The Airmen's Stories - P/O S R Gane

Sydney Russell Gane was born on 13th August 1920, the son of Lieut. Sidney Gane, RAPC and Dora Douglas Stewart Gane of Dunoon, Argyllshire.

He joined the RAF on a short service commission in March 1939 and did his elementary training at 10 E&RFTS Yatesbury and intermediate and advanced training at 5 FTS Sealand.

On 6th November 1939 Gane was posted to 248 Squadron at Hendon.

In February 1940 the squadron joined Coastal Command. Flying from Sumburgh in the Shetlands, Gane failed to return from a sortie in Blenheim L9453 over the Norwegian coast on 20th October 1940. Three Blenheims from 248 Squadron had been sent out to look for a shot-down German crew in a dinghy, an intercepted radio message indicated that a Luftwaffe floatplane was on its way to pick them up.

Off Ballen Hemnefjord, L9453 was intercepted by two Me109s from 4./JG77 and shot down. Gane was able to bale out but P/O MD Green and Sgt. NJ Stocks were still aboard when the Blenheim went into the sea.

The two Messerschmitts then machine-gunned Gane while he was descending. His body was recovered by Norwegian civilians and buried nearby at Stamnes Farm. In 1945 he was re-interred at Stavne Cemetery, Trondheim.

Sgt. WJ Garfield, P/O AL Fowle, P/O EH McHardy, P/O SR Gane, P/O HR Sharman, Sgt JH Round

Above image courtesy of Carole, daughter of F/O VA Ricketts of 248 Squadron

There is more information on this incident at: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/ballen.html