Durnell, Archibald Bertram Charles
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Archibald Bertram Charles |
Surname | Durnell |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 20-06-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Archibald Durnell and Minna Louise Durnell (née Thompson), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Armstrong Whitworth Whitley VII |
Serial Number | LA814 |
Markings |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 173. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 158 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/14745 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 91 |
Squadron | 10 OTU |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Old airfield site, Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In memory of those killed on Ops from RAF Stanton Harcourt |
Miscellaneous Information
Archibald was born at Vancouver on 6 May 1919. His father was a building contractor and born in Wales, his mother was born in Nassau, Bahamas, British West Indies. He had a brother, Ambrose Edward, and two sisters, Edythe Yvonne and Margaret Nyrissa. He attended Winnipeg Public School 1926-1933 and Patterson Collegiate Institute, Windsor 1933-1939. He also took a Business Course at Shaw School, Toronto 1940-1941. The sports he enjoyed were skating, skiing, dancing and baseball. For a hobby he enjoyed model building. Between 1939 -1941 Archibald worked as a grocery clerk for Loblaw’s and then as a clerk for Chrysler from 1941 onwards when he then enlisted. |
After enlisting on 7 January 1942 at Windsor, and initial training, he was then posted to the U.K. and arrived at 3 PRC on 30 December 1942. He was then at 7 PRC 14 January 1943, 1476 ASR flight on 8 February 1943, 24 OTU 9 March 1943, and 10 OTU 6 June 1943. Archibald was then sadly to lose his life two weeks later on 20 June 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 20-06-1943 |
End Date | 20-06-1943 |
Takeoff Station | St. Eval |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Anti-submarine patrol |
Reason for Loss | Shot down in flames by an enemy submarine (possibly Italian) |