CASSON, Frank Albert
NAME CASSON Frank Albert 95417
RANK Pilot Officer / Wireless Operator / Air Gunner RAF South East Asia Command - No. 225 (Composite) Group SQUADRON RAF No. 354 Squadron RAF Coastal Command
RAF Cuttack / RAF Orissa Air fields in India Born August 16, 1922 - Thedford - Township of Bosanquet - County of Lampton Residence Seaforth - Ontario Died August 9, 1945 22 years 11months
Cemetery Madras War Cemetery - St Thomas Mount - Chennai - Nandambakkam - India
9 F 8
Parents Mr. Albert and Margarita Murdie of Seaforth
Frank was born in Thedford on August 16, 1922 and enjoyed soccer, handball and basketball while he was
growing up. His hobby was mechanics. He would have attended Northside United Church. Frank attended school at SS #4 McKillop Township 1928-37 and Seaforth Collegiate 1937-42 and completed Grade XII for his senior matriculation.
Canada
He enlisted into the RCAF in London on September 14, 1942 with the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At this time he stood 6' tall and weighed 145 pounds. He had a medium complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He remained at the London Recruitment Centre for two weeks before he was posted to No. 2 Manning Depot in Brandon - Manitoba. On December 5 he was posted to Calgary to No. 2 Wireless School. Here he received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. His average in Calgary was 75% and he placed 104 in a class of 172. The next posting sent him east to Ontario on October 17, 1943 to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School in Fingal and here he achieved an average of 85% and he also obtained the rank of Sergeant and Wireless Gunner. Near the end of 1943 on December 12 he was posted to No. 5 Manning Depot in Lachine - Quebec. As the year was ending Sergeant Casson was posted to the Caribbean to RAF No. 111 Operational Training Unit at RAF Oakes Field. He was stationed in Nassau until April 3, 1944 when he was posted to Dorval - Quebec where he remained until May 16 when he board an RAF aircraft and enplaned for the Azores arriving there on May 18. And from here he was posted to RAF No. 9 Training Command with RAF Far Eastern Command - 225 Group.
In the Field
On June 12 he arrived at RAF No. 354 Squadron of RAF Coastal Command. The squadron duties were the air defence of southern India along with the coastline of India from Bengal on the Bay of Bengal to Karachi on the Arabian Sea. As well the squadron was a General Reconnaissance Squadron and in addition performed anti-submarine operations along with attacks on enemy shipping. For the briefing of the mission of May 15, 1945 intelligence did not mention the presence of Japanese anti aircraft positions on Nancoury Island or any of the nearby Nicolar Islands. Liberator EV 945 was engaged in shipping reconnaissance and shadowing a Japanese Naval Cruiser and Destroyer when the crew sent an SOS call by Pilot Officer Casson giving their position as near the Nicobar Islands on the Bay of Bengal. This area is south –west of the Island of Katchall and this aircraft is believed to have gone down in the Sombrero Channel at 10:15 am. The aircraft went missing at 08:00N and 93:30E on May 15, 1945 which was about 15 miles west of the Island and about 350 miles west of the Malay Peninsula. A subsequent search failed to find any trace of either the plane or crew. There was a crew of ten men and it is known that two of the crew died almost immediately, five of the crew were never found and three members of the crew became Japanese POWs. PO Casson was one of the 3 men who became a prisoner after 10 hours in a raft.. The sea was rough when the aircraft hit the water. The aircraft had been hit by flak where intelligence had said there was no Japanese. Both starboard engines were out. The raft apparently floated to the beach of Katchall and a native betrayed the men to the Japanese and they became prisoners of war. on May 17, 1945. Pilot Officer Casson became ill and his eyes could not focus and he gradually lost control of his arms and legs and his reasoning, pain, difficulty speaking, vomiting, involuntary eye movement and paralysis. This was nervous beri-beri on August 9, 1945 at noon and less than a week before the war in the Pacific would end. There is some confusion as to where he was originally buried. It is possible he was buried on Kamorta Island and the graves had white crosses on them with their names, serial number and date of death. It is also stated he was originally buried at Point Blair (Aberdeen) Cemetery on Adaman Island. The Pilot of Liberator EV 945 who was Pilot Officer James Milne stated after being rescued that Pilot Officer Casson died on August 15 which was a day after the war ended in the Pacific and Far East.
In 1956 was exhumed and permanently laid to rest in the Madras War Cemetery.
During the month of August 1946 Mrs. Casson received the Memorial Cross. In February 1947 his mother Margarita received the medals awarded to her son and these included 1939-45 Star, the Burma Star, the War Medal along with the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp.
Frank is honoured and remembered on the plaques of Northside United Church and Seaforth Collegiate and is named on the Seaforth Cenotaph. He is honoured and remembered in the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and in the Books of Remembrance situated in the Centre Bloch of our Canadian Parliament.
