page_title: Jimmy Marks (RAF officer)
section_title: Second tour
hierarchical_section_title: Jimmy Marks (RAF officer) / Second tour
caption_attribution_description: English: IWM caption&#160;: Handley Page Halifaxes of No. 35 Squadron RAF bombing the German battlecruisers SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU in dry-dock at Brest, France.
context_page_description: James Hardy Marks, DSO & Bar, DFC was an officer in the Royal Air Force. An early proponent of developing a target marking method, he was the commanding officer of 35 Squadron when it was selected as one of the five founding squadrons of the Pathfinder Force. He was considered by his contemporaries as one of the top aviators of his time. He was killed while returning from a raid against Saarbrücken when his Halifax was set afire from an attack from a German night fighter. Marks stayed at the controls to allow his crew to escape before his aircraft crashed near Blesme in northern France.
context_section_description: Marks returned to operations in March 1941 and served with No. 58 Squadron, where he was engaged in attacks against Brest. There the German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were in dock, joined in June by the Prinz Eugen. In April 1941 he flew a raid against Emden, where his aircraft was attacked over the target by a Bf 110. One engine was put out of action and his Whitley's tail rudder was partly carried away. Marks had to ditch his bombs, and struggled to get his aircraft home. Over RAF Bircham Newton a crewman discovered that one of the plane's 500 lb bombs had become jammed in the bomb bay. A rough landing risked setting it off. Fortunately he was able to free it up and release it by hand. Bomber Command's Commander in Chief, Richard Peirse, issued a personal commendation to all ranks in the aircraft for "the courage, pertinacity and airmanship displayed by the crew." Marks received a second mention in Despatches.
  In April 1941, he was promoted to squadron leader. In May the squadron was stood down while their Halifax aircraft underwent modifications. Marks was sent to Canada to ferry back an aircraft. In June he was engaged in raids on Berlin, Hamburg, Bremen and Düsseldorf. In July 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
  On 1 September 1941 Marks was promoted to the acting rank of squadron leader. He was transferred to No. 35 Squadron and was trained on one of the new four engine bombers, the Handley Page Halifax. Marks again received the rating for flying and navigation of "exceptional". In March 1942, Marks was made wing commander and given command of No. 35 Squadron. On 30 March he led the squadron in a low level attack against the German battleship Tirpitz in the Norwegian Fættenfjord. The ship was heavily defended by flak emplacements, but Marks pressed on in his attack. He led a second attack against the ship on the night of 27/28 April. For these actions he was awarded a Bar to his DSO. Over the spring Marks led the squadron in raids against Essen and Hamburg. He had completed more than fifty operational sorties by the age of 23.
caption: 35 Squadron Halifaxes attack German battlecrusiers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in drydock at Brest, December 1941
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