James Campbell TURREFF [9518]

  General Notes:

James worked as a clerk for the General Accident Insurance Co in the Shrewsbury office before the war. His godfather, Sir Frances Norrie Miller of Perth, was the Chairman of the Company. After his marriage they lived at 1 Woodlands Park, Wenlock Road, Shrewsbury and also bought Saunders Cottage, Little Boscombe when he was posted there.

He enlisted on the 6 Sept 1939 and was recommended the following day for training as a pilot. He was turned down for faulty eyesight and trained as a Flight Engineer in 1943 on Wellington and Stirling bombers - RAF Aircrew N° 937748
After training he was posted to RAF Station Keevil, Boscombe Down, Nr Trowbridge. At the time of the Arnheim fiasco he was a flight sergeant in a Stirling bomber on a special operations mission over France. Their navigator got them lost and they flew into a hill. Three of the crew were killed, but the pilot and two others survived. Parts of the plane have been found and assembled for eventual exhibition in a museum near Reims, France.

James is buried at the Choloy War Cemetery, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France Plot 1. F. 8

James married Rose Audrey Blanch LEWIS [9566] [MRIN: 3312], daughter of F T LEWIS [9567] and Unknown, on 11 Sep 1939 in St Peters Wrockwardine SAL. (Rose Audrey Blanch LEWIS [9566] was born on 25 Sep 1918 in Hampsthwaite Harrogate YKS and died on 21 Dec 2003 in Alderney Channel Is..)