| Pilot Officer
James Borland was piloting on board Lancaster MK.III JB553 coded
GT-J
for an operation to Berlin on January 2/3 1944. The aircraft
departed from Warboys at 0008hrs but crashed in the target
area, killing the entire crew.
The crew consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
Age |
|
P/O James Borland - DFC |
RAFVR |
Pilot |
Troon,
Ayrshire |
20 |
|
F/L Alexander McGlashan |
RAFVR |
2nd Pilot |
Kirkcudbrightshire |
32 |
|
Sgt John Scott |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Edinburgh |
31 |
|
F/Sgt Vincent Purmal |
RCAF |
Navigator |
Toronto,
Ontario |
22 |
|
F/Sgt Dennis Snelling |
RAFVR |
Bomb Aimer |
Kenton,
Middlesex |
20 |
|
Sgt Duncan Mackenzie |
RAFVR |
W/Op/AG |
Kingussie,Invernesshire |
21 |
|
Sgt Alan Waller |
RAFVR |
M/U Gunner |
Willeseden,
London |
22 |
|
W/O1 Leslie Adair |
RCAF |
Rear Gunner |
London, Ontario |
21 |
Pilot
Officer James Borland (DFC) was the son of Thomas Wright and
Marion Borland of Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. James was awarded
his DFC when serving as Warrant Officer (1342108) in 12
squadron (London Gazette 16.11.1943) General Award. He was
flying on his 31st operation at the time of his
death.
S ergeant Scott’s parents were later to
receive the news that his brother, Gordon, a Staff Sergeant in
the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers was to be killed
on the thirty-first of October 1944.
Flight Lieutenant McGlashan and
Sergeant Scott rest in the Berlin 1939-45 War cemetery, while
the other crew members are remembered on the memorial at
Runnymede.
|
