408 Squadron Grave Markers
(Editors Note:The following is the Collaboration between MWO Del Badiuk And Cathy Mould)
In November 2010, I was contacted by Cathy Mould, a great niece of F/L Gordon Clayton Fisher DFC.
F/L Fisher was one of the first navigators posted into 408 Sqn when it stood up June 1941 and was the Squadron Bombing Officer. He flew 26 missions with 408 Sqn before being shot down on 29 August 1942 in Hampden AE 197, EQ-N along with W/C Twigg (pilot and SqnCO), F/O Van Den Bok, DFC (WAG) and F/L Maitland, DFC (WAG). W/C Twigg and F/L Maitland were killed in the crash but F/L Fisher and F/O Van Den Bok survived and managed to evade capture, eventually returning to England.
Cathy informed me that her and her husband William, were going to be touring Europe in May 2011 and offered to take pictures of the final resting places of all the 408 Squadron aircrew who were buried in the areas they were visiting. With the list I provided them, Cathy and William visited 12 cemeteries and the grave sites of 41 408 Squadron personnel. They began their adventure in Cambria, where with the assistance of a couple of gentleman, they were able to locate the Canadian Cemetery with members of the 408 squadron. One of the gentleman was Jean Pierre Quinio, who gave them an electrical relay from a 408 Sqn Lancaster that was shot down over Cambria. It is presently on display in the upstairs cabinets.
While in Brussels, they also met with “Monique” and the daughters of two of the men who worked on the “Comete Line”, Claire Greindl (daughter of Jean Greindl aka Nemo – leader of the Belgian Comete Line) and Brigitte d’Oultremont (daughter of Georges d’Oultremont). Both of their fathers were instrumental in assisting Allied airmen evade capture and return to England. “Monique”, the nom de guerre of Henriette, had helped provide downed airmen documentation, helping over 70 flyers evade before having to flee to England herself to escape the Gestapo
GPS Location of Some Cemeteries
1. RotterdamHolland: 51°56’15”N 4°29’33”E
2. UtrechtHolland 52°07’44”N 5°22’34”E
3. Wissenkerke Holland 51°35’08”N 3°44’37”E
4. Adegem Cdn War CemeteryBelgium 51°12’12”N 3°30’10”E
5. AntwerpBelgium 51°09’49”N 4°22’13”E
6. Bergen-Op-Zoom Holland 51°30’05”N 4°19’51”E
7. FlushingZeelandHolland 51°27’14”N 3°34’58”E
8. Oudenburg West-Vlaanderen Belgium 51°09’54”N 3°00’53”E