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I recently came across the website for No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School that operated at Ballarat between 1940 and 1945. Ballarat is located in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. The website contains excellent information about the service personnel that undertook training at the establishment. One of those men was Flight Sergeant Garnet Walter Durdin, Lancaster RD559's rear gunner. The memorial page on the 1WAGS site contains a lot of information about Garnet's courses. Some details are not quite right and I have let the website know. The website also had a much better image of Garnet. The one I had appears to have been a newspaper version of this photo.  Flight Sergeant Garnet Walter Durdin, Lancaster RD559's rear gunner
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This year's Anzac Day will be a somewhat quiet affair given the global pandemic. However, across Australia and New Zealand families are paying tribute to those they lost with candles on balconies and window sills. Photo reproduced by kind permission of Duncan Campbell. In memory of the Aussies lost March 4/5, 1943 F/O Harry Riding (Wireless Operator) — RAAF 403699 (Age 25) F/O Errol C. Crapp (Navigator) — RAAF 411113 (Age 24) Sgt Garnet W. Durdin (Rear Gunner) — RAAF 416149 (Age 25)  Anzac Day 2020 77 years ago at 18.38 hours seven men lifted off from the tarmac at RAF Grimsby. Today we remember them and the ultimate sacrifice they made in the name of liberty and freedom. Lest we forget...  Per Ardua Ad Astra I am once again indebted to Duncan Campbell (related to W/Op Harry Riding) for the following photos. Duncan recently visited the archives there and I was hoping that among the documents in the archive there would be a photo of Errol Clifton CRAPP but alas it was not to be. Still hopeful that once day a relative of his finds this site and gets in touch.  Australian War Memorial, Canberra Today we remember all those that made the ultimate sacrifice. The Flanders Poppy shown below was grown by Duncan Campbell, a relative of Harry Riding, the W/Op on ED559. Gone but not forgotten.  I've finally managed to track down Sheet 6 for North Midlands & Lincolnshire. This 1943-dated Air Ministry map has all the airfields marked down. It's usually quite expensive but I managed to get it for under a tenner off eBay.  1943 RAF Sheet 6 North Midlands & Lincolnshire The evocative photograph is entitled "Remembrance". It was taken by Cpl Laurence of the Photo ACSSU, Royal Air Force Halton, and features Avro Lancaster 'Just Jane' during an enthusiasts evening photo shoot at the East Kirkby Aviation Heritage Centre.  "Remembrance" photo On this day we remember the three Australian crew lost aboard Lancaster ED559 on 4/5 March 1943. F/O Harry Riding (Wireless Operator) — RAAF 403699 (Age 25) F/O Errol C. Crapp (Navigator) — RAAF 411113 (Age 24) Sgt Garnet W. Durdin (Rear Gunner) — RAAF 416149 (Age 25) Between 1939 and 1945, 5397 Australian aircrew were lost in action over Europe. Gone but not forgotten. From some research and from the attached diagram it appears that the crew of a Lancaster would have stowed their parachutes before taking off. Given that this means that the crew had time to clip on their parachutes (most likely the chest mounted variety) it would appear that the crew had time to do this. As Richard Curle was found with parachute attached I would theorize that the aircraft was most likely hit by flak and the pilot attempted to gain height to allow the crew to bail out. Given the parachute is attached it's almost certainly not the case that the aircraft ditched (no point wearing a parachute when ditching in the sea). This is intriguing information but also incredibly sad as it could be the case the crew did exit the bomber but were lost at sea. Would crews voluntarily bail out over the sea? That is a very interesting question.  General Emergency Equipment & Exits on a Lancaster Bomber. It has taken nearly a year to get the following information. I applied to the Red Cross in April last year to see what information they had about Richard Curle, the skipper of ED559. The Red Cross only accepts a certain number of requests per quarter and I had to wait until October of last year to submit my request. Today I received the following letter from them. It provides much more detail about where and when Richard Curle's body was found. It also adds some information that is incredibly important. Richard's body was found attached to a parachute. This means that the crew may have bailed out of the Lancaster. I need to verify my information but I don't believe the pilot of a Lancaster flew with the parachute attached. If Richard was found with a parachute attached then it would mean that he bailed out of the Lancaster. Also, I have read many accounts where the Skipper would not leave a stricken aircraft until all the crew had had a chance to get out. I will post a query on a forum I use to validate this. Here is the letter and the translation: PROCES-VERBAL RELATIF A L'INDENTIFICATION, A L'INHUMATION DU CORPS D'UNOFFICIER DE L'AVIATION ANGLAISE TROUVE EN MER L'an mil neuf cent quarante treis, le trois du mois d'avril à quinze heures, le Sieur NORMANDIN Guy, patron du bateau "MONTCALM", s'est présenté à la Mairie du Château d'Oléron et Nous a déclaré que le trois avril mil neuf cent quarante treis, dix heures trente, alers qu'il se treuvais sur les lieux de pêche, entre boué Saint-Nicolas et le fort Boyard, au sud, il a trouvé dans saon filet un corpe