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31st March 1944On this day:
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Remembering those who died this day.
- Addy Donald. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Barton Cyril Joe. (d.31st March 1944)
- Billson Dennis Roland. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Collier Richard Alfred James. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Dawson Tom. Flt Sgt (d.31st March 1944)
- Evans Brian Herbert. F/Lt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Harvey Douglas Venning. Flt.Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Kennedy George James. Able Sea. (d.31st March 1944)
- Kennedy George James. Able Sea. (d.31st March 1944)
- Lawrence Harold Raymond. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Maton Ronald J.. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- McIntyre Donald Van Norman. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- McIntyre Donald Van Norman. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- McNay Irvin Robert. Flt. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Narum Chester Russell. P/O (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Pattison Allen Bruce. Sgt (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Pitfield Albert Stanley. Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Rice Alan Norman. W/OII (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Roberts Robert Russell. Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Sanderson Victor Andrew. Fl. Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Sanderson Victor Andrew. F/Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Sanderson Victor Andrew. F/Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Shepherd Joseph. Sgt (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Thibedeau Roy Frederick. P/O (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Thomas Edwin Robert. Flt. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Thomas Ronald. Flt/Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Thornton George Henry. Sgt. (d.31st March 1944)
- Traeger Ernest Hugo. Flt. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
- Wilson Allen Howard. Flt. Sgt. (d.31st Mar 1944)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
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Want to know more about the 31st of March 1944? There are:32 items tagged 31st of March 1944 available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Stories from 31st March 1944
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Sgt C. Pratt. Royal Air Force, 514 Sqd.. Sgt Pratt was a member of P/O Chitty's crew, he survived a serious crash when Lancaster LL645 A2-R was returning to Waterbeach on the 30th of March 1944. While attempting to go around after an aborted landing the aicraft struck the ground, ripping off the undercarrage.
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Sgt L. A. Ive. Royal Air Force, 514 Sqd.. Sgt Ive survived a serious crash when Lancaster LL645 A2-R was returning to Waterbeach on the 30th of March 1944. Their landing was aborted and whilst attempting to go around the aicraft struck the ground, ripping off the undercarrage.
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Sgt R. Fox. Royal Air Force, 514 Sqd.. Sgt Fox was a member of P/O Chitty's crew, he survived a serious crash when Lancaster LL645 A2-R was returning to Waterbeach on the 30th of March 1944. Their landing was aborted and whilst attempting to go around the aicraft struck the ground, ripping off the undercarrage.
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Sgt. Charles Mathieson Guy. Royal Air Force, flight eng. 514 Sqd.. (d.30th Jul 1944) Charles Mathieson Guy stationed at Waterbeach from 1943
to mid Summer 1944 along with twin brother Robert Calder Guy. Both were killed in action during June and July '44.
Charles was lost when his aircraft went down returning from
Caen over the English Channel on the 30th July 1944. Robert went down at La Celle Le Bordes France on the 8th of June 44 and is buried in the village. Charles had survived a serious crash on return from Nuremburg on the 31st March 1944.
On return to Waterbeach they were baulked on finals by another Squadron aircraft and crash-landed while attempting
to go around. The crew were:
- P/O W.E.Chitty
- Sgt C.M.Guy
- Sgt L.A.Ive
- Sgt R.Fox
- Sgt A.B.Pattison
- Sgt C.Pratt
- Sgt J.Shepherd
Charles' second crew were lost without trace and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
- F/L W.E.Chitty
- Sgt C.M.Guy
- W/O L.A.Ding
- F/O W.S.Bonell
- F/S J.E.Richardson
- F/S E.W.Jenner
- F/S G.C.Wells
Jean Calder Guy Ronald
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P/O W. E. Chitty. RAAF, pilot 514 Sqd.. (d.30th Jul 1944) P/O Chitty was injured in a serious crash on return from Nuremburg on the 31st March 1944. On return to Waterbeach his aircraft was baulked on finals by another Squadron aircraft and crash-landed heavily whilst attempting to go around. The crew were:
- P/O W.E.Chitty
- Sgt C.M.Guy
- Sgt L.A.Ive
- Sgt R.Fox
- Sgt A.B.Pattison
- Sgt C.Pratt
- Sgt J.Shepherd
On recovery he formed another crew, retaining his flight engineer Charles Guy. They were lost without trace on the 30th of July 1944 and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
- F/L W.E.Chitty
- Sgt C.M.Guy
- W/O L.A.Ding
- F/O W.S.Bonell
- F/S J.E.Richardson
- F/S E.W.Jenner
- F/S G.C.Wells
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Sgt Joseph Shepherd. RAF(VR), mid upper gunner 514 Sqd.. (d.31st Mar 1944) Joseph Shepherd was the mid upper gunner of P/O Chitty's crew, he lost his life when Lancaster LL645 A2-R returned to Waterbeach on the 31st of March 1944. While attempting to go around after an aborted landing the aicraft struck the ground, ripping off the undercarrage. He was 19 years old and is buried in Heywood Cemetery, Lancashire.
