Royal Air Force War Grave Photos for Reference.

Flight Lieutenant (Navigator)SHANNON, JOHN EDWARD
Service Number 87419
Died 01/02/1945
Aged 28
166 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C
Son of John Patrick Shannon, and of Margaret Mary Agnes Shannon, of Hampstead, London.

Lancaster MK 1 Shot down by German night fighters over Ludwigshafen.

 

Flying Officer (Air Bomber) ROSS, COLIN PATRICK
Service Number 132098
Died 03/11/1943
Aged 26
49 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Son of William Patrick and Mabel Ruth Ross, of St. Patrick's, Grenada, British West Indies.

Unusual to state where he was from on the headstone.

Inscription - "He dedicated his life to the freedom of all mankind Rest in Peace"

 

Pilot Officer ARMOUR, WILLIAM JOHN
Service Number 414333
Died 20/12/1943
Aged 28
Royal Australian Air Force
D F C
Son of William James Armour and Ethel Mary Armour; husband of Mercia Armour, of Woolloomooloo, New South Wales, Australia

ARMOUR LATER BECAME A PILOT OFFICER AND WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS (DFC). WHILE ON A MISSION IN A HALIFAX BOMBER WITH 428 SQUADRON RCAF HE WAS SHOT DOWN OVER GERMANY AND PRESUMED KILLED ON 20 DECEMBER 1943.

Grave Inscription - "Rest in peace we are proud of you especially your wife Mercia"

 

Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) BEAUMONT, RONALD ALFRED WILLIAM
Service Number 162506
Died 22/06/1944
Aged 24
57 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C
Son of Josiah S. J. Beaumont and Gladys L. Beaumont, of Knighton, Radnorshire.

57 Sqn - Lancaster I - Serial Number NN696 DX-H
Op: Wesseling t/o 2300 East Kirkby - F/L RAW Beaumont DFC
Attacked by a nightfighter and crashed West of Geilenkirchen. Five are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery,

Pilot F/L Ronald Alfred William Beaumont DFC RAFVR age 24
F/E F/S Maurice Arthur Clark RAF age 28
Nav P/O Denis Joseph McCrudden RAFVR age 34
B/A P/O Thomas Henry Mayne RCAF
W/Op W/O Charles Henry Thomas Hurley RAFVR age 23
M/U F/S Geoffrey Ronald Ansdell RAFVR age 21
R/G WO2 Edward Henry Goehring RCAF age 20

 

Pilot Officer (Pilot)CROWFOOT, THOMAS BERNARD
Service Number 129665
Died 15/10/1942
Aged 30
106 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C
Son of George and Ellen Crowfoot; husband of Gladys Dorothy Crowfoot, of Thetford, Norfolk

Lancaster Mark 1, Serial No W4771 operating out of Syerston.
The aircraft was lost on an operation to Cologne, it had made it bob run but hit by flak, west of Cologne, four survivors...Sgt E J C High was the Flight Engineer and one of four who became POWs.

P/O T.B. Crowfoot. DFC. RAFVR. Pilot. 129665. He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, grave 2.B.19.
Sgt E.J.C. High. RAFVR. Survived. Prisoner of War. He was taken to Stalag Luft Heydekrug and given the PoW No.824. During captivity he was promoted to Warrant Officer.
F/O A.S. Meara. RAFVR. Survived. Prisoner of War. He was taken to Stalag Luft Sagan and given the PoW No. 771. He was subsequently promoted to Flight Lieutenant
F/O A/L. Dickinson. RAFVR. Survived. Prisoner of War. Taken to Dalag Luft Sagan and given the PoW No. 42818. Later promoted to Flight Lieutenant.
F/O P.D. Smale. RAFVR. Wireless Operator. 109045. Age 20. He came from Newton Abbott, Devon. He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, grave 2.B.20.
Sgt R.E. Christy. RAFVR. Survived. Prisoner of War. Taken to Stalag Luft Kopernikus and given the PoW No. 809. He was later promoted to Warrant Officer.
Sgt D.C. Ward. RAFVR. Rear Gunner. 1386499. Age 31. Son of Walter and Elizabeth Mary Ward and married to Sylvia Ward of Upwell near Wisbech, Cambs. He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, grave 2.B.21.

 

Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) FRENCH, VICTOR RAYMOND
Service Number 798590
Died 10/09/1942
Aged 24
405 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Son of William Thomas French and Ethel French, of Clarkes Beach, Conception Bay, Newfoundland.

