I've always loved the military. Military planes, and really what the military and being in the military stood for. Both of my Grandads, rest their souls, served in the British Forces...guess that's why it's always had a place in my heart.
But this was really interesting to come across this past weekend. Such a small hamlet in Alberta, where some of their "boys" (and they were boys...) fought and flew in an Avro Lancaster bomber. Touching for sure.
But here's their story from what I found.
The Anderson Boys Of Craigmyle, Alberta:
The gods of war would not be kind to William Boyd and Dagnie Anderson of Craigmyle, Alberta. William immigrated from Scotland in 1914 and married Dagnie Sechur in 1915. She was a Danish immigrant. He worked as the town’s blacksmith, while she focused on their young family. Their first son, Lloyd George was born on December 5, 1916 and twins, William ‘Billy’ Boyd and James ‘Jimmie’ Sangster on July 27, 1920. They received their formal education in Craigmyle and thrived on sports, in particular hockey and baseball.
As twins would do, James and Billy joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, volunteering for air duties, on July 12, 1940. Lloyd was employed as a painter.
R/92560 Sgt. James Sangster Anderson, RCAF, air bomber of Halifax aircraft number 7766 of No. 158 Squadron, died of injuries on 17th October 1942 at York Military Hospital, after the aircraft crashed on 14th October 1942, at East Moor, Yorkshire. The pilot was returning from a successful night operation. Owing to poor visibility he lost the aerodrome by making too wide a circuit, but found it again by proceeding to the beacon. He was unable to retract his undercarriage and the aircraft struck the ground some 400 yards to port of the runway. Six of the crew were injured. Sgt. Anderson was 22 years of age and unmarried.
J/7755 F/O. William Boyd Anderson, RCAF, pilot of Hudson aircraft AM551 of No. 407 Squadron, was with aircraft and crew, reported missing on 20th January 1943, whilst carrying out a reconnaissance and anti-shipping operation off the Dutch coast. An SOS was transmitted 40 miles off the English coast. A search was made by four aircraft without results and no further news was received. For official purposes the death of this officer was presumed to have occurred on 20th January 1943. He was 22 years of age and unmarried. Dagnie Anderson had difficulty accepting that her second twin would not be returning home as his body had not been found. For considerable time afterward she would persist in setting his place at the dinner table and with her husband would take an evening therapeutic walk along the railroad tracks with the family dog.
Lloyd joined the RCAF, signing his attestation papers on September 5th 1941, while both brothers were alive. He volunteered for air duties and was training as a pilot when he was involved in an accident that was not his fault. Due to loss of confidence, he retrained as an air gunner. At this time James was killed in action and their father wrote letters to the Secretary of the Department of National Defence Air requesting that Billy be repatriated and Lloyd not be posted overseas - to no avail. Lloyd completed his training and was posted overseas. After completing operational training he was posted to 625 Squadron to start his tour of ops. During this time Billy was reported missing. This prompted his father to write a third letter:
Re: J7755 F/O WB Anderson
Craigmyle
Alberta
July 27th 1943
The SecretaryDepartment of National Defence of AirOttawa Ontario
"Dear Sir
Replying to your letter dated July 22nd in regard to my Son F.O. William Boyd Anderson, missing after air operations on January 20th 1943, may state, that I have never heard of any news in regard to my Son, only that, which was received from his Wing Commander of the Squadron he was attached to, informing me what had happened. I might also add that I have lost two sons in this terrible war, the only son that I have left in my family is in Great Britain, an Air Gunner R/31824 L.G. Anderson, serving with the R.C.A.F.. My wife’s health has given way under the terrible strain, and the loss of our twin sons, as our three boys is our whole family. I am over 60 years of age and it is pretty hard on me, could it be possible for my son to be posted in Canada, in the view of being closer to home, and might have a chance of seeing his mother, which I know would benefit her health.
My wife’s mother and sister live in Denmark, and she has never heard from them since the enemy occupation, so you can understand what she is suffering. We have given our share in this great ordeal, and, if anything can be done to make it easier for us, My wife and I would extend to you our great appreciation".
Yours Sincerely
WB Anderson
Box 59 Craigmyle
Alberta
P.S.If you want confirmation in regard to my wife’s health, write to the Secretary Treas. of the Village of Craigmyle.
Further request by father in July 43 to return son from overseas for duty in Canada due to loss of two sons and mother’s failing health. Request not approved by AFHQ due to exigencies of the Service.
In a letter dated, February 18th 1943, to Betty Read, a friend in Craigmyle, Lloyd noted that he had been able to meet up with her brother, Jack, and been entertained by Canadian soldiers playing hockey. He was obviously homesick - “The old town must be dead, but oh boy, I would like to be in it right now.”
Lloyd lost his life on 30/3/44.
This was the third son killed overseas - the last of the Anderson’s children.
It was not until after the M.R.E.S. report of Fl/Lt. Goldstain dated August 19th 1948 that they learned the fate of their eldest son - three years after war’s end!
One has to admire the quiet acceptance they displayed under such tragic circumstances.
