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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Norman Bailey

In memory of:

Flying Officer Norman Bailey

July 29, 1944

Military Service


Service Number:

J/28860

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

431 Sqdn.

Additional Information


Commemorated on Page 241 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information


Cemetery:

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Surrey, United Kingdom

Grave Reference:

Panel 244.

Location:

During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometers by road west of London.

The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen. Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:

IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE

In the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation, contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott."

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

Send us your images

  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flying Officer Norman Bailey is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flying Officer Norman Bailey is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Photo of NORMAN BAILEY– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Id Card– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Letter– Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Toronto Star September 1944. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper clipping– From the Montreal Star. Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me
  • Photo of Norman Bailey– The crew on aboard Halifax MZ589 was lost during an operation to Hamburg. Six Canadian airmen were lost, Joseph Collver, Robert Leman, Norman Bailey, Matthew MacFarlane, Norman Jermey and William Sorel.  Submitted by Operation Picture Me
  • Newspaper Clipping– The Toronto Star, February 9, 1945, page 4
  • Newspaper Clipping
  • Memorial– Cenotaph, Meaford Ontario
  • Runnymeade Memorial– Photo of Runnymede Memorial (CWGC)
F/O Norman Bailey served as Navigator on Halifax aircraft MZ589 with 431 Squadron.  On the night of July 28/29, 1944, 17 aircraft from the squadron were sent on a raid to Hamburg, with a total of 186 Halifaxes and 46 Lancasters participating in the raid.  RCAF Bomber Command 6 Group lost a total of 22 aircraft on the raid, at a tragic loss of 134 aircrew killed.    Twenty-nine were taken Prisoners of War.   431 Squadron suffered the loss of 5 crews:  28 airmen killed and 7 PoWs.
The Pilot, F/O Jos. COLLVER from Fort William, Ont., was only 19 yrs of age, as was Air gunner P/O Norman JERMEY from Orillia, Ont.  The other three crew were aged 21 and were: 
P/O (WAG) Wm. G. SOREL from Nakina, ON
F/O (BA) Matthew MacFARLANE from Vancouver.
P/O (AG) Robt. A. LEMAN from Muirhead, AB.
No trace of the aircraft and crew were found. Their names are inscribed on the Runnymede Memorial for those with no known grave.
[Crew information from They Shall Grow Not Old, Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon, Manitoba; operation detail from www.rcaf.com/6group]
  • Memorial– Inscription - Runnymede Memorial - April 2017 … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Learn more about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial

To learn more please visit our help page. If you have questions or comments regarding the information contained in this registry, email or call us. For inquiries regarding the names and information found in the RCMP Honour Roll, please email the RCMP.

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