Roll of Honour

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Name D'ARCY
First names James Marcus
Rank Sgt
Service RAF
Service number 1288762
Crew position Navigator
Age 26
Date of death 08/11/41
Cemetery Bergen Cemetery North Holland

See Berkhout memorial

Photographed by Malcolm Brooke
49Sqn Association

Photographs courtesy of Ed Ijsbrandij and Dick Schilder

On the 69th anniversay flowers were laid by Ed Ijsbrandij and Dick Shilder of the Dutch Aircraft Research & Excavation group (DARE)
8/9 November, 1941; ESSEN/INTRUDER:
At 10.00hrs, 5 of the squadron's aircraft were detailed for operations against Essen; 3 on bombing sorties and 2 for searchlight-suppression and intruder attacks. The two intruders took off just after 17.14hrs. Bomber Command had dispatched 54 aircraft on the bombing raid assisted by 8 Hampden intruders. Large fires were started in the target area but the cost was high with 3 Wellingtons, 2 Whitleys and 1 Hampden reported missing. One Hampden failed to return from the intruder operations and it unfortunately came from 49 Squadron.

W/O Christopher Saunders DFM (P1206) and crew were shot down by a German night fighter flown by Ofw Ney of II/NJG 2. The aircraft was hit over the Dutch coast and set on fire; it was seen to circle before crashing at Berkhout, south west of Hoorn in Holland.

Hampden P1206 (EA-Z)
W/O C.A. Saunders DFM Pilot (Killed)
Sgt J.M. D'Arcy NAV (Killed)
Sgt J.E. Kehoe W/AG (Killed)

Sgt S.G. Mullenger W/AG (Killed)

Courtesy of RAF Scampton

The remains of P1206 were returned to RAF Scampton and are now displayed in the Station Museum.