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
Also, the Squadron ORB is very clearly typed and list him as 2nd pilot. They are free to download at the moment due to COVID19 procedures Squadron Number: 61 Records of Events: Y | The National Archives
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.
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
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.