Squadron Leader:Monty Vincent Gibbon,AFC,RAF, Memorial Bench

Pinner Memorial Park,London
Squadron Leader GIBBON, MONTGOMERY VINCENT
Service Number 29136

Died 08/03/1945

101 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force

A F C
Commemorated at RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 20288

Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 264.

 

7-8 March 1945

101 squadron

Lancaster I PD268 SR-O
Op. Dessau

Took off from Ludford Magna at 1708 hours. Lost without trace.

Crew.

S/L. M V. Gibbon AFC +
W/O. I H. Bond +
F/O. R T. Cawthorp +
Sgt. W. Canning +
Sgt. L F. Tyrrell +
Sgt. R W. Mahr RCAF +
Sgt. A F. Matthews +
Sgt. C E. Preston +

S/L. Gibbon had served since the late 1920s or early 30s. Although not specifically mentioned it is possible the crew had been tasked for A.B.C duties, this being a Squadron commitment until May 1945.

Source - RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.6 - W R. Chorley

During the course of 1945 RAF Bomber Command visited Dessau on two occasions. 71 aircraft were dispatched with 62 attacking the target (Industry) 82 tons of HE along with 13 tons of Incendiaries were dropped.

 

Peter,
Any explanation for the 8th crew member? Second dickey?

 

The target was Dessau, not Dresden.

Mahr was the Special Duties operator. It is suspected PD268 was shot down by Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer over Hagen, Germany. Parts of an airman were found and buried in the town cemetery as an unknown. In the late 70s, the remains were exhumed and reburied in a CWGC cemetery. Despite requests by the families of four of the crew to exhume the remains and conduct DNA tests, this has been denied.

In 2013, Hagen resident Horst Klötzer, using his metal detector, unearthed several artifacts including some strangely out of place UK coins which had obviously been subjected to great stress. In 2015 he welcomed Ernie Mahr, the younger brother of Rudy to Hagen and the site:

Nach 70 Jahren Gewissheit über Tod des Bruders

Regards,

Dave

 

Dave thanks for the correction, it was getting late and I must have read the target destination wrong, I've made the relevant correction in my post. Once again, thanks

 

thank you for all your time and effort.

 

1937



1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
The Cottage, Hurley, Cookham, Berkshire
NAME DOB OCCUPATION
Montgomery V Gibbon 05 Mar 1912 F/Lt RAF Flying Instructor Reserve School
Thora MP Gibbon 30 Nov 1910 Unpaid Domestic Duties
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
Fridel A Oreean (Lieberstien) 06 Jan 1914 Nurse
Herbert W Wetton 03 Apr 1906 Company Director, Wetton Aviation Co Ltd
Eileen A Smith (Welton) 26 Sep 1909 Unpaid Domestic Dutie
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
Sorry, this record is officially closed.
Sorry, this record is officially closed.

Thora, his widow, married a further two times.

NAME: Mrs Thora Mearns Purcell Ellis
BIRTH: 30 Nov 1910
DEATH: 29 Jul 2007 - Teddington, England