HX337 Halifax III HD-W
  
22nd April 1944
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  Pilot F/O W N T Russell DFC RAAF  
         
  Flight Engineer Sgt G P Holder - P.O.W.  
         
  Navigator W/O D Purcell RAAF - P.O.W.  
         
  Bomb Aimer F/S G B Hall RAAF - Evaded Capture  
         
  Wireless Operator & Air Gunner F/O R Sigmont RAAF - Evaded Capture  
         
  Mid Upper Gunner F/S C R Draper RCAF - P.O.W.  
         
  Rear Gunner  F/S W M Cashman DFM RAAF  
       
Take off :- 22:16 Base :- RAF Leconfield Mission :- Dusseldorf
     
Details :- HX337 crashed in the vicinity of Basses-Arches (Namur), 16km East South East of Namur, Belgium after being shot down by a night-fighter flown by Lt. Klaus Helm of 3/NJG4, however, other reports say that HX337 collided with another aircraft and lost its tail-section.
     
Those who died were buried in Le Culot Cemetery before being re-buried in Heverlee War Cemetery after the war, their citation for their awards praises their determination and courage during recent operations to Stuttgart.
     
Sgt Holder - PoW number is 3586 in camps L6/357.
W/O Purcell - PoW number is 3676 in camps L6/357.
F/S Draper - PoW number is 3571 in camps L6/357.
Both evaders reached home in the September.
     
Pictures courtesy of National Archives Australia.
     
     

 
Any further information then please contact me using the address below.
 
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