1380346 Sgt Geoffrey Herbert Marshall 61 Squadron RAF

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by nemesis, Aug 26, 2020.

  1. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Sergeant Geoffrey Herbert Marshall of 61 Sqn was shot down and killed in February 1942. Can anyone advise me what position he held in the Aircraft. thanks for reading this.
    Max


    Casualty Details | CWGC
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 26, 2020
  2. dp_burke

    dp_burke Junior Member

  3. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    Thanks for the input. The cards are quite difficult to read.
     
  4. dp_burke

    dp_burke Junior Member

  5. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

  6. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    For Info heres what I now know about Sgt Marshall, Thanks to all who contributed in this search,

    1380346 Sergeant Geoffrey Herbert Marshall ,61 Squadron RAF who was the Second Pilot on board a Manchester Bomber L.7472 when it was shot down by Flak on the 1st of February 1942 whilst attacking German Pocket Battleships Scharnhorst and Gnesenau who were docked at the French seaport of Brest.

    The Aircraft was Airborne from RAF Woolfox Lodge at 18.45 hrs on the 31st January 1942 on the mission. It was coned by searchlights over the target and was hit by flak and set on fire. Moments later it clipped balloon cable, after which some crew baled out over Brest, prior to the aircraft being ditched. Unfortunately Sergeant Marshall baled out too late and was killed when his parachute failed to deploy.


    72 Aircraft took part in the operation and two Hampdens and two Manchesters failed to return

    The Crew:

    Flt/Lt (85237) R.D. Fraser RAF Pilot PoW No.1421. Camps 8B/21B/L3

    Sgt (1380346) Geoffrey Herbert Marshall. Second Pilot 23 , RAFVR baled out too late and was killed when his parachute failed to deploy.

    Flt/Lt (45095) W H. Hannigan RAF ,Bomb Aimer. PoW 1425. Camp L

    Flt/Sgt (R/58090) W H. Shorrock RCAF ,Navigator .PoW No.24772. Camps 8B/344/18C/L6/L4

    Sgt (941666) A W. Hadley RAF 1st W.Op.PoW No.24776. Camps 8B/344

    Sgt (974171) B.H. Mullen RAF, 2nd W.Op. PoW No.24752. Camps 8B/344/357

    Flt/Sgt (R/65201) Stephen Joseph MacLean. Air Gunner, 20, RCAF became jammed in the escape hatch after the ditching & despite strenuous efforts by Flt/Lt Fraser to pull him free, he drowned as the bomber sank.

    Flt/Sgt (545506) T W. Walsh RAF. Air Gunner. PoW No.2477. Camps 8B/344/L3

    Sergeant Marshall ,previously a Police Constable at East Surrey Docks was aged aged 24 when he was killed in action. He had been posted from 10 OTU to 61Squadron on the 6th of January1942. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial and was the son of Thomas George and Edith Margaret Marshall, of Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
     
  7. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member


    Did Marshall land in the sea with his unopened chute ?
     
  8. nemesis

    nemesis Senior Member

    It said that some of the crew jumped over Brest prior to the A/c being ditched so its fair to say he was in the sea. He has no known grave I believe. Sorry for late reply
     
    jonheyworth likes this.
  9. It is possible that his body has been discovered buried in a family vault down the coast. We are just starting our research on an unidentified airman whose body was washed ashore on 31 August 42 "After several months in the sea" according to the local Register of Deaths. There were very few planes shot down during that summer and almost no "unidentified" The bodies of two crew from the Manchester were lost after it ditched. But six months is a very long time even if the Atlantic is very cold.
     

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