LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Murray Cameron CAFFYN
Service No: 409506
Born: Maryborough VIC, 13 December 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Injuries, Prisoner of War: (from the loss of No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED658 on 9 October 1943), Germany, 27 October 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Murray Cameron Gordon and Edith Jane Caffyn, of Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 107, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Date: 8-9 October 1943
Target: Hanover
Total Force: Dispatched – 504, Attacking – 457
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 17, Attacking – 16; No. 467 Dispatched – 6, Attacking – 6
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 1,667
Total Aircraft Lost: 27
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 2
On 8th-9th October only six Lancasters of No. 467 Squadron were available as the aircraft had been dispersed to emergency landing fields on return the previous night from Stuttgart. Australian participation was thus relatively low in what proved to be a classic example of a really successful concentrated attack. Before the raid a message from the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Bomber Command, was read to all crews directing attention to previous failures against this target and exhorting them to go to great pains. One large diversionary force of 104 aircraft went to Bremen and small groups of Mosquitos attacked Kastrop-Rauxel Berlin and Duren in order to disperse widely enemy fighters, which on previous raids had found it easy to reach Hanover because of its central position. The Pathfinders dropped flares and target indicators well placed in the centre of the city, and although a few were inevitably astray, the main bomber force, mindful of the appeal made to them, made sure that they attacked only the main markers. The important central area of Hanover between the principal railway station and the Machsee Lake (which had been roofed over and camouflaged) was almost completely devastated by fire. Sixty-two factories were damaged and fires were seen raging all night by Wing Commander Norman (1) (No. 460 Squadron) who was shot down and captured during the raid. Flying Officer Caffyn, captain of the other RAAF Lancaster which failed to return, had got his crew away safely over Hanover when the aircraft was set afire by ground fire and fighter attack. After a vain attempt to fly to Holland, he was forced himself to bale out. He attempted to board a moving train bound for Bremen but was badly injured and captured soon afterwards.
(1) Wing Commander Norman (400102) was taken prisoner in the loss of No. 460 Squadron Lancaster EE202 (Flight Sergeant David Sterrit Thomas (413688) (Navigator)).
Extracts from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 605-6
Lancaster ED658 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2313 hours on the night of 8 October 1943 to attack Hanover, Germany. The bomb load was 1 x 4000 lb (pound) (1,800 kg) and 3 x 1000 lb (450 kg) bombs, 48 x 30lb, 840 x 4 lb (2 kg) incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Eighteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid. It was established post war that the aircraft crashed at 0155 hours on 9 October north west of the Bahnhof at Wiedensahl, 10kms east north east of Petershagen. All the crew members became Prisoners. Flying Officer Caffyn however died on 27 October 1943 during transit from Dulag Luft to Stalag Luft III.
The crew members of ED658 were:
Flying Officer Frederick Thomson Brown (414639) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 3 December 1945
Flying Officer Murray Cameron Caffyn (409506) (Pilot)
Sergeant Godfrey Gordon Gannon (1398334) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant Charles William James Marshall (1801433) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant Ronald William McGarvey (1714939) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) PoW
Pilot Officer Thomas Allen Richardson(158805) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Norman Lindsay Wulff (413303) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 5 November 1945
No. 460 Squadron lost Lancaster EE202 (Flight Sergeant David Sterrit Thomas (413688) (Navigator)) on 9 October 1943.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/7/218
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985