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Operation: Reconnaissance
Date: 08th February 1945 (Thursday)
Unit: No. 35 Wing (268 Squadron aircraft) 84 Group
Type: Mustang Ia
Serial: FD546
Code: NM-?
Base: B.77 Gilze-Rijen
Location: Donnsbruggen
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Francis Robert Normoyle AUS/420905 RAAF Age 28. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 12:30 hrs with 33 year old, Fl/Lt. Jan Tadeusz Szyszko P-0112 PAF (1) on a tactical reconnaissance flight to Bocholt. It is thought that he was either struck by flak or shot down by a Luftwaffe fighter whilst flying at low level. At the time Fl/Lt. Normoyle was attached to 35 Wing.
His body was later recovered by troops of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division that moved into that area shortly afterwards and was identified by an identification bracelet around his wrist.
Originally buried at his crash site which was described as being between Nijmegen and Kleve at Donsbrüggen.
His body was later exhumed by 20 MRES (Ruhr) Area RAF Kefeld in July 1948 and re-interred in the Reichswald Forest Cemetery in Germany as a part of the post-War consolidation of War graves. The report submitted by 20 MRES noted of the crash site: “Wreckage was scattered over a wide area and what appear to have been shot down by fighter action blowing up on impact. A complete tail-unit was discovered some distance from the scene of the crash bearing the numbers FD546. Excavation of the airscrew assembling which was buried in the ground confirmed that this was FD546.
(1) Fl/Lt. Jan Tadeusz Szyszko survived the war and moved to Hamilton, Ontario in Canada. He passed away on the 01st November 1978 age 67.
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Francis Robert Normoyle. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 2.D.17. Born on the 04th June 1916 at Young, the son of Francis Robert and Dorothy Johanna Normoyle, of 'Strathdarr' HickeyStreet, New Farm, Queensland, Australia. Grave inscription reads: 'Mourned By His Family In Australia. Rest In Peace'.
Researched for relatives of the pilot with thanks to the Australian Archives for comprehensive details. Further details our thanks to the following sources.
KTY 19.03.2019
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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