Born the 18 May 1923 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. Died in mission the 02 May 1944.

Evaded. Interrogation Report dated September 07, 1943 in Gibraltar.

The Fligth Enginer, who was not a regular member of this crew , was on about his 7 th operation. The Pilot was on his 3rd operation and the remainder of the crew on their 1st operation.

The Stirling took oft from Newmarket at 2235 hours carrying 3 mines which were to be laid off Bordeaux. The moon was full and the night very clear. In accordance with instructions the Stirling climbed to 4000 ft. over the Channel and crossed the French coast in a fairly steep dive slightly east of the Cherbourg peninsular. At the coast flak was seen going up to right and left, but none came close enough to cause any anxiety.

Seen after crossing into France the navigator announced that the Gee set was unserviceable and for the rest of the trip he was forced to reply upon astro-fixes and visual pinpoints to check his position.

The Stirling flew straight and level at about 500 ft. until the Loire was reached, when course was altered bring her out over the sea just south of Les Sables d'Olonne. At the sane the pilot began to climb.

P/O Kirby thinks his aircraft now got slightly north of track which brought it right over les Sables D'Olonne where it ran into much light flak. They were flying at 4000 ft. at the time and diving slightly to gain speed crossing the coast. P/O Kirby was in the front turret when they were fired on and he felt three big bumps behind him the aircraft. The M/U/Gunner called out that a large piece of the rudder had been shot away and the pilot replied that ho had not much control left and gave orders to jettison the mines live immediately. The bomb aimer carried out this order as quickly as possible and the mines were dropped about 3-4 miles off the coast from 1000 ft.

The Stirling then turned north and head for home. The flight engineer suggested that they should fly low, as on the way out, but the pilot said that it was not safe to do so in the condition of the of the aircraft and he climbed to 9000 ft. He also asked to be told the nearest aerodrome in England at which he could land. P/O Kirby thinks that during this stage of the flight the navigator was a little uncertain of their position. He also heard the captain remark that he was finding it difficult to maintain the revolutions of one of the engines satisfactorily.

The Stirling was about 15 miles S.E. of Rennes and flying at 9000 ft. when the rear gunner reported that they were about to be attacked by a fighter from the starboard quarter. He directed the pilot when to take evasive action an almost immediately the fighter opened fire and P/O Kirby saw white tracer passing under his turret. He does not think they were hit in the first attack, but as he heard noting further from the rear gunner, M/U gunner or flight engineer, the tree members of the crew were able to observe the enemy aircraft, he is not certain of the further details of the combat. It seems likely that the intercom was damaged in the initial attack, although P/O Kirby remained in contact with the pilot and navigator until the end.

The fighter made two further attacks from roughly astern an the pilot executed gentle weaving, which was all the evasive action of which the aircraft we capable, all the time. P/O Kirby does not know what damage was sustained, but after the third attack the pilot called out, "We ve had it ! abandon aircraft".

P/O Kirby left his turret and put on his parachute while the navigator was opening the escape hatch. He then left the Sterling feet first with his back to the turret and his helmet on. He pulled the ripcord almost immediately, and during the descent he was illuminated for 30 secs by a searchlight which then switched off. He landed comfortably in a field close to the village of La Haye about 10 miles S.E. Rennes. (He says in his report, the village in the Haie, commune of Bais. It goes struck in the middle of the night on the door of the farm "Tanduère" Marcillé Robert. Nobody goes he opens. prends He then departed for Visseiche, then the next day the village of Marcillé Robert).

After he left P/O Kirby saw nothing more of his aircraft until he heard a loud explosion and saw it catch alight on the ground. He is confident that prior to this there had been no sign of fire in the Stirling.

On the ground he heard hat four of the crew were taken prisoner and a fifth was at large in the district. He believes that the later was Sgt. Sansoucy a French Canadian who would find at easy to pass himself off as Frenchman. The body of the remaining member of the crew was found some way from the aircraft with the parachute unopened. The Stirling burnt for 4 hours on the ground and was a complete wreck. The Germans carried away what was left of the engines and when P/O Kirby visited the scene 3 weeks later he found nothing but tiny of Perspex and charts.

I was a member of the crew of the aircraft, which took off Stirling Newmarket for Bordeaux. Around 23 pm on June 14 to dump, 3 mines near Bordeaux.

The other crew members were:

F/O Edwards. Pilot (Fate unknown)

Sgt. Dunnet. RNZAF, Navigator (believe P/W)

Sgt. Rawlinson. RNZAF, Wireless operator (believe P/W)

Sgt. Maxwell. Rear gunner (Fate unknown)

Sgt. Jones. Hid Upper gunner (Fate unknown)

A French Canadian, his name unknown. Flight engineer (believed safe and in hiding).

