LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Laurence William MARSHALL DFC
Service No: 423803
Born: Newcastle NSW, 12 August 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF:
Unit: No. 1653 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Station North Luffenham
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 13 April 1945
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1653 Conversion Unit Spitfire aircraft AR395), Lincolnshire, 20 March 1945, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George William and Ruby Doris Marshall; husband of Nancy Olive Marshall, of Malabar, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Malabar NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The Citation for the DFC awarded to Flying Officer Marshall is that of a General Citation promulgated in London Gazette of 13 April 1945, page 1965.
On 20 March 1945, Spitfire AR395 flown by Flying Officer Marshall took off from North Luffenham for fighter affiliation duty, and carry out an attack on a Lancaster, which had an instructor and crew under training on board. At 1107 hours, after breaking away from an attack, at 5,000 the Spitfire collided feet with Dominie trainer NF889 from No 1 Radio School, RAF Station Cranwell. Both machines were out of control 10 miles north of Stamford, Lincolnshire. Flying Officer Marshall was killed, and the Pilot and five others on board the Dominie were also killed.
The Pilot of AR395 was:
Flying Officer Laurence William Marshall DFC (423803) (Pilot)
The crew members of NF889 were:
Warrant Officer William Edgar Durber (1578491) (RAFVR) (Instructor)
Flight Sergeant Charles Sidney Jones (1456666) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Aircraftman Class II Harry Price (1675438) (RAFVR) (Student)
Aircraftman Class II Colin John Russell (1865706) (RAFVR) (Student)
Aircraftman Class II Frederick Salkeld (1677557) (RAFVR) (Student)
Aircraftman Class II Geoffrey Harold Sargent (2215896) (RAFVR) (Student)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Chorley W R, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 8 Heavy conversion Units and Miscellaneous Units 1939-1947, Midland Counties Publications UK, 2003
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/27/845