Halifax BB212 at Topcliffe airfield.

On the night of 10th / 11th September 1942 the crew of this 405 Squadron aircraft were to bomb Düsseldorf and took off from Topcliffe at 20.04hrs. Maximum effort was called for on the bombing raid on this night and the bombing force was increased by OTU crews and aircraft. Halifax BB212 was hit by flak over Germany and the captain ordered his crew to bale out almost certainly after loosing control. Both air gunners complied with these orders but the pilot was then able to regain control and despite the damage he made a return to Topcliffe airfield. The wireless operator had left his normal position in the aircraft to occupy the rear turret for the return trip to protect the aircraft and was in this position on landing at 01.12hrs. The Halifax landed at Topcliffe then crashed into the parked 419 Squadron Wellington BJ887 and sadly the wireless operator in BB212 died shortly after he was rescued. The two airmen who had baled out over Germany also died as neither survived their fall. Halifax BB212 was later repaired. The fatalities are listed first.

Air Gunner - Sgt Victor Raymond French RAFVR (798590), aged 24, of Clarkes Beach, Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Buried Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany (died 10th September 1942).

Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Clarence Scotten RCAF (R/101980), aged 20, of St.James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany (died 10th September 1942).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Alfred Thomas Drennan RCAF (R/93310), aged 26, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Pilot - Sgt William Miskimon Webb RCAF, of Broadview, Saskatchewan, Canada. Injured.

Navigator - Sgt Edward Emile Gervais RCAF (R/74470), of La Passe, Ontario, Canada. Injured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt John Maxwell Rankin RCAF (R/62139), of Paddockwood, Saskatchewan, Canada. Injured.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt G E Mitchell RAF. Injured.

 

And less than two weeks later, Webb, Gervais and Rankin would be killed when their aircraft, Halifax W1274, went down over Denmark.

 

Pilot Officer (Navigator) HALPERIN, RONALD
Service Number 162792
Died 21/02/1944
Aged 22
156 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C
Son of Frank Halperin, and of Yetta Halperin (nee Siegler).

 

Squadron Leader (Air Gunner) SIMPSON, ERNEST ROBERT
Service Number 106561
Died 26/02/1943
Aged 35
83 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F M
Son of Alexander and Florence Mary Simpson; husband of Christina Lawther Simpson, of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire.

 

Flight Sergeant TEERMAN, ALFRED WALTER
Service Number 414436
Died 22/06/1943
Aged 20
Royal Australian Air Force
Son of Walter Gilbert and Rose Agnes Teerman, of Windsor, Queensland, Australia.

Born; 27 October 1922 in Brisbane Qld and enlisted in the RAAF on 14 September 1941. After training in both Australia and Canada Alfred sailed to the UK where he joined 460 Sqn on the 17 June 1943. Alfred and his crew completed one operation on a mining trip off the French before being on the battle order for an attack on 21/22 June 1943 on Krefeld in Lancaster W4929 AR-L. Their aircraft was shot down short of the target by Hptm Wilhelm Herget of Stab I./NJG4. Six of the crew were killed and only one airman managed to escape the aircraft, the bomb aimer Sgt H Thomson who finished the war as a pow. Those killed are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.

 

Looks like Mr Quirk had fat fingers on this one. Lancaster W4929 was a No. 1661 HCU machine which crashed in south Wales on 5 September 1943.

F/Sgt Teerman was aboard Lancaster W4939.

 

Flying Officer (Pilot) HANSELL, RICHARD NEVILLE
Service Number 173340
Died 26/08/1944
300 (Polish) Sqdn
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C

WW2, Flying Officer (Pilot), 300 (Polish) Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). Distinguished Flying Cross for conspicuous leadership and determination on many operations and in particular a raid on Stuttgart, when he successfully outfought strong opposition.
Killed in action over Russelsheim, Germany on 26 August 1944, aged 22.

 

Sergeant (Navigator) HOSKING, ARTHUR LESLIE THOMAS
Service Number 865141
Died 22/06/1943
Aged 33
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn.
Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)
Son of John Samuel and Ann Hosking, of Ford, Devonport.

 

Warrant Officer (Pilot) MERRALLS, PETER ERNEST
Service Number 742016
Died 01/08/1942
Aged 24
106 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
D F C, D F M
Son of Ernest Robert and Mabel Rose Merralls, of Gillingham, Kent.