I was told later that one member of our aircraft had been found dead with a parachute that had nor opened, and that two were had bean captured by the Germans, but this information was based on rumour.

Our navigation aid box did not function correctly and after flying for some time in low clouds we out over Les Sables d'Olonne and here our tail unit was baldy damaged by light flak. We dived down and jettisoned the mines alive about four miles West of the town. Having little control of the aircraft we then climbed to about 9,000 feet and turned North.

At about 0130 hrs, when we were over Marcille Robert, about five miles S.E of Rennes we were attacked by fighters. The first attack was unsuccessful but the intercom was broken. After two more attacks the pilot gave the order to abandon aircraft. I was the first to bale out and came down in a field somewhere East of Moulins.

I hid my parachute and then walked back in the direction of our abandoned aircraft. (No, since taking the road Visseiche, located in southeastern crash). On the way I stoped at a farmhouse and was given some food and cider. I hid in a wood (Wood of the mountain) on the outskirts of Visseche till the following afternoon and thon went to a nearby farm. (Farm of the mountain, family Peltier). I was given food and sheltered until about 1800 hrs when I sot off by myself. When I came to village I saw two or three people standing in the street. They stopped me and took away my a house. When I had told then my story one of the men took away my flying kit, which he said he would destroy, gave me a civilian suit, shoes, a ration card, and, using one of my RAF, photographs, made me out an identity card. I speck very little French and on my identity card my helper wrote "Difficulté de parler après meningite". He also put my age down as eighteen. That evening I was taken to Marcilé Robert and sheltered there. I stayed here for a month. I was very wall looked after here, and my first helpers frequently brought large parcels of food for me.

Mr. The Yves Thomas, in front of the building that was used to hide Russell Kirby for a month in June 1843.

Russell Kirby, called "John" by the family Le François goes past the second month in the family home.

During my last week in Marcillé Robert I met a man who had been in hiding in this village for some considerable tine in order to avoid being forced to work for the Germans. (The family of Francis Thomas Marcillé Robert). He told me that he thought he could help me and at 0830 hrs on 20 July, we went to Retiers and thence took a train to Chateaubriant. Before leaving Marcillé Robert my helper had drawn 25,000 francs out the bank. We stopped here for a meal and then went on to Nantes, where we arrived in the early evening. The town was full of German service personnel and we spent that night 20 July in the station entrance hall.

At 0200 hrs on 21 July we caught an express to Bordeaux, arriving there about 10,00 hrs. I was not feeling at all well at this time and my helper took me to a hotel where I rested for the afternoon.

We caught a train for Toulouse at 1700 hrs that evening. There was a cheek on identity cards on the journey and the official was not satisfied with mine, which was franked 1941 instead of 1943. Handmaid he would return, but, fortunately, did not do so.

We arrived in Toulouse in the early evening and spent one night there. The following afternoon 23 July we caught a train to Auch. We went to a small hotel here and I retired to bed ne feeling very ill. My helper fetched a doctor to see me who told me that I was suffering from jaundice. I was kept in bed for ten days. My friend managed to bribe someone in a nearby village to alter the franking on my identity card to 1943, and he also obtained for me some more food coupon valid for August. We left Auch about the and during the week or the beginning of the second week in August, and during the time we were there my helper was continually trying to find a means of getting me into Spain.

At about 1100 hrs we caught a bus from Auch to Tharbes and from there went by train to Lourdes. We strayed in a hotel here for about four days. We learned that we were in a defended zone and that it was quite impossible for anyone over eighteen or under sixty to pass South of Lourdes. We therefore decided to go North, and took a train one afternoon to Othez. There was an identity check on the way and I was the only person in the carriage asked to produce his card. There was another chock at the station entrance, and realising that the town was full of Germans we got on another train and went to Puy. Here we changed trains and went to Auteville, and from there walked to Sauveterre. We spent one night here and the next morning at about 0730 hrs we took a bus to St Palais. We stayed for one night here and the next morning caught another bus to Bayonne. We found all the hotels had been commandeered, and the town was full of Germans. We were also told that all identity cards had to be deposited with the manager overnight when staying at a hotel. We therefore decided it would not be safe for us to stay here and the afternoon we caught a bus for Hasparren. We obtained roars here in a boarding house. On our second day in Hasparren we net someone who arranged my subsequent journey.