déchiqueté qui semblait aveir fait un séjour prolongé dans l'eau. Le corps amené au Pert du Château d'Oléron, confié aux auterités allemandes, a été identifié carre étant de nationalit anglaise. Il était revêtu de l'uniforme de l'aviation anglaise aur lequel était fixé un parachute et portait une plaque d'idetité ou figurait l'inscription suivantes: R.A. CURLE Pff. CE. 121280 R.A.F. V.R. L'inhumation a été faite au cimetière du Château d'Oléron le quatre avril mil neuf cent quarante treis, dix heures, en présence du seus-officer allemand faisant fonction de chef de la place, du Maire et du représentant de la Croix-Rouge. Les honneurs militaires ont été rendus par les troupes d'occupation qui, dans l'accomplissement de tautes les fermalités, ont agi avec correction envere le défunt. LE MAIRE MINUTES CONCERNING INDENTIFICATION AND BURIAL OF THE BODY OF ENGLISH AIRMAN FOUND IN THE SEA In the year one thousand nine hundred and forty three (1943) on the third day of the month of April at fifteen hundred hours, Mr Guy NORMANDIN, the owner of the boat "MONTCALM", presented himself to the Mayor of Château d'Oléron and told us that on April 3rd, nineteen hundred and forty three, at ten thirty in the morning, when he fishing between the buoy at Saint-Nicolas and Fort Boyard, to the south, he found in his net a corpse which seemed to have been in the water a long time. The body was brought to the Port of Château d'Oléron, and entrusted to the German territories, and was identified as being of English nationality. He was wearing the uniform of the English Air Force, to which was attached a parachute and an identity tag on it with the following inscription: R.A. CURLE Off. CE 121280 R.A.F. V.R. The burial took place at the Château d'Oleron cemetery on April 4, 1943 at ten o'clock in the morning, in the presence of the German deputy officer in charge of the area, the Mayor and a representative of the Red Cross. Military honours were rendered by the occupying troops, who, in the accomplishment of the duties of the civilities, acted with honour towards the deceased. THE MAYOR  Red Cross letter detailing the collection and burial of Richard Curle, April 1943. The CWGC has a few documents on each person they have in their records. Here is the report form for Richard Curle.  Graves Registration Report Form for Richard Curle 75 years ago today seven men took off from RAF Grimsby on board Lancaster ED559 and never returned. For their sacrifice we give thanks and remember their loss. F/Lt Richard A. Curle (Pilot) — RAF 121280 (Age 28) Sgt David A. Hart (Flight Engineer) — RAF 567377 (Age 24) F/O Harry Riding (Wireless Operator) — RAAF 403699 (Age 25) F/O Errol C. Crapp (Navigator) — RAAF 411113 (Age 24) P/O Charles S. Challoner (Bomb Aimer) — RAF 131995 (Age 37) Sgt Daniel L. Gooch (Mid-Upper Gunner) — RAF 1336491 (Age 19) Sgt Garnet W. Durdin (Rear Gunner) — RAAF 416149 (Age 25)  Remembrance cross to the crew of Lancaster ED559 at the IBCC, Lincoln 2018. I recently came across information about a rather peculiar building that was on the airfield at RAF Grimsby. Known as the AML Bombing Teacher (AML from Air Ministry Laboratory) it was based on an earlier version called a Vickers-Bygrave Bombing Teacher. This ingenious device provided training for air bombardiers. Developed from the mid-1920s (the National Archives at Kew have films for the device) the 'teacher' projected a scrolling image of an aircraft's flight and target onto the floor. Various heights could be also be selected. The bomb aimer peered down a bomb sight from an elevated platform at the image and similar to a real bomb run he could communicate with the 'skipper' to make course changes which adjusted the image accordingly. The bomb aimer would then 'release' his bombs. His results would then be compared to the correct bomb release point. A two-story building was built at RAF Grimsby to accommodate this apparatus, It appears that many of these buildings were constructed at Operational Training Units (OTUs) but main stations also acquired them like Waltham. Control Towers website has images of the building at Waltham in question.  The Vickers-Bygrave Bombing Teacher - the precursor to the AML Bombing Teacher. Before RAF Station Grimsby came into existence, the airfield was known as Waltham Grange Aerodrome and also Grimsby Aerodrome (and later still Grimsby Municipal Airport). The image below details what could be found at the is aerodrome in the mid- to late-1930s.  Details for Grimsby Aerodrome (Waltham Airfield), Lincolnshire. The airfield later became RAF Station Grimsby during the second world war. Image from ATCHistory website
This drone footage gives a good look at RAF Grimsby from the air. There are some excellent shots of the remaining hangars, the main runways, peritrack and what's left of the buildings. I came across a short film on YouTube and I would recommend everyone watch it. Tony Bowden was kind enough to contact me about the bomb aimer on ED559 - Charles Stuart Challoner. Tony researches members of Manchester's police force who joined up for both the First and Second World War. He mentions that a very high proportion entered into the RAF during WW2. He sent the below picture of the memorial board. He's checking into the archives that remain to see if a picture Charles Challoner can be found. Fingers crossed.  Charles Challoner Memorial I had always assumed from the records (100 Squadron ORB and the Air ministry form 78) that ED559 arrived at RAF Grimsby on 8 February 1943. This is the date that the records show the aircraft as 'Taken on Charge'.
