Hi David!
I am a relation to ED862P's last captain, P/O D.J. Marks, DFM. Would you have
any information on how the aircraft was named "Spurius"?
Thank you.
James Marks.
Here is a copy of the squadrons Orbs for the night that ED862P was lost.
29/30 July 1943 Hamburg – Bomb Load 6 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 3 x 1000lb unless stated
JA708Z W/C K.H.Burns, P/O E.G.Dolby, P/O J.E.McAvoy, P/O J.Keddie, Sgts R.J.Williams, E.H.Skinner, G.Lambert. Up 2209 Down 0332. Target hamburg attacked. 18,500'. No cloud, hazy. Dock area lit up by flares and TIs. Bombed on concentration of yellow and green TI markers. Fires still burning from previous raid and new ones going well.
ED839C S/L E.E.Rodley, Sgt J.Duffy, F/Sgt L.Clark, F/Sgt R.R.Rae, Sgts F.Peters, R.M.V.Daniels, S/L Allen. Up 2213 Down 0322. Primary objective attacked. 19,500'. No cloud. Visibility good. Bombed between two yellow TI markers. Fires still burning from previous raid and new ones. Large explosion at 0020.
ED814D F/O R.F.Clayton, Sgt A.S.Palmer, F/O F.W.Chandler, Sgt A.C.Newbegin, P/O Smith, Sgts R.C.Haviland, P.O.Bone. Up 2219 Down 0312. Hamburg. 20,000'. No cloud, hazy. Bombed centre of concentration of about a dozen yellow TI markers – not actually in bombsight. Good concentration of bombing. Much smoke from whole of marked area.
JA707K F/L C.B.Robertson, Sgt W.G.Peel, F/O G.C.Crockett, F/Sgt P.Scott, F/O J.C.Frizzell, Sgts W.Wilkes, W.St C.Hebb. Up 2215 Down 0304. Target hamburg bombed. 19,500'. No cloud. Haze. Target identified visually. Bombed on green and yellow TIs. Own bombs seen to burst on aiming point. Fires from previous raid still burning and new ones starting up.
EE168B P/O S.R.Dawson, Sgt T.Shaw, P/O B.J.Starie, Sgts R.C.Pike, J.C.McLeish, A.M.Barrowman, A.E.Roberts. Up 2202 Down 0300. Target Hamburg attacked. 20,000. Fair visibility. Target identified by light of fires. Bombed on yellow TIs cascading. Fires still burning from previous raid.
ED911E F/Sgt L.Stevenson, Sgts J.Brett, R.G.Christie, J.D.Bradford, H.G.Mitchell, J.Mallaber, T.G.Pugh. Up 2211 Down 0325. Primary objective attacked. 19,500'. No cloud. Target identified by light of flares and TIs. Lake identified visually. Bombed concentration of yellow and green TIs. At target early but fires fromprevious raid were still burning.
ED869S W/C E.F.Nind, Sgt P.J.Roberts, P/O W.G.Wishart, P/O R.M.Nelson, Sgt G.F.Gower, F/L Mottram (?), F/O L.G.Mussi. Up 2217 Down 0327. hamburg attacked. No cloud, visibility fiar. Ground haze. Bombed centre of cluster of green TI markers – none actually in bombsight. Terrific explosion at 0055. Many new and old fires observed.
ED862P F/S D.J.Marks, Sgt D.C.Fentiman, F/O G.N.Hammond, F/Sgt J.A.Dunbar, Sgts D.MacDonald, J.Cumming, P.H.Unwin. Up 2228 – aircraft and crew missing.
ED875R Sgts D.A.Montgomery, G.C.Grainger, P/O E.L.Cohn, J.Gardner, J.Baker, S.N.Neill, F/Sgt R.K.Baggs. Up 2222 Down 0307. Primary target Hamburg attacked. 19,500'. Hazy. Bombed yellow TIs – not in bombsight. Own bombs seen to explode on yellow TIs. Numerous fires in target area.
EE107F F/L S.Wareing, Sgt Ramsay, F/Sgt H.F.Daniels, Sgts D.W.Burt, H.Bryson, A.J.Harris, E.F.Bryan. Up 2221 Down 0349. Hamburg attacked. 18,500'. Target covered with smoke. Bombed on green TIs seen cascading . Explosion seen at 0056. Smoke obscured ground detail.
