Joseph Curle                                            Updated: 22 MAR 2022

Airman: a069019.htm Surname: Curle Init: J Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 218

P_link: p120.htm Plane: STI R9190 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: Sælgrunden near Siø

Crash_d: d111042 Buried_d: b141042 C_link: c069.htm At_Next: Odense

Den 11. oktober 1942 kl. 23.47 nødlandede STI R9190 omkring her ved Sælgrunden ud for
Rudkøbing. 

Under forsøg på at nå den udløste gummibåd druknede Sgt (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle, måske som følge af de svære kvæstelser han havde fået i forbindelse med luftkampen. Fem besætnings-
medlemmer blev senere opsamlet af et dansk redningshold, og de fire, Sgt (Pilot) F.W.N. Hill, Sgt (Wireless Operator) H.F.H. Frost, Sgt (Observer) J. Harkin og Sgt (Flight Engineer) J. Gardner, blev indlagt på Rudkøbing sygehus, medens den femte, Sgt (Rear Gunner) J.P.J. White blev indsat i
arresten. Det sidste besætningsmedlem, F/Sgt (Mid Upper Gunner) K. Richards var sprunget med faldskærm og var landet på Tåsinge. Om morgenen den 12. oktober blev White og Richards afhentet
af tyskerne og bragt til Odense, hvor de her den 14. oktober overværede begravelsen af 2 allierede
flyvere (Sgt. Curle fra STI R9190 og Sgt. Moore fra HAL DT520) (Kilde: FT 85-76-7) 

Sergeant (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle, 22 år, var søn af Joseph og Mary Alice Curle, Sunderland,
Co. Durham, United Kingdom. (Kilde: CWGC) 7 flyvere.

On 11 October 1942 at 23.47 hours STI R9190 made a forced landing about here at Sælgrunden
off Rudkøbing.

During attempts to get the released dinghy Sgt (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle drowned, maybe due to
the heavy injuries he had suffered in connection with the aerial battle. 5 crew members were later
picked up by a Danish rescue team. 4 of them, Sgt (Pilot) F.W.N. Hill, Sgt (Wireless Operator)
H.F.H. Frost, Sgt (Observer) J. Harkin and Sgt (Flight Engineer) J. Gardner, were taken to Rudkøbing Hospital, while the 5th, Sgt (Rear Gunner) J.P.J. White, was imprisoned. The last crew member
F/Sgt (Mid Upper Gunner) K. Richards had bailed out and landed on Tåsinge.
In the morning of 12 October White and Richards were fetched by the Germans and taken to Odense.
On the 14 October they attended the burial of 2 allied airmen here (Sgt Curle from STI R9190 and
Sgt Moore from HAL DT520). (Source: FT 85-76-7)

Sergeant (Air Bomber) Joseph Curle, 22, was the son of Joseph and Mary Alice Curle, of Sunderland, Co. Durham, United Kingdom. (Source: CWGC)
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 2, Panel 151.
In memory of our youngest son "He put out his hand and touched the face of God"
The 6 survivors were taken to Dulag Luft Oberursel for interrogation, and then to Stalag Luft I Barth, Stalag Luft VI Heydekrug and Stalag Luft IV Gross Tychow.
(Source: AOD) See also German POW-Camps.
Stirling I R9190 HA-E took off from RAF Downham Market at 18:20 on 11 OCT 1942. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) p120MACR has more.
No. 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF - Wikipedia * History of No 218 Squadron RAF * Short Stirling. 7 airmen.