Lancaster R5604 took off from RAF Coningsby at 0055 hours on the night of 31/1st
August 1942, detailed to bomb Dusseldorf, Germany. Nothing was heard from the
aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. R5604 was one of 21 aircraft from the
Squadron on the mission and was carrying an 8000lb bomb.
Crew :

RAF WO P E Merralls, DFC DFM Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 407711 Sgt H E Gaskell, (2nd Pilot)
RAF Sgt K J Cooper, (Observer)
RAF Flt Sgt A G Smith, DFM ( W/OP )
RAF Sgt E F Holme, (Wireless Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt B L Ellis-Buxton, (Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt L T Grimshaw, (Air Gunner)

The aircraft crashed at Lovenach, 9kms WNW of Cologne, Germany and all the crew
were killed.
Five of the crew are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Locality Kiamp Lintfort,
Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Rheinberg is 24kms north of Krefeld and 13kms south of
Wesel.
Flt Sgt Smith and Sgt Grimshaw have no known grave and their names are
commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK.

 

Pilot Officer (Flight Engineer)TRAFFORD, HUGH JENKIN
Service Number 144884
Died 22/06/1943
Aged 21
460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Son of James Leslie Bevan Trafford and Beatrice Lilian Trafford, of Sketty, Swansea.

 

Flight Sergeant BROCK, JOHN ALEXANDER
Service Number 409287
Died 25/06/1943
Aged 23
Royal Australian Air Force
Son of James and Anne Victoria Brock, of Neerim South, Victoria, Australia.

Lancaster ED712 took off from RAF Skellingthorpe at 2305 hours on the night of 24/25th June 1943 detailed to bomb Wuppertal, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry Team report stated “the aircraft crashed and exploded on impact in a field near the village of Houverath, which is about 45 kms south of
Cologne, Germany.” All of the crew members were killed.

The crew members of ED712 were:

Flight Sergeant John Alexander Brock (409287) (Pilot)
Sergeant Reginald Harry Cookson (658137) (RAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Thomas William Page (26228) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer II William Pearson (R/123129) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Leonard Lawrence Seal (658294) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Bernard Veall (1079916) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Thomas Gerald Wilkinson (1123748) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)

 

Flight Sergeant BENNETT, REGINALD JOSEPH
Service Number 651521
Died 08/12/1944
Aged 25
630 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force
Son of Reginald John and Jessica Bennet; husband of Joyce Violet Bennett, of Cricklewood, Middlesex.



Sergeant COOK, CYRIL
Service Number 1624847
Died 08/12/1944
630 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

 

Warrant Officer Class II (Air Gunner) RATCLIFFE, JOHN THOMAS
Service Number R/66130
Died 15/10/1942
Aged 26
97 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
Royal Canadian Air Force
D F M
Son of William H. Ratcliffe and Florence Ratcliffe, of Welland, Ontario, Canada.

 

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) HUNT, CYRIL
Service Number 911975
Died 23/06/1943
Aged 31
9 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Son of Richard and Charlotte Hunt; husband of Nancy Maxine Hunt, of Whitwell, Derbyshire.

 

Flight Sergeant (Pilot) TETLEY, NORMAN
Service Number 778286
Died 01/08/1942
Aged 26
44 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Son of Arthur and Ellen Tetley, of Durban, Natal, South Africa; husband of Moira Tetley(nee Webb).

Lancaster B.Mk.1 L7537 "KM-L" of 44 (Rhodesia) Sqn., RAF. Delivered on Christmas Eve (December 24) 1941 as one 44 Squadron's first three Lancasters. Took off from RAF Waddington on evening of 31 July1942. Crashed near Monchengladbach on mission to attack Dusseldorf.

All 7 Crew killed:
Pilot: Flt/Sgt 778286 Norman Tetley 26 RAFVR killed.
Eng: Sgt 649535 Ernest Forman 21 RAF killed.
Obs: Sgt 778645 John MacIntyre Macmahon RAFVR killed.
Wop/AG: Sgt R/92046 Edward Byron Egan RCAF killed.
Wop/AG: Flt/Sgt 535494 Gerard Kelly 25 DFM RAF killed.
Wop/AG: Sgt 778317 Peter Rix RAFVR killed.
AG: Sgt 778828 Charley Norman Gardner 29 RAFVR killed.