F/L Alfred E Spurr RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 22/23rd June 1943 – Avro Lancaster III – ED773 – Op Mulheim
Alfred Spurr ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds on the 17th June 1943 from 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit. Sadly they were lost on their very first operation.
22-Jun-43 – Mulheim – Lancaster – ED773 – F/L AE Spurr RCAF - FTR
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F/L Alfred Eugene Spurr RCAF – Pilot – 24 – 103 Sqn - Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada – Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
Sgt John Wynford Marsh Jones RAFVR – 103 Sqn – Runnymede Memorial.
P/O Eric Griffiths RAFVR – Navigator - 27 – 103 Sqn – Son of Frederick William and Elizabeth Alice Griffiths; husband of May Griffiths of Manchester – Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
F/O William Henry Wood RAFVR – Air Bomber - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Annie Elizabeth Wood of Southgate, Middlesex – Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
F/O Douglas Monroe Grant RAFVR ( pictured below ) – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of Douglas Gordon Grant and Grace Lewis Grant of Corner Brook, Newfoundland – Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
Sgt Albert Ernest Ponsford RAFVR – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
F/S William Linkous Cameron Moran RCAF – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France
F/O Douglas Monroe Grant RAFVR
In view of the fact this machine seems to have come down in Northern France near the coast it appears to have been well off track. My guess is that they were badly damaged and heading for the Emergency Airfield at Manston in Kent but failed to make it across the Channel. That is just speculation on my part however.
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22-Jun-43 - Mulheim
103 Squadron detailed 23 aircraft for this attack on the German town of Mulheim. This is thought to have been a great success. Bombing heights were between 18500 ft and 22000 ft. Duisberg and Essen defences were full blast as well as those in the target area. Night fighters were busy and there were several sightings. Sgt Chesterton was approached twice but shook of the fighter both times. Pathfinders again used the ground marking method and were praised for their timing. Krefeld which was attacked the previous night was seen to be still burning Two aircraft returned early due to unserviceability. F/L Spurr and crew failed to return. They requested SOS assistance from M/F D/F Section which fixed them just off Dunkirk but nothing more was heard from them. All other aircraft returned to base.
For this attack on Mulheim Bomber Command detailed a total of 557 aircraft - 242 Lancasters, 155 Halifaxes, 93 Stirlings, 55 Wellingtons, 12 Mosquitos. The Pathfinders had to mark this target through a thin layer of stratus cloud but reports indicate accurate initial marking. In later stages of the raid, the Pathfinder markers and the bombing moved slightly, into the northern part of the town; this had the effect of cutting all road and telephone communications with the neighbouring town of Oberhausen, with which Mülheim was linked for air-raid purposes. Not even cyclists or motor-cyclists were able to get out of Mulheim; only messengers on foot could get through. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that this single raid destroyed 64 per cent of the town of Mulheim.
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Lancaster – ED773
This machine was lost 11th time out. See below
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt NJ Ryan - Landed at Middle Wallop
16-Apr-43 – Pilsen – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt NJ Ryan
20-Apr-43 – Stettin – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt NJ Ryan
26-Apr-43 – Duisburg – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AE Egan - Hit by flak. Port inner engine, rear mainplane and flaps, windscreen, rudders and bomb doors damaged
23-May-43 – Dortmund – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt RJ Bunten
27-May-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AC Wishart
12-Jun-43 – Bochum – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AC Wishart – Early return - Sperry panel unserviceable.
14-Jun-43 – Oberhausen – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AC Wishart
16-Jun-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AC Wishart
21-Jun-43 – Krefeld – Lancaster – ED773 – Sgt AC Wishart
22-Jun-43 – Mulheim – Lancaster – ED773 – F/L AE Spurr RCAF – FTR - Crashed near Dunkirk, France.
Item compiled by David Fell. Spurr and Grant photos courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.
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