DURNIN, Alan Howard

NAME                    DURNIN           Alan Howard
RANK                    Pilot Officer / Air Gunner     85681                                                                                                                              RAF Bomber Command - Group 6                                                                              SQUADRON         RCAF No. 408 “Goose” Squadron
                              “for freedom”
                              RAF Linton-on-Ouse Airfield in Yorkshire
                              Squadron Markings EQ M/H                                                                                                  Born                      November 14, 1920 - Vancouver - British Columbia.                                                    Residence             Dungannon - Ontario                                                                                                              Died                      July 29, 1944          23 years   8 months                     
Cemetery              Becklingen British War Cemetery - Becklingen - Celle - Lower Saxony - Germany
                              17 D 8                                                                                                                                                                          On his grave it reads "Dear Is His Memory"
Step mother          Fanny Gray Durnin - Goderich.                                                                                        Brothers                Ebert Durnin was serving on HMCS Kincardine based in Halifax - Nova Scotia.                                                        Lindsay lived in Goderich - Ontario                                                                                            Sisters                   Mrs. Margaret Robson - Hamilton - Ontario                                                                                                                Mrs. Marcia MacHardy - Goderich - Ontario                   

Alan was born in Vancouver on November 14, 1920. The family would have attended Dungannon United Church. His public schooling was from 1925-35. His father was a minister with the United Church and it seems he was in numerous places. Alan attended school in Vancouver & Victoria - British Columbia, Winnipeg - Manitoba, in Toronto - Kitchener and Crewe - Ontario before they arrived in Huron County. He attended Kingsbridge Centre School from 1935-37, Goderich High School from 1939-40 and achieved his Senior Matriculation. Then from 1940-41 he attended the Stratford - Ontario Normal School for his 1st Class Teachers Course. He liked to play hockey, baseball, tennis and football as he grew up. His step mother lived at 18 Bruce Street in Goderich.

Canada

Alan then went to London - Ontario and enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force on July 10, 1941 At the time he was 5' 9" and weighed 157 pounds. His complexion was fair with blue eyes and blonde hair. He was given the rank of Aircraftsman 2. From July 10-25 he was assigned to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto - Ontario. His next move was to No. 1 Technical Training School in St. Thomas - Ontario between July 26-December 3.        Between December 4- June 20, 1942 he was posted to No. 9 Bombing and Gunnery School in Mont Joli - Quebec and while here he obtained the rank of Aircraftsman 1.  On the first day of summer until August 15 he would be posted to No. 3 Initial Training School where he achieved 87% and was 21 in a class of 58. While here he obtained Leading Aircraftsman. From August 16-October 10 he was posted to No. 1 Bombing and Gunner School at Jarvis - Ontario. He achieved an average of 72% and was 10 in a class of 16. Then it was east to No. 9 Air Observer School in St. John - New Brunswick from October 11-December 4. Here he obtained the rank of Sergeant and received his Air Bombers Badge. His average was 74% and he was 9 in a class of 17. On December 5 he was assigned to No. 1 "Y" Depot in Halifax in preparation for overseas duties. On December 28 he volunteered for the RAF Training Pool.

Overseas

On the same day Sergeant Durnin volunteered for the RAF Training Pool on December 28 he embarked from Canada for duty overseas. He disembarked in the United Kingdom on January 7, 1943 and reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre the following day. After a two month stay at No. 3 PRC he was posted to              RCAF No. 22 Operational Training Unit based at Wellesbourne Mountford -.Warwickshire. He had now obtained the rank of Flight Sergeant. His next posting took him to RAF Topcliffe - North Yorkshire to RCAF Heavy Conversion Unit on June 22nd. On July 9, 1943 while he was stationed with No. 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe he was involved in an accident that occurred at 4:45 pm. He was admitted to hospital unconscious with a fractured skull that was a danger to his life and was like that for three days. He was admitted to RAF Hospital Northallerton - North Yorkshire. At the time of the accident Sergeant Durnin was the Bombadier on board Halifax BB 208. This aircraft was in the process of taking off at 4:50 pm so the aircraft could be tested at altitude. None of the crew were aware that the aileron locks had been left in place and because of this the aircraft could not leave the ground. It veered off the runway and into the fields near East Lodge and began to burn. Between July 9-August 3 he was classified as Non Effective Strength. From August 4-September 5 Flight Sergeant Durnin is attached to No. 1 Aircrew Deferred. On September 6 he again is posted to RCAF No. 22 Operational Training Unit where his average for ground training was 70% and his average for air training was 65%. Here he was appointed the rank of Warrant Officer 2. On November 30 he is attached to 61 Base for training with Group 6 Battle School at RAF Dalton.                                                                                                                                  On January 3, 1944 while still attached to 61 Base he goes to RAF Wombleton - North Yorkshire to RCAF Heavy Conversion Unit 1666. On February 11 Warrant Officer Durnin is attached to RCAF 408 Squadron but returns to 61 Base. While attached he obtains the rank of Pilot Officer. On May 10 Pilot Officer Durnin is re-posted to RCAF 408 Squadron based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse - North Yorkshire. He is deemed medically sound following the accident of July 9, 1943.                                                                                                                                Between May 10-July 28 Pilot Officer had completed 23 missions over enemy territory with 132 hours of flying time. He was within days of being screened.                                                                                                              The mission for the night of July 28/29 would be the 13th for Lancaster Mk II  LL 687  EQ M. The "Berlin Special" was painted on the nose.                                                                                                                                        For this mission Pilot Officer Durnin would be the the bombadier. On this particular mission, the target was Hamburg because it was the second largest harbour with a very large shipbuilding capability, U-boat pens, construction yards, 100+ power stations, oil refineries, along with factories that manufactured aircraft engines and components.
This mission was the first mission back to Hamburg in over a year. The weather that night over Berlin was
cloud with the tops reaching to 13,000 feet and good visibility. Earlier in the day the gunners were at the aircraft and were cleaning the plexiglass. The briefing for the mission took place at 5 pm. Lancaster LL687 “M” with Pilot Officer Durnin and his crew lifted off the runway at 22:38 hours on July 28th. They had reached the target safely, completed their bomb run and on the return leg home they were hit by enemy fire and the aircraft exploded at approximately 1:30 am and crashed 35 miles south of Hamburg at Spreckens about 2 ½ miles ssw of Bremervoerde in Germany. The reports say Pilot Officer Durnin attempted to bail out by removing a hatch cover and at this time the fire in the plane had reached him. The German Police kept the citizens away from the scene. The Five crew members who were found were originally buried in the cemetery at Sprecken. It is possible that because of the explosion, the fire and the crash that the two missing crew members could still have been in the aircraft.

His step mother Fanny Fray Durnin would have received the Memorial Cross. She would also have received the medals awarded to Alan which included the 1939-45 Star, the Air Crew Europe Star, the Defence and War Medals along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.

Pilot Officer Durnin and his crew mates are honoured and remembered by a Memorial for the crew of Lancaster LL 687 that was erected by the citizens of Spreckens - Germany where this aircraft fell to the ground. He is honoured and remembered on both the Goderich and Lucknow Cenotaphs as well as on the Memorial Plaques of Dungannon United Church and Goderich High School. He is honoured and remembered on the RCAF Bomber Command Memorial and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. He is also honoured and remembered at Bruce Remembers - Bruce County Museum.