A Wellington bomber Bomb Aimer’s group of five to Flying Officer Donald James Duncan, 104 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who was shot down by German night fighter pilot Oblt Hans Krause, Staffelkapitan of 6./NJG 101 flying a Do217 on the night of 1-2 February, 1944, during a raid on a factory at Maribor in Yugoslavia. He and his crew were on their 32nd mission and all were killed. They are interred in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia.
Five: 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence Medal; War Medal, together with named Air Council named transmittal slip in the O.H.M.S. bard box of transmission addressed to Mrs C. A. Duncan, “Brynsiriol” 29 Moorside Road, West Cross, Swansea.
Together with the recipient’s father’s Victory Medal (48008 PTE. E. J. DUNCAN. W. YORK. R.) and Silver War Badge (B169472)
Condition: Extremely Fine.
Donald James Duncan was the son of Edgar James Duncan and Clara Annie Duncan, nee Nicholls, of West Cross, Swansea.
Edgar James Duncan enlisted into the West Yorkshire Regiment on 10 Dec 1915 and was discharged on 6 March 1919 on account of wounds he received in action on the Western Front. He received a Silver War Badge, No. B169472 and succumbed to his wounds in 1926 at the age of 40
In 1939 Clara Duncan was living with her son Donald, at 39 Moorside Road, West Cross, Swansea. Donald Duncan was working as a clerk to an auctioneer before going the Royal Air Force following the outbreak of hostilities. He trained at Tuscaloosa Air base in Alabama and having qualified as an Air Bomber was posted to 104 Squadron.
On the night of 1-2 February 1944, the target of 205 Group RAF was the aircraft factory at Maribor in Yugoslavia. The ongoing repairs to the runway at Tortorella prevented No.231 Wing from operating, and the thirty aircraft dispatched were provided by Nos 236 and 330 Wings. The weather and visibility were good, and early reports suggested that a concentrated attack had been carried out. However, the bombing photographs showed that the target attacked was not the Maribor factory but another some miles to the south-east. Considerable flak was encountered in the target area, and there appeared to be good co-operation between searchlights and night-fighters. One aircraft, the Wellington X LN345 ’M’ of 104 Squadron did not return, and was presumed to have been an aircraft seen to have been shot down over the target.
This Wellington departed Foggia at 1751 hrs. At 2040 hrs they were attacked SE of Maribor by a night fighter piloted by Oblt Hans Krause, Staffelkapitan of 6./NJG 101 and flying a Do217 N from Parndorf airfield. Other crews reported seeing an aircraft burning in the air, still firing tracer. It went down in flames and exploded on impact 2 km southeast of Maribor. Krause claimed this bomber shot down as his 4th victory.
The crew were all killed and are buried in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Belgrade, Serbia. They were flying their 32nd mission.
The crew were:
Flt Sgt Sydney Douglas Russell RAFVR 1333470 (pilot)
Flt Sgt William Robert Cecil Fulton RAFVR 1366021 (navigator)
Flg Off Donald James Duncan RAFVR 133709 (air bomber)
Flt Sgt Francis Reginald Horner RAFVR 1384906 (wireless operator/air gunner)
Sgt Arthur Richard Long RAFVR 919881(air gunner)
