Stirling Project - Brian Harris DFC R.I.P

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Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Dear all

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing of our Chairman; Brian Harris DFC.

He was one of the driving forces behind our Project and had a a notable wartime and post war career.

Brian was on Stirlings with 15 Sq. at Bourn in 1943 and then on Mosquitos at Oakington with 627 Sq. Pathfinders after finishing his tour of ops. Whilst on Mosquitoes he sometimes carried two b/w cine cameras to film parts of the raids. He shot the footage often shown on TV, of the markers going down and the first bombs exploding across Deelen airfield just prior to the Arnhem operation. After the war he went into making films and ran a business till he retired. One notable film he shot was footage of the Queens coronation in 1953. In a slightly more humorous vein, his company was the UK agent for distributing Tom & Jerry cartoons.

regards

John

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

This is sad news John, Condolences to his family and friends at the Stirling Project.

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16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Many thanks Peter

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 8,464

Really very sorry to hear this - Brian was a real gentleman, who I met on several occasions when he produced a number of Mosquito videos.

Bruce

Member for

16 years 5 months

Posts: 101

Rest In Peace Brian. .

There are several excellent b/w shots taken by Brian of his crew at work and rest during their tour on Stirlings at 15 squadron in Michael J.F. Bowyers 'The Stirling Story' well worth reading if you can.

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 504

Very sorry to read this...condolences to his family.

Daniel

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,343

Sad News,

A picture or Brian at Pathfinder Sunday 2008 at RAF Wyton.

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Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 1,404

very sad................

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Many thanks to all for their kind words and thoughts. It's nice to know that for such a quiet and unassuming gentleman, Brian was held in such high regard by those who knew him.

Member for

18 years 2 months

Posts: 136

All I can say is that he was one of life's true gentlemen and he will be sorely missed. RIP.

Richy.

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 34

I was sorry to hear about the death of Brian too.

About a year or two ago I bought a DVD about the Stirling and was amazed to see that Brian was at XV Squadron in 1943 at the same time as my father.

I made contact with Brian as his address was on the Stirling Project. Although he did not remember my father it was not that surprising as he was part of an all Sergeant crew and 10 years younger than my father who was a Flt Lt so were not in the same mess. Also my father had two young daughters and I was on the way so any days off he had he would have gone home.He told me crews stuck together socially.

However he discovered that he had been on several raids with my father and on the day my father was killed on a bombing mission to Cologne Brian's aircraft with his Pilot Geoffrey Wareham got airborne 7 minutes after my father and he sent me a copy of his nav log for the trip which was very interesting.

Brian went on to Mosquitos afterwards and I met him briefly last year at the veteran's reunion at Hatfield.

Member for

15 years 10 months

Posts: 88

Very sad indeed. Condolances to his family and friends.

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Many thanks for all the nice words that people have had to say about Brian. His book and film collaborations are a fitting memorial to him.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 212

Rest in Peace

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 34

My father was on several of the same missions as Brian including his final one. My son and I visited the crash site in Belgium as well as the Cemetry in Houthalen this summer where four sets of crews shot down in the area are remembered. Brian being a Navigator whose aircraft took off from RAF Bourn a few minutes after my fathers kindly sent me a copy of his log of that flight to Cologne.

I tried to attach a photo of the plaque but failed to achieve it!!

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Hi there

If you'd like to send me a pic of the plaque, I'll upload it for you.

Send me a PM with your email address and I'll do the rest

John

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

As promised, here's the photo of the plaque

John

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Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 34

Thanks 12jaguar

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13 years 6 months

Posts: 34

As Brian was based at Bourn Cambs on Stirlings I think he would have appreciated this memorial see www.rafbournmemorial.co.uk 24th August

Member for

16 years 11 months

Posts: 1,951

Thanks for that, I'm sure he would have been.

John