Marean, Fred Aten Died
Personal Information
| Rank | F/S |
| Forename(s) | Fred Aten |
| Surname | Marean |
| Gender | M |
| Age | 23 |
| Date of Death | 12-03-1943 |
| Next of Kin | Son of Frederick Albert and Dorcas G. Aten Marean, of Estlin, Saskatchewan, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
| Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
| Serial Number | DT774 |
| Markings | EY-E |
Memorial Information
| Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
| Burial/Memorial Place | Uden War Cemetery |
| Grave Reference | 4. C. 2. |
| Epitaph | TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE |
IBCC Memorial Information
| Phase | 2 |
| Panel Number | 204 |
Enlistment Information
| Service Number | R/107744 |
| Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Group | 4 |
| Squadron | 78 |
| Squadron Motto | Nemo non paratus (Nobody unprepared) |
| Trade | Pilot |
| Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
| Location | Marean Lake, Saskatchewan |
| Country | Canada |
| Memorial Type | Lake |
| Memorial Text |
| Location | Sint Jansberg 1, Groesbeek, Gelderland Province |
| Country | the Netherlands |
| Memorial Type | Inscribed marble tablet set into external brick wall |
| Memorial Text |
in de nacht man 12-16 Maart 1943 kwam hier de bemanning om van de britse halifax bommenwerper DT774
Translation "On the night of 12/13 March 1943 during a raid to Essen, Halifax DT774 of 78 Sqn RAF was shot down by a German nightfighter" |
| Location | Adjacent to Clubhouse, Breighton Airfield, East Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Tablet |
| Memorial Text | Dedicated to all who served at this airfield and gave their lives during World War II |
| Location | External, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque |
| Memorial Text | 78 Sqn 4 Group Bomber Command Yorkshire 1939 - 1945 To All Who Served |
| Location | Internal, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Inscribed Wooden Board, Memorial Chapel featuring Cross made from Halifax wreckage |
| Memorial Text | The 78 Sqn Memorial in the Churchyard was dedicated by the Bishop of Selby on 7th September 1986. RAF Breighton, two miles from this church was the Sqn's home from June 1943 to May 1945 |
| Location | Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Memorial Gardens, Propeller, Inscribed Marble Tablets |
| Memorial Text | In everlasting homage to the courage of those who have found their winged victory through the skies of Yorkshire |
| Location | Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets |
| Memorial Text | They made the supreme sacrifice so that you & I may go in peace with freedom. 4 Group 1939 - 1945. |
| Location | Heslington Hall, York, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
| Memorial Text | Heslington Hall 1941 - 1945, 4 Gp Headquarters Bomber Command. In remembrance of those Air & Ground personnel who made the supreme sacrifice that we all may walk in peace with freedom |
Miscellaneous Information
| The owner of the farmhouse that the Halifax struck, who was a child at the time of the crash, recounted that the aircraft, although on fire, made two low passes as if looking for somewhere to crash land. There was a German searchlight battery behind the farmhouse which the a/c gunners strafed, killing one operative. On the second pass the a/c exploded and one undercarriage crashed through the (original) farmhouse roof. Fortunately the family were outside watching events unfold. When the wreck was removed they found the crew, apart from the pilot, in the crash position, which suggests a forced landing was being attempted. |
The National Archives
| Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/66 |
| Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/66 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
| Name | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Benson G E (Sgt) | Died |
| Bentley H (Sgt) | Died |
| Dyer C G (Sgt) | Died |
| Gosnell W H (Sgt) | Died |
| McLelland W J (Sgt) | Died |
| Singleton B M (Sgt) | Died |
Last Operation Information
| Start Date | 12-03-1943 |
| End Date | 13-03-1943 |
| Takeoff Station | Linton-on-Ouse |
| Day/Night Raid | Night (42% moon) |
| Operation | Essen. 457 aircraft, 23 losses (5.0%). PFF marked using Oboe. Very accurate bombing over the Krupps factory. 500 homes also destroyed. German authorities also reported damage and deaths in neighbouring towns. |
| Reason for Aircraft Loss | Shot down over Grafwegen on the Dutch-German border by a night-fighter flown by Oblt. Manfred Meurer, of 3./NJG1. Altitude 4,000m at 2148hrs. |