Halifax R9377 damaged by flak, returned to Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 30th December 1941 the crew of this 35 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to attack the Scharnhorst enemy ship in dock at Brest.
They left Linton on Ouse at 11.27hrs and attacked the target area at 14.07hrs from 16,000ft but due to heavy flak the pilot took
evasive action though the starboard inner engine was damaged by flak. The crew were able to return the aircraft safely to base and
land at Linton on Ouse at 17.10hrs. This incident was virtually identical to that of 18th December 1941 when the same aircraft
was damaged in the same engine by flak with the same crew flying the aircraft.
Pilot - F/Sgt William Bruce Archibald RAFVR (533809).
Second Pilot - P/O Herbert Gordon Badger Mays RAFVR (104520).
Observer - Sgt Geoffrey Hillam Gurr Murray RAAF (407094).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Archibald McCulloch McLaren RAFVR (993204).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Russell James Gordon Jones RAFVR (1169608).
Air Gunner - Sgt Douglas Francis RAF (632346).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Samuel Palmer RAF (526215).
Linzee Druce's superb website www.archie.co.uk details the work of 35 Squadron around this time and that of the crew named above. Her grandfather being the pilot F/Sgt Archibald.
On 30th March 1942 of those named above, Archibald, Murray, Mclaren, Francis and Palmer were together in Halifax R9496
on Ops to sink the German ship the Tirpitz. The aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Norway and
crashed into a fjord. All on board lost their lives and a number of the crew were washed ashore while
some were never found. Those who were found were Archibald (aged ?), McLaren (aged 22) and Francis (aged 26) and
they were buried Trondheim Cemetery, Norway. Murray (aged 30) and Palmer (aged 27) were not recovered and are
commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Linzee details this loss in great detail on her website.
Geoffrey Murray was born on 1st July 1911 in Adelaide, South Australia, he enlisted on 27th May 1940 in Adelaide.
On arrival in the UK he trained at 10 OTU and crew-ed up with many of those named above, on completion of this training
he was posted to 102 Squadron in August 1941 and then posted to 35 Squadron two months later. A few weeks before his
death he had applied for a posting away from the UK to serve his native Australia nearer to home but this was turned down.
Of the RAF members of this crew Sgt Archibald had also trained at 10 OTU before posted to 102 Squadron in August 1941,
two months later he was posted to 35 Squadron in October 1941. Other members of this crew are believed to have done the same.
Herbert Mays received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th August 1941, as F/O he was killed on 26th June 1942 flying
with 35 Squadron in Halifax W1105 shot down on Ops to Bremen. He is buried in Sage War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Jones was killed on 9th March 1942 flying 35 Squadron Halifax R9450 on Ops to Essen. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea and all the crew have no known grave so are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Halifax R9377 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was allotted to 12 MU on 3rd December 1941 then was allotted to 35 Squadron on 5th December 1941. It was taken on charge by 35 Squadron on 6th Dceember 1941 at Linton on Ouse. As a result of flak damage on 18th December 1941 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment which saw it swiftly repaired on site. The aircraft sustained further battle damage on 30th December 1941. Again Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was again repaired on site. It continued to be used by 35 Squadron until being transferred to 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 27th January 1942. On 24th June 1942 it crashed at Marston Moor airfield, Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on the same date.