Frederick Thomas "Freddy" Murray

Fred Murray

RCAF   F/L   -   DFC

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Canadian Spitfires Down Four Germans

An R.C.A.F. Airfield in Holland, Dec. 6, 1944 — (CP Cable) — Five Canadian Spitfire pilots of the Falcon Squadron, patrolling over the Wesel area of northwestern Germany near the Netherlands frontier, took on more than 50 Messerschmitt 109's yesterday, shot down four and probably destroyed a fifth. One Spitfire was lost, but the pilot is believed safe.
Leading the attack, FO. Fred Murray, of Saint John, N.B., made two certain "kills" and probably destroyed another enemy plane. Flight-Lieut. Bill Banks, D.F.C., of Toronto's Leaside district, shot down the other pair.
Banks, who has ten German planes to his credit, became the top scorer now on operations with his wing of the R.A.F. 2nd Tactical Air Force. It was the first score for Murray.

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Born 28 May 1922 at Windsor, Ontario
Home in Saint John, New Brunswick
  (bank clerk and ex-Royal Canadian Artillery)
Enlisted in Moncton, 2 August 1941
To No.5A Manning Depot, 26 August 1941
To No.31 OTU, 11 October 1941
To No.3 ITS, 23 November 1941
Graduated as LAC, 17 January 1942
Not posted to No.22 EFTS until 1 Feb. 1942
He may have graduated 27 March 1942 but
Not posted to No.2 SFTS until 11 April 1942
Graduated as Sergeant, 31 July 1942
To "Y" Depot, 14 August 1942
to RAF overseas, 20 April 1942
Commissioned 17 June 1943
Flying Officer on 17 December 1943
Flight Lieutenant on 24 December 1944
Further trained at
No.5 (P) AFU (11 Sept. to 13 Oct. 1942) &
No.53 OTU (13 Oct. 1942 to 13 Jan. 1943)
With
412 Squadron - 13 Jan.1943 to 24 March 1944
   and 3 October to 24 December 1944
401 Squadron - 24 Dec. 1944 to 22 Feb. 1945
Shot down and taken prisoner, 22 Feb.1945
Repatriated to Canada on 1 June 1945
Released 28 August 1945

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One Pilot Gets Triple Kill As Canadians Destroy 11

London, Jan. 15, 1945 - (CP) - Flt. Lt. J. Mackay of Cloverdale, B.C., an RCAF Ram Squadron pilot, scored a triple victory Sunday when planes of a Canadian Spitfire wing destroyed 11 Focke-Wulf 190's in 15 minutes over Enschede, Holland, near the German border.
Flt. Lt. MacKay's triple kill, his second in a fortnight, was scored in a dog fight that developed after the Canadians saw 15 German planes taking off from Enschede air field.
Others to destroy single enemy planes included:
Flt. Lt. Dick Audet, DFC, of Lethbridge, Alta., a Grizzly Bear Squadron sharpshooter who boosted his total of downed planes to 9½. Five of that total were destroyed in a single engagement recently.
Flt. Lt. J. J. Boyle, Toronto, and FO. J. A. Doran of Victoria, both Grizzly Bear Squadron members.
Fit. Lt. J. H. G. Dick of Montreal and Flt. Lt. J. E. G. Reade, an American, both of the Caribou Squadron.
Flt. Lt. F. Murray, Saint John, N.B., and FO. D. B. Dack of Calgary and Taber, Alta.
Passing over the airfield, the Ram Squadron airmen saw 12 Focke Wulfs flying east over the airdrome at 1,000 feet and others taking off. The Canadians attacked.

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MURRAY, F/L Frederick Thomas (J18113) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.401 Sq.
Award effective 9 March 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and
AFRO 625/45 dated 13 April 1945.

Flight Lieutenant Murray has completed very many sorties including a number of successful attacks against locomotives and other targets on the ground. In air combat he has destroyed five enemy aircraft. This officer has set a fine example of skill, courage and tenacity

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Victories Include :

26 Nov 1944
5 Dec 1944

29 Dec 1944
14 Jan 1945
23 Jan 1945

one FW190
two Me109s
one Me109
one FW190
one FW190
two Ar234s
one Ar234
destroyed
destroyed
probable
destroyed
destroyed
damaged
damaged
Venlo
&
SW of Wesel
Munster/Rheine
Munster
&
sh. w/ 11 others

5 / 1 / 2.09

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--- Canadian Aces ---

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On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research (which includes info from numerous sources), newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC) as well as other sources both published and private

 

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