Operation: Hamburg
Date: 06/07th November 1940 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: No. 58 Squadron, 4 Group (motto: Alis nocturnis - 'On the wings of the night')
Type: Whitley V
Serial: P4943
Code: GE-P
Base: RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire
Location: North Sea
Pilot: Sgt. Francis Raymond Elton 754825 RAFVR Age 19. Missing - believed killed
Pilot 2: Sgt. Reginald Wilfred Prout NZ/39936 RNZAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed
Obs: Sgt. Edward Arthur Shapland 746954 Age 22. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Lionel Bradley Breeze 755007 RAFVR Age 31. Missing - believed killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Granville Graham 970896 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off at 17:10 hrs on an operation to Hamburg. At 00:18 hrs during their return leg the wireless operator transmitted an SOS message - since that signal was received nothing further was heard from the crew.
It was calculated that they were approximately 10 miles off the coast of Lowestoft over the North Sea - nothing further was heard from P4943 and they were listed as missing, despite searches being made.
Burial details:
Sgt. Francis Raymond Elton. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 14. Son of Frank and Gladys Elton, of Sutton, Surrey, England.
Sgt. Reginald Wilfred Prout. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 28. Son of Mr. T. Prout of 58 Bentley Street, Masterton, New Zealand. 253 Flying hours logged. Joined 58 Squadron on the 28th September from 15 Operational Training Unit at Harwell, Oxfordshire.
Sgt. Edward Arthur Shapland. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 19. Son of Edward Arthur and Ada Florence Shapland, of Enfield, Middlesex, England.
Sgt. Lionel Bradley Breeze. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 12. Son of Charles Leonard and Mabel Caroline Breeze, of Alton, Hampshire and husband of Margaret Edith Stirling Breeze, of Alton, Hampshire, England.
Sgt. Granville Graham. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 14. Son of William and Nellie Graham, of Leigh, Lancashire, England.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:
