If you have more information about a name
or would like to correct or remove any of the information
please mail the Webmaster.
| WWII | ||
 |
D |
 |
Inscribed incorrectly on the Banstead War Memorial as C G DUCE.
Sergeant 1154270
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 144 Sqdn.
Died 7-February-1942 aged 21
Son of Sydney Raymond and Annie Maria Duce, of 129 Winkworth Road, Banstead, Surrey.
The first occasion on which No 144 Squadron flew over the German mainland was the night of 24/25th February 1940, when propaganda leaflets or Nickels were dropped on Hamburg. On 6th March, by which time it had Nickelled several other German towns and by which time also it had flown a number of security patrols, the squadron took part in Bomber Command's first attack on a German land objective - the minelaying-seaplane base at Hornum. Just over two months later (by which time minelaying had been added to its duties) No 144 shared in another notable "first" - the first big bombing attack on the German mainland (the exits of München-Gladbach).
February 7th 1942.
At 11.30am on February 7th 1942, Sergeant Cyril Duce was part of the crew of Handley Page Hampden AD824, PL-?, piloted by Sgt R F Thompson, that took off from RAF North Luffenham for a daylight mine-laying operation (known as 'gardening') in the Mussels Region (Terschelling Gat). These operations were common in the period as the RAF endeavoured to lay mines along the expected sea routes that the German battleships (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen) were likely to take as they left the Port of Brest for the seawaters off the German Bright (Deutsche Bucht) which gave these ships an open route to German waters.
Their aeroplane was shot down at 15.02pm in the target area, west of Terschelling by a Messerschmitt Bf109 flown by Oberfeldwebel Detlef Lüth of 4./JG 1 (4th Staffel, 2nd Gruppe, Jadgeschwader 1) who was to claim no fewer than three allied aircraft within one hour, the second at 15.09 and the last at 16.04hrs.
Of the crew of five, Sgt R.F.Thompson is buried in Ameland in Nes general Cemetery, while his namesake is buried in Westerschelling General Cemetery on Terschelling. The other crew members have no known graves. The full crew were Sgt R.F.Thompson KIA F/S R.N.Thompson KIA, Sgt C.C.Duce KIA, Sgt R.Rowell KIA Sgt, L.F.Bow KIA.
AD824 was one of two 144 Sqdn Hampdens lost on this operation (and one of three aircraft lost by 144 Squadron on this day). The other, AE392, was also shot down in the target area by Detlef Lüth, of JG1.
The body of Sgt Gibson was buried on Wangerooge; he has been subsequently re-interred in Sage War Cemetery. His four comrades have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The full crew were F/L W.J.W.Kingston KIA Sgt R.C.W.de Courcy* KIA Sgt A.Gibson KIA Sgt J.A.Tobin KIA Sgt A.Fulton KIA.
144's last casualty on Feb 7th 1942, was Hampden AE359, PL-? Airborne from North Luffenham and brief to attack Brest. The aircraft crashed at Cr_ances (Manche), 3 km SW of Lessay, France, cause unknown. Sgt le Queux is buried in Cr_ances Churchyard. Sgt P.L.E.Le Queux KIA Sgt J.K.B.Laing PoW Sgt R.G.Saunders PoW Sgt C.McV Smart PoW Sgt J.K.B.Laing was interned in Camps 8B/L6/L4, PoW No.24754, with Sgt R.G.Saunders, PoW No.24755. Sgt C.McV Smart, was interned in Camps 8B/344/357, PoW No.24762. The three men survived for over 20 hours in a dingy before being taken into captivity.
The Squadron continued to operate with Bomber Command until April 1942, and during this period, in addition to its normal night-bombing attacks and minelaying operations, it occasionally undertook certain other tasks such as daylight bombing against German warships at Brest and night-intruder operations against enemy searchlight installations. One night in November 1941, one of the squadron's Hampdens bombed from a very low level and set on fire a 10,000-ton merchantman - the largest of several vessels in an enemy convoy - off the Frisian Islands. It was learned afterwards that Major-General Felix Varda, the commander of the Western anti-aircraft defences, was on board this ship and was among those killed as a result of the Hampden's attack.
(* An account of the RAF career of Sgt de Courcy can be found on the BBC's 'peoples war stories' web page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/38/a4076138.shtml This article also gives additional information about the units, pilots and activities surrounding the air operations on Feb 7th 1942, as well as additional information about the Hampden bombers used by 144 Squadron.)
Memorial Reference: Panel 82.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Squadron research by Mark Stanley.
RAF Mod Website
www.lostbombers.co.uk
Hampden special - Chaz Bowyer 1976
Bomber Sqns of the RAF - Philip Moyes - 1964
BBC's Peoples War Memories - web pages - Donard de Cogan 2005.
Family research by Barbara Rough. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panels
Runnymede Memorial
Panel 82
Lieutenant EC/464
19th Hyderabad Regiment 1st Bn.
Died 1-March-1945 aged 27
Ian S Durrad was born in the June quarter of 1917 and was registered in Portsmouth.
Son of Cyril Stephens Durrad and Rita Kathleen Durrad nee Beechcroft, of High Hurstwood, Sussex.
the 1938 electoral register shows the family living at 'Inyoni' Croydon Lane, Banstead.
Ian's grandfather was a banker's clerk in 1881 living in Highgate and one of his sons was at Cambridge. Cyril Durrad (father) is missing from the 1901 census; He may have been in India with the Civil service or possibly the army. He is recorded as residing in Banstead in the phone books for 1925-1937 at 'Inyoni' Banstead - no more details. (Inyoni is a place in Zululand linked with the Boer War).
An S Durrad is in the phone book in 1940 at Rose Hill School Farm.
There was a short announcement of Ian's death in The Times dated Mar 17 1945.
DURRAD Wounded in Feb 1945 and died the following day. Captain Ian Stephens Durrad, Hyderabad regiment, only son of Cyril and Rita Durrad of Titty Hill, near Midhurts Sussex.
Grave Reference: 27. E. 22.
TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY Myanmar (Burma)
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family research by Barabara Rough.
1938 Electoral register from The Surrey History Centre at Woking ref CC802/55/3
.................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panels
Last update : 11 Jan 2007 (Times Notice)
