Caskey, Irvine Nathaniel (Flying Officer)

Killed in Action 1944-June-06

Flying Officer Irvine Nathaniel Caskey RCAF

Birth Date: 1920-May-01

Born: Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

Son of Will A. and Mabel Caskey, of MacDonald, Manitoba.

Home: Macdonald,Manitoba

Enlistment: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Enlistment Date: 1941-09-24

Service

RCAF

Unit

620 Sqn- Squadron (RAF)

Base

Rank

Flying Officer

Position

Flying Officer

Service Numbers

J/18411

Home
Google MapMacdonald,Manitoba
Final Burial
Google MapLa Delivrandre War Cemetery
III K 1A

Stirling Mk IV EF-268 "R" was shot down by flak while carrying paratroopers on the D-Day assault as part of Operation TONGA, to Caen, France.

The aircraft crashed at Dives-sur-Mer, near the Houlgate coastal battery, France.

Killed includes Caskey: Flying Officer Thomas Frederick Barker RCAF J/14207 KIA La Delivrande War Cemetery, France Sp. Mem. III. K. 1. Flight Sergeant James Hewitt RAF KIA La Delivrande War Cemetery Sp. Mem. III. K. 3. Flight Sergeant Arthur Welch Jackson RAF KIA La Delivrande War Cemetery grave V. E. 2. Sergeant Alan Lacy Smith RAF KIA La Delivrande War Cemetery Sp. Mem. III. K. 2. Flight Sergeant Robert Alfred Sparkes RAF KIA La Delivrande War Cemetery Sp. Mem. III. K. 4.

Flying Officer I N Caskey (RCAF), Flying Officer T F Barker (RCAF), FS A W Jackson (RAFVR), FS J Hewitt (RAFVR), FS R A Sparkes (RAFVR) and Sergeant A L Smith (RAFVR) were killed, as well as paratroopers L/Cpl AHJ Beard, Sergeant JA Beech, Pvt J Cavey, Cpl H Denham, Pvt PS Finch, Pvt F Garnett, Pvt W Hek, Pvt P Hughes, Sergeant EW Jarvis, Pvt D Kerr, Pvt R Kingsley, L/Cpl LH Phillips, Pvt JW Smith, Pvt CK Stringer, Pvt CC Stubbins, Pvt CJ Surman, Pvt MJ Trueman, Pvt J Walker, Pvt LC Wey and Sergeant ES Hounslow, all of the 7th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (R Tebbutt) Memorial at Hillside Cemetery, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada

Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.findagrave.com

Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Stirling serial: EF268

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page (L. Faux Photos)
In June 1944, this Short S.29 Stirling B Mk. IV (Serial No. LK589), coded V3, RAF, was flown across the Atlantic as part of a navigation training exercise and did a tour of bases in Eastern Canada. It is shown here at Malton, Ontario. It was flown back to the UK after a two-week visit.

The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The Stirling was designed during the late 1930s by Short Brothers to conform with the requirements laid out in Air Ministry Specification B.12/36. Prior to this, the RAF had been primarily interested in developing increasingly capable twin-engined bombers but had been persuaded to investigate a prospective four-engined bomber as a result of promising foreign developments in the field. Out of the submissions made to the specification Supermarine proposed the Type 317, which was viewed as the favourite, whereas Short's submission, named the S.29, was selected as an alternative. When the preferred Type 317 had to be abandoned, the S.29, which later received the name Stirling, proceeded to production. In early 1941 the Stirling entered squadron service. During its use as a bomber pilots praised the type for its ability to out-turn enemy night fighters and its favourable handling characteristics whereas the altitude ceiling was often a subject of criticism. The Stirling had a relatively brief operational career as a bomber before being relegated to second line duties from late 1943. This was due to the increasing availability of the more capable Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster, which took over the strategic bombing of Germany. Decisions by the Air Ministry on certain performance requirements (most significantly to restrict the wingspan of the aircraft to 100 feet) had played a role in limiting the Stirling's performance; the 100ft limit also affected earlier models of the Halifax (MkI & MkII) though the Lancaster never adhered to it.

During its later service, the Stirling was used for mining German ports; new and converted aircraft also flew as glider tugs and supply aircraft during the Allied invasion of Europe during 1944"“1945. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the type was rapidly withdrawn from RAF service, having been replaced in the transport role by the Avro York, a derivative of the Lancaster that had previously displaced it from the bomber role. A handful of ex-military Stirlings were rebuilt for the civil market. Wikipedia

Wikipedia Wikipedia Short Stirling

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page