Craigmyle,
Alberta,
April 30th, 1949.
The Secretary,Department of National Defence for Air,Ottawa, Ontario.
"Dear Sir:
In acknowledging your letter dated April 15th, I wish to thank you for the information in regards to our sons Lloyd and William Boyd. It was a little comfort to us to hear Lloyd’s resting place had been finally located and to know he had not suffered in the crash. As for Billy, I doubt very much of your being able to locate him, as we are afraid his plane crashed in the North Sea.
We lost another son who served in the Air Force, Fl/Sgt. J.S. Anderson. He is buried in Fulford Cemetery, in York, England. Jim was a twin brother of Billy. My wife and I wondered if a marker could be placed for Billy in Fulford, as Billy and Jimmie were twins, and part of one another, although they fought in different Squadrons. The three boys composed all our family.Your Department may not have anything to do in a case of handling this matter, but will you kindly state our case through the proper channels".
Yours sincerely,
(sgd) W.B. Anderson.
Mrs. Anderson was named the Silver Cross Mother in 1959, travelling by train to Ottawa for the November 11 Remembrance Day services to lay a wreath at the National War Memorial. In the mid 1950s the elementary school at the Penhold Air Base was named in honour of the family, The Andersons of Craigmyle School. When the base was closed in the mid-1990s, the commander donated artifacts to the Craigmyle community hall and had a plaque mounted in granite placed with the boys’ parents grave in Craigmyle. It is tragic that this family lost their last son as a result of the Nuremberg raid, the last one of the Battle of Berlin and the most catastrophic of Bomber Command. By wars end, the tiny hamlet of Craigmyle, Alberta, would be staggered by the loss of five of its promising young men. A single line of Noel Coward’s haunting poem, Lie in the Dark and Listen, repeatedly comes to mind: “Theirs is world you’ll never know”. Lest we forget!
Tragically, Dagnie Anderson would be the rare recipient of three Canadian Memorial Crosses, one for each of her sons that would not be returning home.
Craigmyle World War II Memorial (Note: Lawrence Peter Anderson was not related to the Anderson brothers)
*With this background information it is now possible to postulate why it took this crew ten ops to finally gel as a combat unit - with particular reference to the aft gunners. It took this long for them to choose between Sergeants Anderson and Edwards and find a compatible mate for Sgt. Anderson. This is suggestive of an interpersonal conflict between the two. It is conjecture but a possible contentious issue would be Sgt. Anderson’s family combat history with his twin brothers being KIA. It is possible that some of his superstitious crew mates might have perceived him as a jinx and refused to fly with him on ops. With time this crew equilibrated with the gunner combination of Sergeants Anderson and Pitman in the mid-upper and rear turrets respectively. For ten ops their luck would hold, until the fateful Nuremberg trip. It is interesting that in a review of 625 Squadron losses, Sgt. W. Edwards is not listed. Superstition or the fickle finger of fate, we will never know. Admittedly, this is conjecture but taking into account the relevant facts it is a plausible scenario. The photo of Sgt. Anderson taken after completion of his air gunnery course is rather unique. His facial expression is one of anger, hostility or open defiance. This is most unusual as, almost without exception, the usual progression was from the sweet innocence of a teenager at attestation to the flat affect of a condemned man on death row, as by that point they realised that their tour of ops with Bomber Command was most likely a one way ticket. If there was ever a set of circumstances for an airman to refuse to fly in combat, Sgt. Anderson had them, yet continued to return to the fray - the camaraderie of the 625 seven link gold chain!
Understandably, Reg Price does not remember Sq/Ldr. Nicholls or his crew but agrees that this explanation is plausible.
John Proctor with his diligent research offers another plausible and the most likely scenario. Sgt. W. Edwards was unable to adjust to the extreme stress of operations, decompensated psychologically and was transferred to RAF Eastchurch Re-Selection Centre on 27/1/44 for further evaluation.
Suggested Decorations by the author:
R/92560 Fl/Sgt. James Sangster Anderson - Distinguished Flying Medal, died from injuries sustained during operations against the enemy.
J/7755 F/O. William Boyd Anderson - Distinguished Flying Cross, presumed KIA.
111973 Sq/Ldr. Thomas Musgrove Nicholls - Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA.
1809799 Sgt. Norman Leslie Wallis - Distinguished Flying Medal, KIA.
R/153793 W/O II. Ernest Carl Johnston - Distinguished Flying Medal, KIA.
1318936 Sgt. Peter Raymond Beilby - Distinguished Flying Medal, KIA.
172030 P/O. Frank Raymond Smith - Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA.
R/131824 Fl/Sgt. Lloyd George Anderson - Conspicuous Gallantry Medal or posthumous commission and Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA, see above text.
171789 P/O Reginald Henry Pitman - Distinguished Flying Cross, KIA.
BURIAL DETAILS:
Fl/Sgt. James Sangster Anderson. Fulford Cemetery- Sec. 2. Row F. Grave 6. Son of William Boyd and Dagnie Anderson, of Craigmyle, Alberta, Canada. Headstone Inscription: “His spirit is eternal. His twin brother Billy Was lost 20th January 1943 H.W.E.” (Headstone shown left)
F/O William Boyd Anderson. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 172. Son of William Boyd and Dagnie Anderson, of Craigmyle, Alberta, Canada.
