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I am once again indebted to Duncan Campbell for the below image of the North Sydney War Memorial. On this day we remember the three Australian crew members aboard Lancaster ED559: F/O Harry Riding - Wireless Operator — RAAF 403699 (age 25) of West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia F/O Errol C. Crapp - Navigator — RAAF 411113 (age 24) of Singleton, New South Wales, Australia Sgt Garnet W. Durdin - Rear Gunner — RAAF 416149 (age 25) of Strathalbyn, South Australia.  North Sydney War Memorial - ANZAC Day 2022
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Today marks the 79th anniversary of the loss of the seven crew members of Lancaster ED559. 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) I was hoping that for this anniversary the commemorative plaque I had made would have been placed at the cemetery where Richard Curle is interred. Alas, although I have requested updates, I have not heard from the local mayor's office since early January. I remain hopeful that the plaque will be installed soon and visitors can learn more about the crew and the sacrifice they made all those years ago. Lest we forget.  I have been in touch with local council on the Island of Oléron in western France. In their communal cemetery lies the final resting place of Fl/Lt Richard Curle, interred there in April 1943. I sent a request to the local mayor’s office for permission to have a commemorative plaque placed on the cemetery wall. I received the good news that they are happy to place a plaque. It will provide visitors with more information regarding Richard, the six missing crew members and their mission in 1943. The sign is etched aluminium and should hopefully last quite a few years. I am hopeful it will be placed in time for the 79th anniversary of the loss of the crew of Lancaster ED559 in March 2022. I am also looking at potentially making my first trip to the island as well (but I’m wary of possible Covid issues affecting my plans). I should add that I have received support in this endeavour from Luis Garrido. He supplied the French translation and provided a contact I could email at the council.  Commemorative Plaque for the Crew of Lancaster ED559 I was recently contacted by Luis Garrido. He was visiting the grave of F/Lt Richard Curle and found this website when looking up his name. Luis has managed to contact Maguy, the daughter of M. Guy Normandin, who was the fisherman that found the pilot's body and returned with it in April 1943. Read more about Guy Normandin  M. Guy Normandin (© Normandin family) On this 11th day of the 11th month we remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice.  I am once again indebted to Duncan Campbell for the photo below. It shows the Nelson Bay War Memorial in New South Wales, Australia. On this day we remember the Antipodean members of Lancaster ED559 lost on March 4/5 1943. F/O Harry Riding - Wireless Operator — RAAF 403699 (age 25) of West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia F/O Errol C. Crapp - Navigator — RAAF 411113 (age 24) of Singleton, New South Wales, Australia Sgt Garnet W. Durdin - Rear Gunner — RAAF 416149 (age 25) of Strathalbyn, South Australia. Lest We Forget  Nelson Bay War Memorial, NSW Australia I am indebted to Howard Stanley for the following photographs. Howard lives 90 minutes from Île d'Oléron and paid a recent visit and his respects at Richard Curle's grave. Howard undertook to clear the weeds and debris from the grave and leave a poppy in remembrance. Howard mentioned just two Second World War graves in the area. The other being in La Rochelle for Sgt. James Merry of 10 OTU, the pilot of a Whitley undertaking an anti-submarine operation in the Bay of Biscay. The Whitley crashed into the Bay of Biscay but the rest of Merry's crew survived and were taken prisoner. Howard is seeking any further information regarding this crew - contact me if you know more. All photographs courtesy of Howard Stanley  Richard Curle's Grave, Île d'Oléron Cemetery
I have recently been contacted by Peter from Canada. His uncle, Derek Davies, flew with 100 Squadron during part of his long service career. Squadron Leader Davies (later Wing Commander) was flight leader of A flight. He would almost certainly have known Richard Curle and the other crew. Peter shared a page from Davies' log book showing him taking Lancaster III ED559 up for a long test flight on 25 February 1943. Date - 25 Feb 1943 Type - Lancaster III No. - ED559 Pilot - Self and it would appear with Flying Officer Pirie as extra navigator Passengers - Crew Duty - Base - Kinnairds Head 59N.09W - Tiumpan Head (Hebrides) - Douglas - Tudwals Island - Alscott - Oxford - Base Formation to 19.00 ft This appears to be an exceptionally long test flight, some 1,800 km / 1120 miles, possibly to ensure the new/extra navigator could plot a good course. Base - RAF Grimsby Kinnaird's Head - Fraserburgh Tiumpan Head - Isle of Lewis, Hebrides Douglas - Isle of Man Tudwal's Isalnd - Llŷn Peninsula, Wales Allscott - Telford (I think this is the Alscott Davies is referring to) Oxford Back to base RAF Grimsby Image courtesy of Derek Davies' daughter  Page from Derek Davies log book showing test flight in Lancaster III ED559  Test Flight of Lancaster ED559 piloted by Derek Davies 25 Feb 1943 …seven men climbed onboard Lancaster ED559. Their loss still felt across the years. 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)  Seven remembrance crosses at the The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC), Lincoln. At front a memorial stone to the crew of Lancaster ED559. A photo of staff at RAF Grimsby (Waltham) in 1943. Submitted by Charlie Stevenson, whose mother, Corporal Kathleen Selby, is third from the left.  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 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. |
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