Karrel, Curdis
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Curdis |
Surname | Karrel |
Gender | M |
Age | 23 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 29-07-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Morris Karrel and Sarah Karrel (née Alterman), of New Waterford, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LK833 |
Markings | SE-R |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Kiel War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 5. A. 1-6. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 192 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/88620 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 431 (Iroquois) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Race Control Building, Croft Auto Circuit, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Roadside Location, A167, Dalton on Tees, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial topped with metal statue |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | A memorial to all those who served on 431 Sqn RCAF at RCAF Burn, 1942-1943 |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed metal plaques & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Old Control Tower, former airfield site, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Curdis was born in New Waterford, Nova Scotia on 24 May 1921. His father, who was born in Russia, died in September 1941 and had worked as a Merchant. His mother was born in New York. He had three brothers and two sisters. The Schools Curdis attended were Central School 1925-1935, Sydney Academy 1935-1939 ( Junior and Senior Matric ) and Mount Allison University, 1939-1941 (2 years on B.A. Pre Law). Between 1941 and 1942 he worked as an Office Clerk for Canadian Car and Foundry in Amherst, Nova Scotia. |
Curdis enlisted on 10 August 1942 at Moncton and when his training was over, Embarked from Halifax for the U.K.on 26 August 1943. On arrival he went to 3 PRC on 2 September 1943, 9 (0) AFU 26 October 1943, 23 OTU, 22 OTU 5 March 1944, 6 Base 2 May 1944 and 431 Squadron 29 May 1944. He lost his life exactly two months later. |
The sports Curdis took part in were football, basketball and baseball. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 28-07-1944 |
End Date | 29-07-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Night (56% moon) |
Operation | Hamburg. 307 aircraft. German night-fighters appeared on the return leg leading to 22 losses (7.2%). This was the first raid on Hamburg for a year and was not well concentrated. The Germans were unable to determine the aiming point from the bombing results. Most of the bombs fell on areas devastated during 1943. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Hohenaspe, NNW of Itzehoe, Germany |