Last Post - Pilot Officer Marius Bendt Nielsen
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Source: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers
Below: images from Brookwood Military Cemetery, courtesy of Mark Lucas, www.lucasphotography.co.uk
See description above, at right for more details.
Marius Bendt Nielsen, a young man from Standard, Alberta attended No.3 Bombing and Gunnery School at McDonald, Manitoba, from Dec. 15, 1943 to March 9th, 1944.
He is the son of Otto Thorvald and Sorena Nielsen of Standard, Alberta.
He joined 432 Squadron. In the tragic accident which took the lives of all crew, P/O Nielsen was flying with Squadron Leader E. Hayes in a Halifax VII RG-475.
Ops Rept - Mar 5/6, 1945 Chemnitz
86 Halifaxes from 408, 415, 420, 425, 426, 429, and 432 Squadrons were joined by 84 Lancasters from 419, 424, 428, 431, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack at Chemnitz. The crews were over the target at between 15,000 and 18,000 feet, releasing 1,064,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, severe damage was caused by this attack. There was severe icing over England and this was a factor in most of the crashes.
S/Ldr E. Hayes RCAF
and crew, flying Halifax VII RG-475 coded QO-L, were shot down by friendly anti-aircraft fire over England.
P/O D. Cooke RAF
F/O C. Hay RCAF
P/O D. Ringrose RCAF
F/Lt G. Harris RCAF
P/O M. Neilsen RCAF
P/O G. Orser RCAF
All the crew were killed.
Source: www.6grouprcaf.com Click here to read the entire report.
Lost Bombers Report
Serial Range RG472 - RG513. 8 Halifax Mk.V11, part of a batch of 400 HP Halifax Mk.B all delivered 8Feb45.
Airborne 1630 5Mar45 from East Moor on an operation to Chimnitz.
Shot down by 'friendly' Flak from a coastal battery near Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex. Thus, P/O Cooke died just 30 miles from his home at Leigh-on-Sea. With six other members of his crew, he is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery. F/L Clothier RCAF, was claimed by relatives as his grave is in Monmouthshire at Rockfield (St.Cenhedlon) Churchyard, Llangattock. He was was beginning his third tour of operations having re-mustered as a pilot from the trade of Air Gunner. He remained undecorated; both air Gunners were nineteen years of age. This Chemnitz raid was part of Operation Thunderclap. S/L E.A.Hayes RCAF KIA F/L J.G.Clothier (P2) RCAF KIA P/O D.E.Cooke KIA F/O C.M.Hay DSO RCAF KIA P/O D.J.Ringrose RCAF KIA F/L G.R.Harris MiD RCAF KIA f/S M.B.Nielsen RCAF KIA F/S G.M.Orser RCAF KIA "
Source: www.lostbombers.co.uk Click on the link for the entire report
Click here to read the ""They Shall Grow Not Old" entry for Pilot Officer Marius Bendt Nielsen.
Marius Bendt Nielsen is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, a cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. Click on the link to see an image of the certificate issued by the Commission in his memory.
Rudyard Kipling, the British author and poet lost a son in World War I. He selected the phrase, "Their Name Liveth for Evermore", from Ecclesiasticus 44:14.
"Their bodies are buried in peace, but their name liveth for evermore."
Mark Lucas, British Photographer, has kindly agreed to the use of his images for this site.Click here to visit his website.
The image below from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states "In our hearts he is always with us, In God's home he is forever safe"
