Veteran airman’s Tirpitz memories (From York Press) 35 Squadron 28/29th April 1942 Halifax W7656 Took off 2035 from Kinloss. Cause of loss not established. Crashed at Stavne-Duantheim, Norway. Sgt Russell is buried in Trondheim (Stavne) Cemetery. P/O J R Roe RCAF PoW Sgt D C G Butchart PoW Sgt D R P Williams PoW Sgt J.S.Morrison PoW Sgt C F Russell Killed F/Sgt W R Parr RCAF PoW Archie - A Pilot in RAF Bomber Command - W7656 TL-P from 35 Squadron
Morrison J.S. Sgt. pow. Aircraft Halifax II W1053. 35 Squadron. Camps. Stalag Luft III (Sagan) Stalag Luft VI (Heydekrug) Stalag 357 (Thorn and Oerbke) pow No. 259. Footprint on the Sands of Time. Oliver Clutton-Brock. Bomber Command Losses Vol.3 W R. Chorley also gives Morrisons aircraft as Halifax II W1053 TL-G. Chorley also states that 35 Squadron lost another aircraft during this op. Halifax II W7656 TL-P F/T. D. Petley and crew.
"Serial Range W1035 - W1067. 33 Halifax Mk.11. part of a batch of 181 Hp59 Halifax Mk.11. W1002-W1021; W1035- W1067; W1090-W1117; W1141-W1190; W1211-W1253; W1270-W1276. Delivered by The English Electric Co.Ltd. (Salmesbury & Preston) between 26Feb42 and 24Apr42. W1053 was one of two No.35 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: W7656. Airborne 2035 28Apr42 from Kinloss. Cause of loss not established. Crashed at Stavne-Duantheim, Norway. Sgt Russell is buried in Trondheim (Stavne) Cemetery. P/O J.R.Roe RCAF PoW Sgt D.C.G.Butchart PoW Sgt D.R.P.Williams PoW Sgt J.S.Morrison PoW Sgt C.F.Russell KIA F/S W.R.Parr RCAF PoW From evidence provided by Mr Morrison this aircraft was shot down by AA fire from Tirpitz and crashed in a field near Trondheim. Three of the crew were badly injured and were cared for by the farmer and his wife in whose field the Halifax had crashed. In July 2000, now aged 78, Mr Morrison, of Woodham Village, Newton Aycliffe, Co.Durham visited the site with his family. Mr Morrison said, ""There were three of us, Dennis Butcher (note spelling), Reg Williams and me. Dennis had broken his arm and ribs in the crash landing and Reg had burns. I had a three inch facial wound and there was blood gushing all over me. The farmer picked us up. he and his wife cleaned us up and gave us some food. After they had agreed to nurse Dennis and hand him over to the British authorities if they could, Reg and I spent three days walking to Sweden. But 10 km from the Swedish border we were picked up by the Germans and we spent the next three years in a prison camp."" During his visit Mr Morrison was reunited with the family who had helped him who presented him with his flying helmet. The family had kept it safe hoping he would one day return for it. The two Canadians were also captured by the Gestapo. Source: 'Daily Telegraph' 13Sep00 Sgt D.C.G.Butchart was interned in Camps 9C/L3/357. PoW No.39634. Sgt J.S.Morrison in Camps L3/L6/357, PoW No.259 with F/S W.R.Parr, PoW No.261 and Sgt D.R.P.Williams, PoW No.105 P/O J.R.Roe in Camp L3, PoW No.271 " Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers
Amazing. I always find it amusing, the number of times For you ze var is over comes up in stories. I wonder where it originated from? It's almost a part of popular culture.
I visited The Bomber Command Memorial today and there were some flowers in memory of Sgt Morrison. If the person who placed them reads this, I'd like you to know they are still there and looking beautiful. Kind Regards, Elaine.
