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F/O Harold D Murray RAFVR and crew – 576 Sqn – RAF Elsham Wolds - 1944
Failed to Return – 26/27th August 1944 – Lancaster III - ME792 – Op Mine Laying Gydnia Bay
Harold Murray and his crew were posted to 576 Squadron from 11 Base in May 1944.
He flew his first operation with his crew on the 6/7rd June 1944 to Vire and completed 28 operations being lost on the 29th.
Tour details below :-
06/06/1944 – Vire - Railway communications – JA868 – F/S HD Murray
09/06/1944 – Flers – Airfield – JA868 – F/S HD Murray
12/06/1944 – Gelsenkirchen – Oil – ME735 – F/S HD Murray
14/06/1944 - Le Havre - Naval forces – ME735 – F/S HD Murray
16/06/1944 – Sterkrade – Oil – ME735 – F/S HD Murray
22/06/1944 – Mimoyecques - V weapon – JB460 – F/S HD Murray
24/06/1944 – Flers - V weapon – PB128 – F/S HD Murray
27/06/1944 - Chateau Benapre - V weapon – ME801 – F/S HD Murray
30/06/1944 - Oisemont Neuville Au Bois - Army support – ED888 – W/O HD Murray
02/07/1944 – Domleger - V weapon – JA868 – W/O HD Murray
07/07/1944 – Caen - Army support – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
12/07/1944 – Revigny - Railway yards – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
14/07/1944 – Revigny - Railway yards – PB128 – W/O HD Murray
17/07/1944 – Sanneville - V weapon – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
18/07/1944 - Scholven Buer – Oil – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
20/07/1944 – Wizernes - V weapon – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
23/07/1944 – Kiel – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
25/07/1944 - Stuttgart - ME792 – W/O HD Murray
28/07/1944 – Stuttgart – ME792 – W/O HD Murray - Combat. Destroyed twin engined night fighter
31/07/1944 - Le Havre - Naval forces – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
09/08/1944 - La Rochelle/Pallice - Mine laying – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
11/08/1944 – Douai - Railway yards – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
12/08/1944 – Bordeaux - U boat base – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support – ME792 – W/O HD Murray – DNTO - Aircraft U/S.
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – Airfield – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
16/08/1944 - Pomeranian Bay - Mine laying – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
18/08/1944 - Ertvelde Rieme - Oil – ME792 – W/O HD Murray
26/08/1944 - Gdynia Bay - Mine laying – ME792 – F/O HD Murray – FTR - Lost without trace.
Probable night fighter victim. ME742 F/O J A Linklater and crew were claimed by Uffz Hans Schadowski 3/NJG3 - Schleswig-Kappeln area (SU): 5,000m at 23:24.
Schadowski possibly shot down 576 Squadron Lancaster I ME792 F/O H D Murray and crew as it was claimed in the same area at 23:29. It was claimed as unidentified but it was recorded as a victory for him on 8th November 1944.
The loss of Murray and his crew was particularly noted in the General Comments of the 576 Squadron Operational Record Book for August 1944 which was not usual. This crew was clearly highly held in considerable regard.
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F/O Harold Duncan Murray RAFVR - Pilot - 22 - 576 Sqn - Son of William Henry and Ivy Murray of Great Horton, Bradford, Yorkshire; husband of Nora Minnie Murray, of Bradford – Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Clifford Charles Addems RAF – 22 – 576 Sqn - Son of Alfred Butler Addems and Ethel E. Addems of Twickenham, Middlesex – Runnymede Memorial.
F/S Roy Lee RAFVR – 22 – 576 Sqn - Son of Cecil John and Annie May Lee of Gidea Park, Essex - Runnymede Memorial.
F/S Donald Arthur Barnes RAFVR – 25 – 576 Sqn - Son of Arthur Atwood Barnes and of Elizabeth Barnes (nee Geary); husband of Daisy V. M. Barnes of Grimsby, Lincolnshire – Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Frank Thackeray RAFVR – 21 – 576 Sqn - Son of Frank and Ivy Thackeray of Leeds, Yorkshire - Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Patrick Joseph Taylor RAFVR – 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of Joseph and Mary Taylor of Joppa, Edinburgh - Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Wilfred Owen Kenyon RAFVR – 19 – 576 Sqn - Son of Norman Kenyon and Maud Kenyon, of Ramsgreave, Lancashire - Runnymede Memorial.
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26 August 44 – Kiel – Germany – Area attack – Night. 15 aircraft detailed. Crews report clear weather at base but 10/10ths cloud over sea. Weather was clear at target but visibility impaired by smoke screen.
PFF opened the attack by dropping green TIs which appeared to fall south of the aiming point. The attack was recentred with reds and bombing appeared well concentrated. Dummy fires were observed to the south east and west of the target.
Considerable light flak was encountered in the target area together with some heavy flak. Some enemy fighters were active but no combats reported.
F/O Linklater and crew failed to return.
( 382 aircraft. Marking was hampered by smoke screens but local reports confirm a very serious attack with heavy bombing in the city centre and surrounding districts )
Also on 26 August 44 - Gdynia – Sea mining – Night. 4 aircraft detailed. Weather clear for take off but 10/10ths over the sea. This dispersed before target. Low stratus on return necessitated diversions to north of Scotland.
Mines were dropped with aid of “Y” (H2S).
No opposition was encountered.
P/O Murray and crew failed to return.
1 fighter affiliation was carried out.
The loss of F/O Murray and crew on their 29th operation came as a profound shock to the whole Squadron. This was a very experienced crew and could always be relied on.
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Lancaster ME792
This machine completed 50 operations and being lost on its 51st.
The first operation was on the 7/8th May 1944 to Rennes St Jacques airfield with W/O AR Young and crew.
Compiled and written by David Fell. Thanks to John Jones for his file and interesting background information.
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