ED938J P/O J.F.Munro, Sgt J.T.Pratt, P/O A.H.G.Spencer, P/O E.J.Suswain, Sgts S.Nevard, K.S.Bennett, F/Sgt W.Hill. Up 2223 Down 0345. Target Hamburg. 19,500'. No cloud, visibility poor. Smoke haze. Bombed between two green TI markers not in bombsight. Huge column of smoke up to 10,000' prevented observation of ground detail.
ED948W F/O B.H.Berridge, P/O R.C.Swetman, W/O L.Bremner, Sgt W.Parker, F/Sgt A.E.Flowerday, Sgts W.Lochrie, F.Edwards. Up 2230 Down 0346. Hamburg attacked. 16,500'. No cloud, smoky. Bombed cluster of green TIs, none actaully in bombsight. Saw many fires well under way with big smoke pall rising to 6,000'.
EE176M F/Sgt L.Baker, Sgt W.Vaughan, P/O C.W.Webb, Sgts A.Davie, J.Richards, G.Lowden, M.Edwards. Up 2243 Down 0354. Primary objective bombed. 18,500'. Smoke haze. Target identified by TIs and fires. Concentration of green TIs in bombsight when bombs released. Large number of fires and bomb bursts seen in marked area.
JA711Y P/O K.Fairlie, Sgts C.E.Addison, W.G.Clutterbuck, K.Prouten, F.Ball, A.J.Cossins, G.Coombes. Up 2245 Down 0336. Hamburg. 18,000'. No cloud, smoke haze. Bombs released on yellow and green TIs – not in bombsight. Large fires observed around target area.
JA846L? F/Sgt V.D.Evans, F/Sgt C.Neary, W/C R.C.Alabaster, Sgts G.E.Edgecombe, F.Martin, A.L.Pole, F.R.Higgins. Up 2254 down 0400. Target Hamburg attacked. No cloud. Visibility good. Bombed centre of three green TI markers – in bombsight. Bomb bursts and large fires observed in marked area in centre of target.
EE172O P/O C.Shnier, Sgt A.H.Gibbons, P/O Homersham(?), P/O P.de Villiers, Sgt P.Evans, F/Sgt B.Knoesen, Sgt D.E.Croft. Up 2246 – aircraft and crew missing.
JA715H? F/L A.Eaton-Clarke, Sgts C.S.Chatten (2nd Pilot), G.S.Dunning (F/E), T.J.Lightfoot, P/O A.N.Carlton, F/Sgt G.K.Smith, Sgts E.Hambling, P.A.Walder. Bomb load as above + one flare. Up 2256 Down 0403. Target Hamburg attacked. 19,500'. Visibility good. One green TI marker in bombsight when bombs released. Huge area of deep red fires in marked area and smoke pall up to 20,000'.
ED868A S/L K.J.Foster, Sgts C.Baumber, L.R.Armitage, P/O C.W.Webb, Sgt W.A.Reffin, F/Sgt J.R.Kraemer, Sgt L.V.Smith. 1 x 4000lb, 10 x 500lb. Up 2150 Down 0315. primary objective attacked. No cloud. Visibility good. Target identified by fires and yellow TIs. Bombed centre of concentration of yellow TI markers – in bombsight at time. Glow of fires round TIs.
EE179U P/O G.de Wesselow, Sgts P.Crow, S.Carlyle, P/O W.G.Cooper, Sgts F.White, R.L.Pritchard, C.Press. 1 x 4000lb, 10 x 500lb. Up 2200 Down 0340. Target Hamburg. 14,000'. Visibility good. Bombed on cluster of yellow and green TIs – none actually in bombsight. Terrific red flash at 0049. Fires well under way.
ED867Q F/Sgt J.H.Saxton, Sgts P.H.Fryer, F.H.Baker, J.C.Rees, C.Watson, J.J.Zunti, W.F.Coates. 1 x 4000lb, 10 x 500lb. Up 2206 Down 0335. Primary objective Hamburg attacked. 20,000'. No cloud, slight haze. Target lit up by fires. Bombed on cluster of yellow TIs. Own bombs seen to burst between yellow and green TIs. White smoke seen up to 15,000'.
JA716V F/O D.Moodie, Sgts L.Melbourne, J.T.Bundle, H.W.Clausen, T.E.Stamp, A.J.Croll, F.A.Hughes. 1 x 4000lb, 10 x 500lb. Up 2204 Down 0337. Hamburg. 18,500'. No cloud. Visibility good. Centre of green TIs in bombsight when load released. Own results not observed. Fires starting up by yellow TIs.