AIR CREW EUROPE GROUP OF 3 MEDALS & LOG BOOK TO E.G. TRUMAN, R.A.F. (K.I.A. 1943 BY 53 KILL ACE)

On 22 Sep 1943, Sgt. Edward George Truman was Wireless Operator in 90 Squadron’s Sterling BF566 WP-G tasked to bomb Hannover. Coned in searchlights above the target, German 48-kill ace and Knight’s Cross holder, Hptmn. August Geiger shot them down from his Me110-G4. The Sterling crashed at 22:35 at Gestorf, 7 miles ENE of Springe. The crew of seven were all killed and are buried in Hannover War Cemetery:

P/O W Birdsall (Pilot)
Sgt. B.J. Thomas
F/S J. Hudson
Sgt. D.E.J. Hobbs
Sgt. E.G. Truman
Sgt. G.C.A. Bradshaw
Sgt. L.C.L. Cummins

Sgt Edward George Truman first trained as a wireless operator at Air Operations Section (No.2 Signals School) R.A.F. Tuddenham, qualifying on 10 Nov 1942, posted to No.10 Air Gunnery School at R.A.F. Barrow having four sorties over three days in Boulton Paul Defiants as a rear turret gunner, qualifying on 12 Feb 1943.

On 8 Apr 1943, Truman was posted to 12 O.T.U. in Wellington bombers, passing out on 20 May 1943. On 13 June 1943 he was then posted to 1657 O.C.U. (Sterling Mk1's) at R.A.F. Stradishall for his conversion course onto his operational type, completing 12 day/night sorties with this unit with a total of 35 flying hours.

Truman’s first night operation was a mine-laying operation off the Fresian Islands with 90 Squadron on 5 July 1943. He completed three more similar night operations in Aug and Sep 1943. One to La Rochelle, where the aircraft successfully evaded an attack by 2 JU88's and another to the River Girane at Bordeaux.

German ace, August Geiger was himself killed in action on 29 Sep 1943, just three days after the victory over Sgt. Truman's aircraft. He was shot down over Holland by W/C Bob Braham of 141 Squadron. He and his navigator managed to bale out but landed in the waters of the Zuiderzee and were drowned when their parachutes dragged them under.
Geiger was born on 6 May 1920 in Überlingen, near Lake Constance. Geiger joined the Luftwaffe in late 1939 and was posted in mid 1941 as Leutnant to 8./NJG 1. Geiger’s first two claims were a Wellington and a Whitley on 26 June 1942. By the start of 1943 Geiger had ten victories and been awarded the Iron Cross First Class.
In early 1943 Geiger was promoted to Oberleutnant and transferred to a 7./NJG 1, becoming Staffelkapitän in May 1943, with some 40 confirmed victories. He was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross on 2 March 1944. In over 325 combat missions, Geiger claimed 48 aerial victories, all of them at night.