419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Halifax JD382

Crew members of Halifax JD382

October 22nd 1943, sixteen aircraft were assigned to form part of an attack on Kassel. Weather forecasts proved incorrect with unannounced icing conditions being encountered on the first part of their route causing at least one of 419 Halifax aircraft to return early along with one other returning with problems to the port outer engine.
Of the thirteen remaining aircraft one was not to return.

The new squadron commander and his crew were lost, W/C McMurdy had only been in his new postion for eleven days. Prior to this posting he was O C of “A” Flight. JD382 arriving early over the target found fires and smoke rising from the target, as well as a noticeable series of fake fires north of the target area. Luftwaffe was active with numerous fighter flares lighting up the path into and out of the target which made hiding from the awaiting fighters almost impossible.
Halifax VR-A had problems with instruments caused by icing up of the venturi which supplied information to the air speed indicator which would throw their navigation off making them late over the target while the others had been early over Kassel.
While on the bomb run in the aircraft was caught in the searchlights which meant a evasive maneuver had to be made. The Pilot chose to make a turn to port, but they has already been spotted and three fighters zeroed in on them from three separate quarters. F/S Peterkin called the “Fighter Up” signal and the aircraft went into a corkscrew action which threw off two of the attackers. Recovering from the corkscrew dive the port inner engine was hit by gunfire from a stern attack by the third fighter.
Peterkin communicated to McMurdy about the engine on fire.
It was then feathered but a call for standby for abandoning the aircraft was given followed shortly by the bail out order.
P/O Coleman, F/L Shields and Sgt. Woods were the only ones to react to the order. No mention is made of why the others were lost with the aircraft, McMurdy may have tried to pilot the aircraft to a safe landing because some of his crew were wounded in the attack. But exact reason is not given.
The Halifax came down at Lauenforde almost directly North of Kassel.

Crew members of Halifax JD382

Sergeant

Thomas Rawlings

Flight Engineer RAF Age 26
Killed In Action October 22 1943
From Aberaman, Aberdare, Glamorgan
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Wing Commander

Gordon Archibald McMurdy

Pilot Age25 Killed In Action October 22 1943
From St. Vital Manitoba
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

W C Coleman

Navigator POW #1366 Stalag Luft I

Flight Lieutenant

R K Shields

Bomb Aimer POW # 1556 Stalag Luft I

Pilot Officer

R J Woods

W/Op POW #261496 Stalag Luft IVB

Warrant Officer II

Frank Joseph Yackison

Air Gunner Age Killed In Action
From
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

Francis Weatherford Peterkin

Rear Gunner Age22 Killed In Action
From Yarmouth Port Mass. USA
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Warrant Officer II

Arthur Bruce Willson

2nd Pilot Age Killed In Action October 22 1943
From Courtenay B C
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Crew members of Halifax JD382

Sergeant

Thomas Rawlings

Flight Engineer RAF Age 26 Killed In Action October 22 1943 From Aberaman, Aberdare, Glamorgan Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Wing Commander

Gordon Archibald McMurdy

Pilot Age25 Killed In Action October 22 1943 From St. Vital Manitoba Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Pilot Officer

W C Coleman

Navigator POW #1366 Stalag Luft I

Flight Lieutenant

R K Shields

Bomb Aimer POW # 1556 Stalag Luft I

Pilot Officer

R J Woods

W/Op POW #261496 Stalag Luft IVB

Warrant Officer II

Frank Joseph Yackison

Air Gunner Age Killed In Action From Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Flight Sergeant

Francis Weatherford Peterkin

Rear Gunner Age22 Killed In Action From Yarmouth Port Mass. USA Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Warrant Officer II

Arthur Bruce Willson

2nd Pilot Age Killed In Action October 22 1943 From Courtenay B C Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Flight Engineer RAF Age 26
Killed In Action October 22 1943
From Aberaman, Aberdare, Glamorgan
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Pilot Age25 Killed In Action October 22 1943
From St. Vital Manitoba
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

Air Gunner Age Killed In Action
From
Remembrance Runnymede Memorial

Rear Gunner Age22 Killed In Action
From Yarmouth Port Mass. USA
Burial Hanover War Cemetery

2nd Pilot Age Killed In Action October 22 1943
From Courtenay B C
Burial Hanover War Cemetery