George Edward Cragg Coldron was born in 1920 or 1921 and lived in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. He was the son of Percy and Grace M. Coldron.

He joined the Royal Canadian Air Forceand became an observer. In September 1942 he flew with 14 Operational Training Unit. It is thought he was in his final stages of his training. O.T.U's was the place were air crew got training, trained by men who often had already flown a full tour. In the early years of the wara, O.T.U.'s were at times used on operational missions. Crews were made up of experienced hands or a mix of experienced men and trainees who got their first taste of war.

On the night 0f 13/14 September 1942, Sgt George Coldron participated in a raid on Bremen, Germany.

14 Operational Training Unit

Sgt. Coldron took off in Handley Page Hampden Mk.I L4109 GL-S with the follwoing crew;

F/Sgt  Roman Grabek 
Sgt George Edward Cragg Coldron
Sgt R. Carlson
Sgt T.F. Needham

All were RCAF. They took off from their base Cottesmore at 23.54. They were shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Stadskanaal. They would be in the last Hampden light bomber to be shot down over Europe. Sgt Carlson and Sgt Needham managed to bail out and became PoW. Sgt R.Carlson RCAF was interned in Camps 8B/344. PoW No.27023
with Sgt T.F.Needham, PoW No.27113

Clipping from the Golbe and Mail newspaper, 30 September 1942

Sgt Coldron and F/Sgt Grabek both died and are buried in Stadskanaal.

(Picture courtesy of Wim Bastiaanse)

Stadskanaal

See Also:
F/Sgt Roman Grabek

All casualties of 14 Operational Training Unit

Sources and Acknowledgements:
Lostbombers.co.uk
Warmuseum.ca

Directions to StadskanaalGeneral Cemetery

Posted 5 May 2008

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

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