Alexander Gilmour Markle Rank: Flight Sergeant Status: Prisoner of War Escapee 1942-11-08

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"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
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Markle, Alexander Gilmour (Flight Sergeant)

Prisoner of War Escapee 1942-November-08

Birth Date: 1918-October-06 (age )

son of JWE Markle

Home: Carnrose, Alberta

Service
RCAF

Unit
450 (F) Sqn- Squadron (RAAF)
Harass

Rank

Warrant Officer 1st Class

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Pilot

Service Numbers
R/86820

450Sqn RAAF operated from RAF Station Gambut Egypt from mid-1941. Markle joined the squadron in late Spring 1942.

1942-08-29: He was injured in a scrap with an enemy aircraft over Mersa Matruh, Egypt. 1942-11-08: Markle's P-40 Kittyhawk was damaged in an air fight over Sidi Barrani Road, Egypt, and made a forced landing there following it.

From University of Alberta Alumni Association:

A fighter pilot, Markle was twice shot down in the North African campaign. In August 1942 he was shot down while dive-bombing enemy troops at El Alamein. He crashed behind enemy lines, but luck was with him that dayÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Âhe was found and picked up by two British armoured cars. After two weeks in hospital he was back flying in time for the "big show" when Montgomery smashed through at Alamein.

In November 1942 he was again shot down. This time he was not as fortunate. Captured by Italian soldiers, he spent 10 months in Italian prison camps before taking part in the largest mass prisoner-of-war escape in history. He spent seven months hiding from German troops before eventually making it across the Italian Alps to the safety of the Allied lines.

Home

Carnrose, Alberta

Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg

Lancaster FM213

Andrew Mynarski, VC

Markle, Alexander Gilmour (Flight Sergeant)

Prisoner of War Escapee 1942-November-08

450 (F) Sqn- Squadron (RAAF) Harass

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