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P/O Melvin Osborne Orr
Royal Canadian Air Force 103 Sqdn.
from:Hamilton, Ontario
(d.29th November 1944)
Uncle Melvin Orr, was aboard 103 Squadron Lancaster I LL964 PM-H "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", the night of Oct 31/Nov 1 1944. The plane was hit by flak. The crew was ordered to bail out. Melvin hurt his ankle upon reaching the ground. Pilot F/S Cooke and F/S McCoubray (who had deployed his parachute inside the aircraft) belly landed the aircraft at St-Gerard, Namur, without causing injury to these two men. The entire crew made it back to England within a month. Unfortunately the crew was aboard the Lancaster III PB465 PM-F "Mudpool Maggie II" the night of Nov 29 1944. The aircraft was involved in a midair collision with a 550 Squadron Lancaster. Damage was so severe that control was lost immediately. Crewmembers who perished: F/S M O Orr RCAF, F/S J C Cooke RCAF, Sgt E W McGrath (Irish), F/S J A Goff RCAF, WO2 F I R B Hill RCAF, F/S J H C McCoubrey RCAF. F/O G T Mortimer survived and became a POW. The men who died are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
