In Memory Of

MASUR, DENNIS STANLEY

Service Details
Age:
 21
Date of Birth:
 1921-03-24
Service No:
 J/15164
Rank:
 Pilot Officer
Unit:
 15 (R.A.F.) Sqdn.
Regiment:
 Royal Canadian Air Force
Date of Death:
 1942-08-27
Cause of Death:
 Killed in action, Stirling BF327, target Kassel, Germany, shot down at a height of 3500 meters by Hauptmann Erich Simon (III./NJG 2), flying a Junker 88 night-fighter
Commemoration
Grave Reference:
 Plot 13. Row 4. Grave 59.
Cemetery:
 AMERSFOORT (OUD LEUSDEN) GENERAL CEMETERY
Country:
 Netherlands
Additional Information
Son of Max and Gertrude Masur, of Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. Born Johannesburg. He lived in New York, USA, when he enlisted the RCAF. Honoured on page 50 of the memorial book, Canadian Jews In World War II. Commemorated on the Roll of Honour at the King Edward VII School, Johannesburg, South Africa. ***Jewish. Took off at 20.45 hrs from Bourn, Cambridgeshire to join 306 aircraft (21 Wellington's, 5 Stirling's, 3 Lancaster's 1 Hampden and 1 Halifax) to attack Kassel. Very little cloud over the city and the pathfinders illuminated the target very well. Widespread damage was caused and the town reported that 144 buildings was destroyed and a further 317 seriously damaged. Several military areas were also hit and 43 people were killed on the ground but another 251 injured. The Henschel factory lost three of their factories and the city hospital lost the private wing. Over 73 large fires started but many bombs also fell outside the tone in fields. The loss to the allied force was enormous with 142 Squadron losing 5 Wellington's on this single raid! The majority of the losses were attributed to the German Night fighters.