However, I recently emailed the AVRO Heritage Museum in Manchester (located on the former site of Woodford airfield). Harry Holmes replied to my request and from their records ED559 left Woodford on 3 February. It would have arrived the same day. So there is now a little oddity regarding arrival and being 'Taken on Charge'. Harry also sent me the full delivery dates for all of 100 Squadron's Lancasters - the 16 plus two reserve. 29 Jan - ED521, ED525, ED555, ED557 (Note: ED521 had to land at RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, en route. No details as to why.) 30 Jan - ED536, ED544, ED553 1 Feb - ED540, ED549, ED560, ED562 2 Feb - ED556, ED561, ED563, ED568 3 Feb - ED559 6 Feb - ED587 11 Feb - ED609 We know from the 100 Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB) that there were already a small number of Lancasters - mainly Lancaster Mk. Is - at RAF Grimsby. I assume that the new aircraft were sent for upcoming operations. I came across Arthur Adams' account of being shot down by a flak ship in the Bay of Biscay - it's definitely worth a read. Thought to be "a piece of cake...", gardening ops were incredibly dangerous as the bomber had to fly low and maintain an accurate and steady course for the navigator and bomb aimer to 'sow' their mines accurately.
The Gironde Estuary had anti-aircraft batteries and flak ships on it and I've wondered if these caused the disappearance of ED559. I had always assumed from the records (100 Squadron ORB and the Air Ministry form 78) that ED559 arrived at RAF Grimsby on 8 February 1943. This is the date that the records show the aircraft as 'Taken on Charge'.
However, I recently emailed the AVRO Heritage Museum in Manchester (located on the former site of Woodford airfield). Harry Holmes replied to my request and from their records ED559 left Woodford on 3 February. It would have arrived the same day. So there is now a little oddity regarding arrival and being 'Taken on Charge'. Harry also sent me the full delivery dates for all of 100 Squadron's Lancasters - the 16 plus two reserve. There was no information about the pilot delivering the Lanc but in all likelihood it was an ATA pilot. 29 Jan - ED521, ED525, ED555, ED557 (ED521 had to land at RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, en route. No details as to why.) 30 Jan - ED536, ED544, ED553 1 Feb - ED540, ED549, ED560, ED562 2 Feb - ED556, ED561, ED563, ED568 3 Feb - ED559 6 Feb - ED587 11 Feb - ED609 The squadron at Grimsby already had some Lancasters on roster - mainly Lancaster Is - but I assume that the 16 newly arrived Lancs were for the upcoming operations. I assume that the older aircraft were redistributed back to others squadrons/held as reserve. As part of Casualty Communique No. 224, the crew of Lancaster ED559 are recorded as Missing in the 29 April 1943 edition of Flight magazine.  Names of the missing crew recorded in the 29 April 1943 Edition of Flight magazine.  Flight Magazine 29 April 1943 In the 27 Januay, 1944 edition of the same magazine, Casualty Communique No. 335, mentions the crew as now "Previously Reported Missing, Now Presumed Killed in Action."
Richard Curle's service records show he was a member of No. 33 SFTS from late January 1942. As part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, it was here that Richard flew. The airfield consisted of six paved runways were supplemented by two relief fields at Oberon. Training aircraft consisted of Harvards and Ansons. For more details see Historic Sites of Manitoba.  Wartime aerial photo of No. 33 SFTS. Source: Carberry Plains Archives (McCain Foods) I came across three casualty cards for the Australian crew on-board ED559. Each image links to the copyright holder, the Museum of Melbourne.  Red Cross Casualty Card for Harry Riding  Red Cross Casualty Card for Garnet Durdin  Red Cross Casualty Card for Errol Crapp An American friend of mine was passing through London yesterday so I took him to the Imperial War Museum (I don't need much of an excuse...). Had a great couple of hours going through the exhibits. On the first floor is the forward fuselage of Lancaster Mk I DV732 'Old Fred' which flew with No. 467 Squadron RAAF as PO-F. The rear of the fuselage gives a really good look at the wireless operator's position - where ED559's Australian W/Op Harry Riding would have been positioned. Just beyond this in the seat for the navigator (Errol Clifton). Unfortunately you can't get to look into the cockpit to see the skipper's (Richard Curle) and flight engineer's (David Hart) position clearly. From the front you get a good look at the bomb aimer's position (Charles Challoner). I saw on a Facebook post today that the first stones for the Ribbon of Remembrance at the International Bomber Command Centre have been made. Remarkably, the stone I ordered was amongst the photos shared. Can't wait to see this in place at the centre one day. More info on the Ribbon of Remembrance  |
AuthorAs and when information is found I'll post to this blog. Archives
August 2020
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