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Sgt Allen Bruce Pattison. RCAF, bomb aimer 514 Sqd.. (d.31st Mar 1944) Sgt Pattison was a member of P/O Chitty's crew, he lost his life when Lancaster LL645 A2-R returned to Waterbeach on the 31st of March 1944. While attempting to go around after an aborted landing the aicraft struck the ground, ripping off the undercarrage. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, he was 23 years old. His brother John was also killed whilst serving as a signalman with the 1st Canadian Division.
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Ronald J. Maton. Royal Air Force, 578 Sqd.. (d.31st Mar 1944) Ronald Maton was a Wireless Operator in 578 Squadron, stationed at RAF Burn.
He was killed on 31st March 1944 at Silverstone, whilst returning from raid on Nuremburg.
David Rogers
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P/O Chester Russell Narum. Royal Canadian Air Force, 432 Squadron. (d.31st Mar 1944) Chester Narum was my father's best friend. Dad had wanted to enlist also, but did not pass the medical. It was very hard for Dad to be left at home while his best buddy went off to war, and harder still to receive the news of his death. I think Dad felt guilty for not being over there with him and the others from our small village. We lost 5 young men. The battle that some felt over not being able to fight along side their friends is a battle we may not think of, but it, too, had its casualties.Tamie Eastman
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P/O Roy Frederick Thibedeau. Royal Canadian Air Force, 50 Sqdn.. (d.31st Mar 1944) Roy Thibedeau was one of three uncles killed in WWII who I never knew since I was born years later. I carry with pride his first name as my middle name. He was a son of Fred and Ruby Thibedeau; husband of Vera Thibedeau, of Echo Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Roy is buried in Durnbach War Cemetery. Roy and two others from his crew were buried by the German civilians in a church graveyard and after the war their remains were relocated. His flight scarf was kept by a German resident of the village where the plane crashed and was later tracked down by a United States Army Captain. It was eventually returned to Roy's wife Vera.
Four others from the flight crew survived and became prisoners of war.
His brother-in-law was F-Sgt. Earl William Bock who died on 22nd October 1944 when his severely damaged Lancaster barely made it back to England, where his is buried.
Art Osborne
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Flt.Sgt. Douglas Venning Harvey. Royal Australian Air Force , 166 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) Douglas Harvey was the youngest of 7 boys born in Oberon, NSW, 6 of whom enlisted. Doug was one of two who died as a result of the War.
His plane went down near Geissen Airfield in Germany on 31/3/44 during the raid on Nuremburg. His body was never found. A few years ago, Australian War Graves issued a brass plaque which was affixed to his brother Jack's grave (Jack died shortly after returning from the Middle East - 7th Div Signals).
Family members attended a small ceremony conducted by the local RSL to commemorate the plaque. Doug was 27. Jan Corrigan
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Sgt. Robert Russell Roberts. Royal Air Force, 101 Sqdn.. (d.31st March 1944) Bobby Roberts was the 23 year old wireless radio operator and gunner on Lancaster Bomber DV276 and is shown with his crew (third from right). He was married to my mother, Margaret Wilkins.
Robert Wenman
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F/Lt. Brian Herbert Evans. MID Royal Air Force, 49 Sqdn.. (d.31st March 1944) Hampden P4404 of 49 Squadron had been brought down about 50 miles south of Paris and all the crew became POWs.
Two of the POWs were subsequently shot:
Sgt John Cecil Shaw was shot dead attempting to escape from Stalag Luft 1 on or about 4th January 1942.
Another shooting of a member of the crew occurred after the "Great Escape" from Stalag Luft 3. F/Lt Brian Herbert Evans was one of the many escapees, but was recaptured. The Gestapo executed him on 31st March 1944. He is buried in Poznam Old Garrison Cemetery.
The full crew were:
Sgt J.C. Shaw (pilot)
F/Lt B.H. Evans (navigator)
Sgt D. Young (wop/airgunner)
W.K. O'Leary (wop/airgunner)
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Able Sea. George James Kennedy. Royal Navy, M.V. Greenwich. (d.31st March 1944) Able Seaman Kennedy was the son of John Roderic and Ellen Kennedy, of Audenshaw, Manchester.
