Remembering Today. 3 December 1945. The crew and passengers of Liberator GR.VIII KH125

Monday 3 December 1945

Liberator GR.VIII KH125
220 Squadron.

The Liberator was on a trooping flight and was returning to the UK from the Middle East. During severe turbulence the port main plane failed and the aircraft crashed near Rochefort, France.

Flight Lieutenant Leslie Joseph SLACK 24 Pilot +
Flight Lieutenant Edwin Walter BEECH 21 Co-Pilot +
Flight Lieutenant Albert John BALSOM 23 Navigator +
Warrant Officer Sidney John GILLINGHAM 22 Wireless Operator +
Flying Officer Harold ROWE 36 Flight Engineer +

Leading Aircraftman Cyril Claude BAKER 24 +
Leading Aircraftman William Ritson BIRKETT 23 +
Leading Aircraftman Bary Frank BLACKBOURN 23 +
Sergeant Harry BOLTON 33 +
Warrant Officer II (BSM) Thomas George BURCH 33 Royal Artillery +
Lance Sergeant Cyril DONALDSON 2nd Battalion The Border Regiment +
Flight Lieutenant William George GIBSON 42 +
Sergeant Laurence HAINSWORTH 32 Royal Army Ordnance Corps +
Wing Commander John Gordon HALLIDAY 30 +
Bombardier Harry Donald HENDERSON 33 Royal Artillery +
Private Charles James JOHN 21 2" Battalion The Border Regiment +
Private Albert MITCHELL 25 1st Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment +
Gunner Robert William NORTON 29 6 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery +
Private Frederick James PARKIN 34 2'd Battalion The Border Regiment +
Gunner Stanley William PEARSON 6 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery +
Private Ivor Gwyn RICHARDS 271St Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment +
Gunner Donald ROSS Royal Artillery +
Gunner Charles Christopher THOMPSON 8 Field Regiment Royal Artillery +
Bombardier William Edward TURNER 33 Royal Artillery +
Craftsman William VINCENT 23 Royal Electrical & Maintenance Engineers +
Private Douglas WEST 23 1 Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment +
Gunner George WHITEHEAD 27 6 Medium Regiment Royal Artillery +
Corporal Ernest Sidney Joseph WINSLADE 32 West Yorkshire Regiment (PWO) +


Movement history of Liberator GR.VIII KH125.

Ex.44-10690
Delivered Dorval 24 August 1944
departed Dorval 28 August 1944
Gander to Prestwick 29 August 1944
To Scottish Aviation Ltd 29 August 1944
To 120 Squadron 2 January 1945
To Lockheed, Renfrew 31 August 1945 for conversion to C.VII troop transport
To No.1 Transport Aircraft Modification Unit for conversion completion. (Formed at Tempsford on 14 June 1945 under Maintenance Command for the conversion of Liberator aircraft for troop carrying)
To 220 Squadron 17 November 1945
On a trooping flight wing broke off in extreme turbulence near Rochefort, France 3 December 1945
Struck Off Charge 31 January 1946

 

Remembered Marlow Buckinghamshire

WINSLADE, ERNEST SIDNEY JOSEPH

Rank:
Corporal
Service No:
5390489
Date of Death:
03/12/1945
Age:
32
Regiment/Service:
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own)
Grave Reference
N.E. Plot. Row 4. Grave 2.
Cemetery
ROCHEFORT-SUR-MER NAVAL CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Ernest George Edward and Jessie Matilda Winslade; husband of Ethel Dora Sarah Winslade, of Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

 

Remembered in the Cleator Moor (Cumbria) Book of Remembrance:

L/Sgt Cyril Donaldson (1923 - 1945),
2nd Bn The Border Regiment
R.I.P.

From the CWGC website:

Name: DONALDSON, CYRIL
Rank: Lance Serjeant
Service No: 3607836
Date of Death: 03/12/1945
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Border Regiment, 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: N.E. Plot. Row 5. Grave 2.
Cemetery: ROCHEFORT-SUR-MER NAVAL CEMETERY, France.

Additional Information:
Son of George P. Donaldson and Minnie Donaldson, of Cleator Moor, Cumberland.
------------------
A few further details:

L/Sgt Cyril Donaldson (1923 - 1945), 2nd Bn The Border was a native of Cleator Moor, Cumberland (now Cumbria). He was the son of George P. Donaldson and Minnie Donaldson (nee Todd). His parents had married in 1920.

L/Sgt Donaldson was one of more than a hundred WW2 casualties from the Cleator Moor area. A Book of Remembrance to commemorate all the war dead of the district from the Boer War to the present day was dedicated on Remembrance Sunday 2012.

We do not appear to have a photograph of L/Sgt Donaldson's headstone at Rochefort-sur-mer for the 'Roll of Honour'. Does any forum member happen to have any photographs at this cemetery by any chance, please?



Attachment:
Cleator Moor War Memorial (Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2012)