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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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100 Squadron Crest
03/04.02.1945 No. 100 Squadron Lancaster III PB569 HW-Y Fl/Lt. Ordell DFC

Operation: Bottrop

Date: 3/4th February 1945 (Saturday/Sunday)

Unit: No. 100 Squadron (Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok - 'Never stir up a hornet's nest')

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: PB569

Code: HW-Y

Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Location: 2 km. East of Swolgen, near Venlo

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Robin Ordell DFC AUS/422251 RAAF Age 24. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. Charles Scurr 1077176 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

Nav: P/O. Ian Ronald Osborne AUS/424538 RAAF Age 20. Killed

Air/Bmr: W/O. John Gordon Treatt Killen AUS/421913 RAAF Age 24. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Keith Kevin Reynolds AUS/424306 RAAF Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Raymond Kevin McKaskill AUS/431183 RAAF Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. James Harper 117739 RAFVR Age 21. PoW details not known (1)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 16:05 hrs. from Grimsby to bomb the Prosper Benzol Works at Bottrop.

It is thought "probable" that this Lancaster was shot down after dropping its bomb load on the target. The time listed as dropping its bombs has been recorded as 19:35 hrs.

Hptm. Heinz Rökker (2) of 2./NGJ2 intercepted PB569 between 19:51 and 19:56 hrs. The aircraft crashed into a minefield 2 km. East of Swolgen, near Venlo, which set of explosions that caused the wreckage to be scattered over a wide area. The records of 100 squadron mistakingly listed the loss as possibly due to flak.

The bordfunker to Hptm. Rökker, Fw. Carllos Nugent recorded that "After one burst of gunfire from our attacking position the fuselage of the adversary started burning and the aircraft plunged down steeply. The crash fire was observed."

PB569 was delivered to 100 Squadron on the 5th of September 1944 and when lost had a total of 79 hours.

Fl/Sgt. Harper was confined to hospital due to his injuries until liberation. When he returned home he made a point of getting in touch with the crew’s families.

Flight Lieutenant Ordell was awarded a posthumous DFC. in 1946. Citation (London Gazette 5th April 1946) :
“Flight Lieutenant Ordell has completed as pilot and captain of aircraft numerous operations against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty”

His father Mr Tal Ordell was presented with his sons DFC by the Governor of New South Wales at Government House, Sydney on the 27th February 1947.

(1) James Harper was an Australian, born in Cobden, Victoria, Australia on the 01st July 1924.

(2) This was the 52nd confirmed claim by Hptm. Heinz Rökker (the third on this operation alone). He was to survive the war with a total of 64 confirmed victories. Passed away on the 02nd August 2018, age 97.

Above: Mielo War Cemetery (We do have photographs of the crews individual graves at a higher resolution if requested)

Burial details:

The crew were originally buried near Venray on the 16th February, the crew was later re interred in the Mierlo War Cemetery. Details as shown below.

Fl/Lt. Robin Ordell DFC. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.2. Further information: Son of William Raymond and Ethel May Ordell and brother of Arthur Ordell (chief officer in the merchant navy) of High Road, Vaucluse, New South Wales, Australia. Born on the 16th of June 1920, worked as a radio announcer. His father William Ordell Raymond Buntine aka Talone Ordell (1880-1948) was a well-known film and stage actor and also a writer and artist. Robin first appeared with his father when he was aged six in “The Kid Stakes”. When his mother died, his father remarried Ivy Lillian Smith (née Dowling) a widow with two children, Joyce D. Smith and Graham D. Smith (a pilot officer in the RAAF). Flight Lieutenant Ordell enlisted at Woolloomooloo on Anzac Day, 25th April 1942. He did some of his training in Canada in January 1943 embarking for the U.K. in June 1943. and continuing to 27 Operational Training Unit in April 1944.


After the crew had been shot down, the parents of Flight Lieutenant Ordell became good friends with the family of Sergeant Scurr and formed a close friendship, sending them food and clothing parcels. He is commemorated on the School Roll of honour for Old Sydneians who attended Sydney Grammar School.

Sgt. Charles Scurr. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.6. Further information: Son of George Henry and Sarah (née Rogan) Scurr of Easington Colliery, County Durham, Egland. Born in 1921 he had three brothers, John Joseph, Alfred and George and one sister, Annie. As a child Charles suffered from ill health originating from a blocked bowel that became infected. However he got a job as a fitter in the local mine and despite it being a reserved occupation, an army doctor passed him as being fit enough to enlist in the RAF where he started off as a fitter, before training as a navigator and joining the crew. He is commemorated on the Memorial Cross 1939-45 in the centre of the Bosnia Cemetery, Easington Colliery.

P/O. Ian Ronald Osborne. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.1. Further information: Born on the 24th February 1924 at Killara, the son of Ronald Charles and Mabel Isabel Osborne of Killara, New South Wales, Australia.

Left: Newspaper report on the loss of Fl/Sgt. McKaskill

W/O. John Gordon Treatt Killen. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.3. Further information: Son of John Gilliland and Constantine Killen of Tumut, New South Wales, Australia. Born on the 15th of July 1920 at Forbes, New South Wales, enlisted at Sydney.

Fl/Sgt. Keith Kevin Reynolds. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.5. Further information: Son of Clement John and Jessie Tryphena Reynolds of Edgecliffe, New South Wales. Born on the 30th of May 1923 at Marrickville, New South Wales, enlisted at Sydney, Australia.

Fl/Sgt. Raymond Kevin McKaskill. Mierlo War Cemetery. Grave VII.A.4. Further information: Son of Donald William and Minnie (née Henderson) McKaskill and brother of Donald (1923-1994) and Kenneth (1921-1992) of Richmond, Victoria, Australia. Born on the 24th of March 1925 at Morwell, Victoria, he attended Boolarra State School and worked for Crofts Stores, Melbourne before enlisting at Melbourne.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. With thanks to Alan Scurr, great nephew, Sergeant Scurr’s sister Annie Turnbull (nee Scurr) for the family information. Photo credits and information of Flight Sergeant McKaskill to Gary Culver. Grave photo’s courtesy Des Philippet. The information on the loss of PB569 kindly supplied by Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2’.

Left: A Grave Too Far Away - Kathryn Spurling

There is a 400 page book, published in 2012 by Kathryn Spurling titled - ‘A Grave Too Far Away’ A tribute to Australians in Bomber Command Europe that features the Ordell crew. ISBN 9781742571614. New Holland publishers, Sydney, Australia.

KTY Updated map 30.07.2019

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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