

The citation for his award, which was to be effective on 2nd September, 1941 shortly after he went missing, reads:

'In July 1941, large scale attacks were made on German warships at Brest and La Pallice (including the 'Gneisenau', 'Scharnhorst and 'Prince Eugene'). A smaller attack was made on Cherbourg. The operations were carried out in daylight and extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire and fighter opposition were encountered by all aircraft when approaching the targets, which at Brest were protected by a balloon barrage. The aircrews engaged succeeded, nevertheless, in securing direct hits on their objectives and in inflicting very severe damage in the target area. During the combats with enemy fighters, 21 hostile aircraft were destroyed and others were severely damaged. The precise timing of the attack by the various formations of aircraft and their correct approach and accurate bombing of the objective in the face of such powerful opposition demanded great skill and high courage. The great success of these operations was largely due to the bravery, determination and resource displayed by the following officers and airmen, who participated in various capacities as leaders and members of the aircraft crews.'

Born in Toronto, he was educated at the D’Arcy McGee School in Montreal before joining the staff of the Commercial Credit Corporation until his enlistment in the RCAF.

Sadly, the Erly family was to suffer a second loss when, on the night of 27/28th September 1943, his brother, F/O. William Jerome Erly, was lost without trace when his Halifax JN905 of 158 Squadron failed to return from a raid on Hannover. F/O. William Erly is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Read more here.

(1) Erly Lake in Tuktut Nogait National Park, North West Territories, Canada is named after P/O. James Paul Erly.

Durnbach War Cemetery - The quality of these photographs shown here can not be fully appreciated when the size is reduced for the web page. (courtesy David Franklin - David has kindly provided us with permission to release high definition copies)

Burial details:

P/O. Allan Frederick McGruer. Durnbach War Cemetery Collective Grave 2B 5-8. Born on the 21st October 1911 at Waihi. the son of Norman and Sarah Mary McGruer (née McClymont) of Orakei, Auckland, New Zealand, husband of Nancy McGruer (née McVean - later Burden). Prior to enlisting on the 26th July 1940 worked as a mechanic and then joined Auckland Aero Club as a apprentice motor mechanic. Then as a ground engineer for Airwork Ltd and had 125 flying hours logged by September 1939. A total of 460 flying hours logged an on his 10th operational sortie.

P/O. James Paul Erly DFC. Durnbach War Cemetery. Collective Grave 2B 5-8. Son of James William Joseph and Mary Maude (nee Kenney) Erly of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Sgt. Anthony Leonard Powell Rawlinson. Durnbach War Cemetery. Collective Grave 2B 5-8. Son of Walter Henry and Ethel Louie (nee Barlow) Rawlinson of Gravesend, Kent, England. Grave inscription: 'Years Will Not Darken Nor Shadows Dim, Loving Memories We Keep Of Him'.

Sgt. James Walter Goddard. Durnbach War Cemetery. Collective Grave 2B 5-8. Son of Walter Maltby and Alice Griffin (nee Pickersgill) Goddard of Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire, England. Grave inscription: 'He Kept Faith'.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and RCAF specialist Colin Bamford for relatives of this crew. With thanks to Auckland War Memorial Museum, the family members of P/O. James Erly, William and Elissa Schirmer Erly of Tucson, Arizona, Nora Murphy-Johnson of Denver, Colorado and Rita Mahar and Christine Ditchburn in British Columbia, Canada. Contacted in July 2017 by William Erly, relative of P/O. James Paul Erly D.F.C who have kindly sponsored the page. Thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: 'For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3', Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, Francois Dutil for new photo of P/O. Erly, 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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