World War II Honoree

Sidney Leon Murrell

Hometown

Gainesville, Texas

Honored By

A Grateful American

AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN, HELD THE RANK OF FLIGHT LIEUTENANT AND SERVED AS A PILOT IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. ENLISTED ON FEBRUARY 1, 1941 AT WINDSOR, ONTARIO. EARNED HIS PILOT'S FLYING BADGE AT NO. 8 SERVICE FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL, MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK ON NOVEMBER 18, 1941. RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION AS A PILOT OFFICER IN DECEMBER 1942. AWARDED BRITISH DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS ON MAY 7, 1943. KILLED IN ACTION AT THE AGE OF 25 WHILE SERVING WITH NO. 405 'VANCOUVER-EAGLE' SQUADRON, ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE (BOMBER COMMAND) WHEN HIS FLAK DAMAGED HANDLEY PAGE HALIFAX MK II (JD124) CRASHED NEAR MONCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY DURING A BOMBING RAID TO KREFLED ON JUNE 22, 1943. BURIED AT RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY, RHEINBERG, NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA, GERMANY.