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SPENCE SO
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SPENCE, Samuel

Aircraft Information
Aircraft Handley Page Halifax III
Serial Number NA583
Markings 6U-F
Memorial information
Burial/Memorial Country United Kingdom
Burial/Memorial Place Runnymede Memorial
Grave Reference Panel 238..
Epitaph
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase 2
Panel Number 245
Enlistment information
Service Number 1901001
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 6
Squadron 415 (Swordfish)
Trade Flight Engineer
Country of origin if different United Kingdom
Last Operation information
Start Date 02-11-1944
End Date 03-11-1944
Takeoff Station East Moor
Day/Night raid Night
Operation Dusseldorf. 992 aircraft, 19 losses- 4 of which crashed behind Allied lines (0.4%). Most of the bombing fell on the northern suburbs with more than 5000 houses being destroyed . 7 industrial premises were destroyed and 18 seriously damaged, including some important steel works. At least 678 people were killed. This was the last significant raid on Düsseldorf.
Reason for Loss Crashed in the Rocherather Wald near the German-Belgian border. All were originally buried at the crash site. The fact that some are now commemorated on the Runnymede memorial while others have been moved to concentration cemeteries suggests that the authorities were unable to locate their graves after the war