Gibson's Crew

[Jim Oxley]

I gather that all seven died at some point during the war. Anyone have details of what happened to each of them? Did they all blow to the four winds after the Dams raid? Or did the crew stay together after Gibson left?

[Andy ingham]

NAVIGATOR
Pilot Officer Torger Harlo Taerum (RCAF)
Date of Death – 16.9.43
617 Sqn

BOMB AIMER
Pilot Officer Frederick Michael Spafford (RAAF)
Date of Death – 16.9.43
617 Sqn

FLIGHT ENGINEER
Sergeant John Pulford
Date of Death – 13.2.44
617 Sqn

WIRELESS OPERATOR
Flight Lieutenant Robert Edward George Hutchison
Date of Death – 16.9.43
617 Sqn

FRONT GUNNER
Flight Sergeant George Andrew Deering (RCAF)
Date of Death – 16.9.43
617 Sqn

REAR GUNNER
Flight Lieutenant Richard Algenon Dacre Trevor-Roper
Date of Death – 31.3.44
97 Sqn

Regards
Andy

[FrankieS]

Name Duty Fate Date Mission A/C Serial Crash Misc
Gibson, Guy Penrose W/C Pilot KIA 19.02.44 Rheydt/D Mosquito KB267 Steenbergen/NL run out of fuel
Pulford, John F/S Flight Engineer KIA 13.02.44 Antheor Viaduct/F Lancaster DV382 Waltham Down/Duncton/GB transit crash
Tearum Torger Harlo RCAF Navigator KIA 16.09.43 Dortmund-Ems Canal - Ladbergen/D Lancaster EE144 Altendorf/D flak
Hutchison REG F/Lt Wireless Operator KIA 16.09.43 Dortmund-Ems Canal - Ladbergen/D Lancaster EE144 Altendorf/D flak
Spafford FM P/O RAAF Bomb Aimer KIA 16.09.43 Dortmund-Ems Canal - Ladbergen/D Lancaster EE144 Altendorf/D flak
Deering GA F/Sgt RCAF F. Gunner KIA 16.09.43 Dortmund-Ems Canal - Ladbergen/D Lancaster EE144 Altendorf/D flak
Trevor-Roper Richard AD F/Lt R. Gunner KIA 31.03.44 Nürnberg Lancaster ND390 Ahorn SW Coburg/D shot down by NJG1

[Jim Oxley]

Thanks for that guys. So Tearum, Hutchison, Spafford and Deering all died the same mission. Whose plane were crewing together on? And why were Trevor-Roper and Pulford not flying with them?

[AlanReid]

Hi Jim

Tearum, Hutchison, Spafford & Deering were in the crew of Wing Commander George Holden, appointed to command 617 Squadron after Gibson was rested.

All the crew of Lancaster EE144 were killed when their aircraft was shot down by light flak during the chaotic low-level Dortmund-Ems Canal raid.

Pulford remained with the squadron until lost in a flying accident, when his Lancaster hit high ground near Chichester in cloudy conditions. (All the crew of Squadron Leader Suggitt were killed).

I think Trevor-Roper was rested just after the Dams raid.

This veteran rear-gunner was in a 97 Squadron Pathfinder Force Lancaster shot-down by Luftwaffe "Experten" Major Martin Drewes during the disasterous Nuremberg raid of 30/31 March 1944.

Hope the above is of some help.

Alan

[Jim Oxley]

Thankd Alan!