LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Hillam Gurr MURRAY
Service No: 407094
Born: Adelaide SA, 1 July 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 35 Squadron (RAF), RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 35 Squadron Halifax aircraft R9496), off the Norwegian Coast, 30 March 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Priestly Murray and Agnes Emily Murray, of Millswood, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Halifax R9496 of No 35 (Madras Presidency) Squadron took off from RAF Station Linton-on-Ouse at 1909 hours on the night of 30/31 March 1942 to attack Trondheim, Norway. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations it was established that the aircraft crashed 15 kms north west of Trondheim on the 30 March. This is a point in the sea a short distance from the north shore of Trondheim Fiord. The bodies of three crew members are interred in the Military Cemetery at Drontheim and it was concluded that the remaining four missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of R9496 were:
Flight Sergeant William Bruce Archibald (533809) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Francis (632346) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Archibald McCulloch McLaren (993204) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Hillam Gurr Murray (407094) (Observer)
Sergeant Leslie John Nelmes (1152271) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Samuel Palmer (526215) (RAF)
Sergeant James Frederick Staff (959971) (RAFVR)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/146/117