Date: 1941 Nov 05/05 A/C Type: Hudson V SN: AE-655 Code: RR-R A/C Nickname:
 File: 481 Airforce: RCAF Sqn/Unit:  407 Sqn Coastal C. Mission/Raid: Patrol north of Frisian Isles
1 Pilot P/O James F. Codville     Canada (buried Oldebroek) 9    
2 Obs Sgt. Francis T. James       Canada - MIA 10    
3 WO/AG Sgt. Richard L. Armsby          MIA 11    
4 Rear gunner Sgt. Guy N. Bryan            Canada - MIA 12    
5     13    
6     14    
7     15    
8     16                    

Crashed in the North Sea off Terschelling Island. Cause: shot down by German twin-engined fighter. 

 


Pilot James Codville later washed ashore on small island Rottumeroog (sandbank), were only a German observation post was. They buried him in their little dune-cemetery. 
In 1947 an English Missing & Enquiry Unit hastily exhumed all graves found there and reburied them near their army-base in Oldebroek, in Oldebroek 'Eekelenburg'-cemetery.
This is about 100km south of Rottumeroog island and located on the eastside of the Dutch Lake IJsselmeer (Old Zuyder Sea) coast.

No trace was found of the other 3 crew members of AE-655. In fact, another two Hudsons were lost that day north of the Frisians. These were Hudson AM657 and AM642. They were lost with all 4 men crew.
Of the 12 men in total KIA, only Pilot Officer Codvile was recovered and buried. The other eleven men are MIA. If they washed ashore and were buried as unknown airman, in must be east of Callantsoog up to the Danish west coast, in the period November 6th 1941 to July 1942.  




  Sources: 

- www.teunispats.net/t1325.htm
- original burial files of Rottumeroog and Oldebroek.
- website CWGC

See also our cemetery-files on Rottumeroog:  http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/865.html






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