He was 19 when he died and is buried in the Santos (Filosofia) Cemetery in Brazil.S Flynn
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Able Sea. George James Kennedy. Royal Navy, MV Greenwich . (d.31st March 1944) George Kennedy was the son of John Roderic and Ellen Kennedy, of Audenshaw, Manchester.
He was 19 when he died and is buried in the Santos (Filosofia) Cemetery in Brazil, Row 16. Grave 19. S Flynn
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Flt/Sgt. Ronald Thomas. Royal Air Force, 115 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) Doing a ride in the country with my bicycle, I suddenly saw a kind of monument situated between a little earth road and a field. It was a very beautiful sunny day and I was particularly happy on my bicycle, so I decided to have a look at that monument lost in the middle of nowhere. There was a panel on the wall on which it was written :
In Memory of:
- F/Sgt Ronald Thomas
- F/Sgt Dennis Atkinson
- Sgt Robert F. Taylor
- Sgt James Kensett
- Sgt Frank Haawksworth
- Sgt Peter Jack
- Sgt Harry Kendrick
- 115th Squadron of the Royal Air Force
- 31 March 1944
- Bois des 7 Fontaines (that means: Wood of the Seven Fountains which is situated in Belgium, near the little city of Braine l'Alleud (3 km from Waterloo, so not very far from Brussels)
- Ils sont morts pour notre Liberte - They gave their lives for our freedom
So, I unfortunately realized that their plane crashed there when WWII was almost over. Thanks to the sacrifice of those young men (and so many others), I have always been able to live in total freedom and without a swatiska sewed on my suit. Thanks again to all of you, young men. How lucky we have been in Belgium to have England and America (and of course, other countries) who liberated us.
We shall never forget - Never.
I took my bicycle back, it was still hot and sunny, but I was rather sad about what I learned some moments before.
God bless you all.
Rene Michiels
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F/Sgt. Victor Andrew Sanderson. Royal Air Force, 50 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) Victor Sanderson lived in St Andrew Street, Galashiels. He was my second cousin and was killed a few days before my birth. Vera Johnson
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Sgt. Donald Van Norman McIntyre. Royal Canadian Air Force, 101 Squadron. (d.31st Mar 1944) Donny McIntyre lies in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. John McIntyre
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Sgt. George Henry Thornton. Royal Air Force, 514 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) George Thornton's aircraft was intercepted and shot down above Nuremberg on the ill-faited raid of 30th/31st March 1944. He was the rear gunner on Lancaster II LL738 JI-D, and was in the crew of pilot Garth Hughes. The bomb aimer, Hall supposedly survived the crash and was taken prisoner, the rest of the crew were killed.
- P/O G S Hughes RAAF (Pilot)
- W/O A D Hall RNZAF (Bomb Aimer)
- F/S L S Smith RNZAF (Navigator)
- W/O C J Goddard RAAF (WOP/Air)
- Sgt G H Thornton (Rear Gunner)
- F/S L J H Whitbread (MU Gunner)
- Sgt H West (Flight Engineer)
Peter Rose
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F/Sgt. Victor Andrew Sanderson. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 50 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) Victor Sanderson served with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with 50 Squadron in WW2. His Lancaster LM394 was shot down on 30th/31st of March 1944 during the Nuremberg Raids and Victor was killed. He was 23 years old, and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery in. Germany. Son of Robert and Jessie Sanderson of Galashiels, Selkirkshire.
Vera Johnson
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Sgt. Albert Stanley Pitfield. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 460 Squadron. (d.31st March 1944) Albert Pitfield was born in 1924 and lived in Terriers near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. He was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner serving with the RAF Volunteer Reserve in 460 Squadron He was just 20 years old when he died. His aircraft was lost on 31st of March 1944. He is buried in the Rhienberg War Cemetery.
Albert had 2 brothers, George and Neville and a sister, Pamela. My father is Neville and I am attempting to research and document a little of the service history of my father, uncles and grandfathers along with other aspects of our family history.
Des Pitfield
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Sgt. Harold Raymond Lawrence. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 576 Squadron. (d.31st Mar 1944) Harold Lawrence was an air gunner on a Lancaster, and he died in the infamous Nuremburg raid by Lancaster bombers of RAF 576 Squadron (and others). Shot down and buried by locals, he was reburied in 1957 (I think) in Berlin War Grave Commission Cemetery. One of his brothers, Bernard, was my father.Steven Charles Lawrence
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