interesting site re the 25th Sept 1940 air raid An Aviation Heritage story victims of the raid plus dates of other casualties. Bristol Past : Fishponds Local History Society
First part of your post is most intresting! also see this book below, part two is here:p http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/united-kingdom/22874-bristol-blitz-victims.html Wakefield 'Target Filton: two Luftwaffe attacks in September 1940' (Redcliffe, 1990)
While looking at the Casualties from the air raid on 25 September 1940 I noted this name, My wife believes that this lady Florence Britton could be her great-aunty, after looking at the CWGC site we could not find out if she was one of those who where left in the Air Raid shelter or buried elsewhere. CWGC :: Casualty Details
hello Medic could you possibly contact the local council re the RURAL DISTRICT OF SODBURY Section of the Civilian War Dead Register or perhaps drop the CWGC a line to gain more info. an example here re a casualty who is commemorated in the register not stating buried. Frederick William Edwin Packer died at the Bristol Aeroplane Works on Wednesday 25 September 1940 aged 33 yrs. He is commemorated in the RURAL DISTRICT OF SODBURY Section of the Civilian War Dead Register. He was the son of Edwin and Ethel Packer of 154 Longmead Avenue, Bishopston, Bristol and husband of Margaret Mary Packer of 152 Longmead Avenue. attached piece about the raid from "Blitz Then and Now volume 2"
Dear CLI The example you posted, Frederick William Edwin Packer was my Father, he was buried in Greenbank Cemetry. It was quite by chance I spotted your enquiry, I am unable to visit the grave or anything as I do not live in England now. I saw some pics of the grave and cemetry a few years ago, it looks as if the whole place has been overun with weeds. All the best Gran
Dear CLI The example you posted, Frederick William Edwin Packer was my Father, he was buried in Greenbank Cemetry. It was quite by chance I spotted your enquiry, I am unable to visit the grave or anything as I do not live in England now. I saw some pics of the grave and cemetry a few years ago, it looks as if the whole place has been overun with weeds. All the best Gran Welcome Gran, I am planning to go to Greenbank, soon to get pics of Home Guard Headstones, while im ther I will try to find your Fathers Grave and take a picture if thats ok? I will then post it on the forum.
Clive MIssed this thread before and Just picked it up and a quick run down the list found three WAAFs. Will have to do a closer look to see if I have missed any others. Thanks for posting Tony
Dear wtid45 Thank you so, so much it would be lovely to see the grave again, and thank you for the welcome CL1, I have always wondered what they meant by the Sodbury Rural District Council and I can only imagine that Filton may have been in the SRDC area back then. The bodies and parts were taken across the road to the Filton Church and left there for identification, aparently the story goes that the Germans could have dropped the bombs through the glass roof of the factory and destroyed a couple of planes but by destroying the shelters they knew they would disrupt the production for much longer as the tradesmen were in there. Thanks Gran
I have always wondered what they meant by the Sodbury Rural District Council and I can only imagine that Filton may have been in the SRDC area back then That is correct the old SRDC is in Gloucestershire, the old border of the County & City of Bristol & Gloucestershire is just under a mile from the Bristol Aircraft factories in Filton, The area came under the now defunct Avon County Council in the early 70s then NorthAvon but reverted to the new South Gloucestershire Council a few years ago. Part of the runway at Filton is in the Bristol council area. The bodies and parts were taken across the road to the Filton Church and left there for identification Are forum members aware that a Battle of Britain Pilot who I believe served at RAF Tangmare is buried in Filton Church but I have trouble finding his name on Google.
hello this is the gentleman Sergeant REDVERS PERCIVAL HAWKINGS 748627, 601 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 22 on 18 August 1940 Son of Redvers Arthur and Emily Ada Hawkings, of Filton. Remembered with honour FILTON (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD Sgt R.P.Hawkings joined No 601 Squadron in June 1940. He scored 1 kill on the 17th of July 1940. Sgt RP Hawkings was K.I.A. on patrol over Sussex on the 18th of August 1940 at 14:50hrs in a Hurricane I (L1990) and was shot down by a Bf 109 from JG 27, he was aged 22. Ha-pilots CWGC :: Casualty Details
hello this is the gentleman Sergeant REDVERS PERCIVAL HAWKINGS 748627, 601 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 22 on 18 August 1940 Son of Redvers Arthur and Emily Ada Hawkings, of Filton. Remembered with honour FILTON (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD Sgt R.P.Hawkings joined No 601 Squadron in June 1940. He scored 1 kill on the 17th of July 1940. Sgt RP Hawkings was K.I.A. on patrol over Sussex on the 18th of August 1940 at 14:50hrs in a Hurricane I (L1990) and was shot down by a Bf 109 from JG 27, he was aged 22. Ha-pilots CWGC :: Casualty Details Thanks, I must go over there and Photo his Headstone, I have seen his photo at the Tangmare museum.
They have the bronze plaque with the names of the BAC dead in the Filton Church as well, in September at the 70th anniversary they held what they said will be the last commemerative service for the BAC dead. Gran
A bit more on Sgt R P Hawkings from K Wynn's Men of the Battle of Britain. Hawkings joined the RAFVR about June 1939 as an airman u/t Pilot. He was called to full-time service on September 1, completed his training and was with 601 Squadron at Tangmere in June 1940. On July 7 Hawkings shared in destroying a Do17. He was shot down on August 18 1940 and killed. His Hurricane L1990, crashed of Summer Lane, Nyetimber, Pagahm. Hawkings was 22 years old and is buried in St Peter's churchyard, Filton, Gloucestshire.
hello this is the gentleman sergeant redvers percival hawkings 748627, 601 sqdn., royal air force volunteer reserve who died age 22 on 18 august 1940 son of redvers arthur and emily ada hawkings, of filton. Remembered with honour filton (st. Peter) churchyard sgt r.p.hawkings joined no 601 squadron in june 1940. He scored 1 kill on the 17th of july 1940. Sgt rp hawkings was k.i.a. On patrol over sussex on the 18th of august 1940 at 14:50hrs in a hurricane i (l1990) and was shot down by a bf 109 from jg 27, he was aged 22. ha-pilots cwgc :: Casualty details sgt hawkings headstone.
Welcome Gran, I am planning to go to Greenbank, soon to get pics of Home Guard Headstones, while im ther I will try to find your Fathers Grave and take a picture if thats ok? I will then post it on the forum. Hi Gran, I went there today and was unable to find your Fathers grave, but I shall return having spoke to some people at the cemetery it seems if I need an exact direction......... being as they could not help me via the ones you gave me, I have to contact Canford, and they will give me a plot no etc which can then be checked on the cemetery maps
Also found this Grave but he was killed later than the above in April 1941, anyone know where he may of been killed. In Memory of Pilot Officer NORMAN JOHN LOCKYER 61292, 501 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 19 on 22 April 1941 Son of Harold Atkins Lockyer and Dorothy Louise Lockyer, of St. Just, Cornwall. Remembered with honour FILTON (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD
Also found this Grave but he was killed later than the above in April 1941, anyone know where he may of been killed. In Memory of Pilot Officer NORMAN JOHN LOCKYER 61292, 501 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 19 on 22 April 1941 Son of Harold Atkins Lockyer and Dorothy Louise Lockyer, of St. Just, Cornwall. Remembered with honour FILTON (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD Death registered at Weston-Super-Mare. 501 Sqn had just moved from Filton to Colerne for conversion onto the Spitfire from the Hurricane. I've been unable to find an aircraft loss for that date.
