Remembering Today 11/6/43 Civilian: Lawrence Whitby.

Discussion in 'Remembering Today' started by CL1, Jun 11, 2016.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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  2. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Lancaster ED833 from 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit crashed into Highfield Avenue killing three other civillians and 6 of the 7 man crew.

    Annie Gwendoline Whitby
    Lena May Thacker
    Margaret Elaine Marriott

    Lancaster Crew :

    Sgt W. Featherstone KIA
    Sgt E. Kirk KIA,
    Sgt E.R. Broad KIA
    Sgt A.M. Milne KIA
    Sgt P.R. Farnell KIA
    Sgt R.W.E Peacock KIA

    The rear turret seperated from the air frame and was found upside down in the back garden of 18 Royden Grove. The rear gunner, Sgt CH Malkin was still inside and although injured was the only survivor.

    Reported in :

    Nottingham Evening Post 14th June 1943
    Lincolnshire Echo 29th June 1943

    http://www.bcar.org.uk/1943-incident-logs
     

    Attached Files:

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  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Dont forget Anthony James Thacker, his mother was killed this day and he was injured but died on 29th June at the County Hospital

    Name: Anthony James Thacker
    Estimated birth year: abt 1940
    Death Date: 29 Jun 1943
    Death Place: Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
    Age at Death: 3
    Father: James Robert Thacker
    Mother: Lena May Thacker

    TD
     
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  4. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member


    More details re this tragic loss......


    11 June 1943

    1654 HCU
    Lancaster III ED833 UG-S
    Op. Training

    Crew

    Sgt W Featherstone +
    Sgt E Kirk +
    Sgt E R Broad +
    Sgt A M Milne +
    Sgt P R Farnell +
    Sgt R W E Peacock +
    Sgt C H Malkin injured

    Civilians

    Mrs L M Thacker +
    Mstr A Thacker +
    Mr Whitby injured
    Mstr L Whitby injured
    Miss M Marriott +
    Mstr H Bishop injured
    Miss E Bishop injured


    Took of fromWigsley to practice three-engined flying.
    While turning at low altitude, with the starboard inner feathered, a wing clipped a telegraph pole and the bomber crashed at 1722 onto houses on both sides of Highfield Avenue, West Swanpool, destroying or badly damaging Nos. 22, 24, 25 and 27. As the Lancaster impacted, the rear turret broke off and landed, inverted, on a footpath to the rear of 18 Roydon Grove, the injured occupant being pulled clear by a Mrs Hartley, aided by her son Dennis and his friend, Bernard Lake. Subsequently, Mr Harry Chester and Mr Edward Wing received gallantry awards for their part in trying to rescue those trapped in the burning buildings. Sadly, though still alive when brought out from the remains of what once had been 24 Highfield Avenue, Mr Whitby and his four year old son, Lawrence, died. Anthony Thacker was aged three and Margaret Marriott, whose home was at No. 25 Highfield Avenue, was twelve. Funeral services for the six aircrew were held over the next few days, three being buried in the County of Nottinghamshire; Sgt Farnell of Birmingham was laid to rest in Newarkupon-Trent Cemetery, while Sgt Featherstone and Sgt Kirk lie in Sutton-inAshfield Cemetery and Mansfield (Nottingham Road) Cemetery respectively. Sgt Broad was taken to Baldock Cemetery; Sgt Milne to Dundee (Balgay) Cemetery and Sgt Peacock to Bedford Cemetery.

    I am indebted to Mr Fred Hurt for the details pertaining to the civilians caught up in this awful tragedy of war.

    Source - RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.8 - W R. Chorley
     
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  5. Ken Moore

    Ken Moore Member

    The elder Whitby was in fact 'Mrs Annie Whitby', mother of Lawrence. upload_2020-4-9_15-0-48.png
     

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