Sq/Ldr. Thomas Musgrove Nicholls. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of Herbert H. and E. Isabel Nicholls, of Kennington, Kent.
Sgt. Norman Leslie Wallis. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of John Collins and Bertha Ann Wallis, of Shirley, Warwickshire.
W/O II Ernest Carl Johnston. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of Gordon and Lena Johnston, of Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Headstone Inscription: “Rest in peace. Till we meet again”
Sgt. Peter Raymond Beilby. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18.
P/O Frank Raymond Smith. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of Harold John and Ellen Florence Smith, of Redhill, Surrey. Headstone Inscription: “Sweet memories, Silently kept; We smile with the world, But never forget. Mom & Dad”
Fl/Sgt. Lloyd George Anderson. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of William Boyd and Dagnie Anderson, of Craigmyle, Alberta, Canada. His twin brothers, James Sangster Anderson and William Boyd Anderson, also died on Service. Headstone Inscription: “Honoured among the nation’s heroes A simple love, A simple duty done”
P/O Reginald Henry Pitman. Rheinberg War Cemetery. Coll. Grave 17. D. 12-18. Son of Archibald Walter and Alice Isabella Pitman, of Upper Eastville, Bristol. Headstone Inscription: “One of the dearest, One of the best; God grant unto him Eternal rest”
References:
Library and Archives Canada/Ancestry.ca. - 625 Squadron ORB. - War Diary of W/Cdr (ret’d) J.E. Goldsmith. - The Nuremberg Raid, Martin Middlebrook. 1974. - Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume One, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten. - You Tube Video - Death by Moonlight:Bomber Command - A Battle for the Truth- Canadian Aircrews sue the CBC over Death by Moonlight:Bomber Command. - Wikipedia: Death by Moonlight:Bomber Command. - The Drumheller Mail: 11 Nov. 2016- Andersons of Craigmyle remembered. Author- Pat Kolafa.
(Click onto photo above to view the film)
Photo/Document Credits:
W5009’s Crew - Courtesy of Eileen Edge and Kevin Ball. - WO II Ernest Carl Johnston, R153793, p.163 on Ancestry RG24 2785, May 2017. - Sgt. Lloyd George Anderson, R131824, p 266 on Ancestry RG24 2475, May 2017. - The Grim Long Leg to Nuremberg/Aftermath: The Nuremberg Raid, Plate 46 RAF Airman and Plate 48, Tail unit of a burnt-out Lancaster. - Map of Nuremberg Losses: W/Cdr (ret’d) J.E. Goldsmith/ The Nuremberg Raid p. 323. - A Battle for the Truth: Gift to JEA from W/Cdr. (ret’d) J.E. Goldsmith. - Kelstern Water Tower: Focal point of the notorious Nicholls/Dowden wager. ‘Action Stations 2’ by Bruce Barrymore Halfpenny. - Old Lags: Mural, Langford Legion Branch 91, Langford, BC. Artist: Paul Archer These two works of art depict the profound grief, respect and loss for those that failed to return - There but for the grace of God go I. - Andersons of Craigmyle: left to right- Jimmie, Lloyd and Billy, The Drumheller Mail, Nov. 11, 2016. - William Boyd Anderson: Library and Archives Canada/ancestry.ca, Canada, - WW II Files of War Dead, 1939-1947, J7755, Image 108. - Headstone of Fl/Sgt. James Sangster Anderson, AR Archives - Memorial Plague- Transplanted from The Andersons of Craigmyle School at DND Base Penhold to their parents gravesite at Craigmyle Cemetery. Courtesy of Ray and Jean Hummel, the boys’ distant relatives. - Memorial Plaque- WWII Craigmyle War Dead. Note: Lawrence Peter Anderson is not related to the three brothers. Courtesy Ray and Jean Hummel. - 625 Squadron Strength: April 1945, ME524, CF-O. Photo courtesy of Eileen Edge and Kevin Ball and photo ID via Theo Boiten. - 625 Admin. Staff, RAF Kelstern: Eileen Edge, third from the left.
note: the authors are most grateful to Eileen Edge and her son, Kevin Ball, for sharing their remarkable collection with us to bring to life those that failed to return- thank you!
Co-authors:
Nic Lewis - John Naylor - Maureen Hicks - Pete Pearson - John Proctor - Reg Price, DFC - Surviving 625 Squadron Vet, including the March 30/31, 1944 Nuremberg raid:
“Up 2150 Down 0608 Nuremberg. Target bombed at 0016 hours from a height of 23,000 feet in 10/10ths cloud in centre of red T.I.s and flares.
On leaving the target area large explosion occurred and the attacking aircraft seemed to be making a very successful job of the affair.”
The fact that they bombed through 10/10ths cloud strongly suggests that Reg and his crew actually bombed Nuremberg and not Schweinfurt.
Submission by Jack Albrecht and Nic Lewis.
