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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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76 squadron crest
10/11.04.1942 No. 76 Squadron Halifax II R9484 MP-G Fl/Sgt. Hewart Lambeth

Operation: Essen

Date: 10/11th April 1942

Unit: No. 76 Squadron

Type: Halifax II

Serial: R9484

Code: MP-G

Base: RAF Middleton-St-George

Location: Oer-Erkenschwick, North West Dortmund, Germany

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Hewart Joseph Lambeth 1255089 RAFVR Age 37. Killed

Pilot 2: Sgt. Richard Kitchen 1021801 RAFVR Age 18. Killed (1)

Fl/Eng: Sgt. William Dennis Robert George 567548 RAF Age 23. Killed

Obs: P/O. John Raymond Connolly 115777 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Murray Charles Fred Swain RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Sidney Frank Parker 1172586 RAFVR Age 27. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Charles Noel Reynolds AUS/400647 RAAF Age 22. Killed (2)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off from RAF Middleton-St-George at 21:02 hrs to attack the city of Essen. 254 aircraft took part in this second of 3 major attacks during April on what was known to be the heart of the German armaments industry.

The raid was a poor one with only 12 houses destroyed with 7 people on the ground killed and another 30 injured with very little damage to industry. The first Bomber Command's 8,000lb bomb was dropped by another aircraft from 76 Squadron. 14 aircraft were lost, most due to the heavy Ruhr flak defences.

Left: Halifax R9484 Air Gunner, Sgt. Sidney Frank Parker - also trained and qualified as wireless operator. (courtesy David Parker)

Any further information regarding this crew and in particular Sgt. Sidney Parker's time during his period with Blackpool Gunnery school and his time with 19 Operational Training Unit at Kinloss in 1941 would be most welcome.

Summary of details known regarding Sgt. Sidney Parker:

1940 Blackpool – wireless training (stayed at No. 90 Dickson Road).

1940/1 Felixtowe. (Mentions in letter being given .303 and 5 rounds of ammunition – to repel Germans invading seafront!)

1941 Kinloss 19 OTU

1941 Middleton St. George 76 Squadron.

3/3/42 Attack on Renault Factory Paris (Halifax R9447 MP-R)

8/4/42 Attack on Hamburg (Halifax R9484 MP-G)

Sgt Parker appears to have been posted to Middleton St. George about Christmas 1941 from 19 OTU Kinloss, but also appears to have spent a brief period at Marston Moor, en route. It is assumed that he would have taken part in some operations possibly prior to March 1942. In a letter he indicates he was spending time near London but was unable to visit family as he “only had flying gear”.

This could perhaps have been Yatesbury? Letters indicate he was enjoying service life and the somewhat comfortable Sergeants Mess at both Kinloss and Middleton St. George.

(1) A relative of Sgt. Kitchen contacted ud in May 2014 - we are hoping that the will be able to provide additional information for this page.
(2) His cousin Fl/Sgt. Ronald Frederick Waldron (Obs) R.A.A.F. was killed 2 months later on the 3rd June. Shot down also on an operation over Essen whilst with 460 Squadron in a Wellington IV Z1394 UV-Q flown by F/O. John Keene R.A.A.F. All but 1 crew member were killed.

Graves of Halifax crew R9484 at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery (courtesy David Parker)

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Hewart Joseph Lambeth. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of William Stephen and Nora Lambeth, husband of Doris Mabel Lambeth, of Whitton, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. Richard Kitchen. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Grave 19.A.12. N.o.K details currently not available - are you able to assist completion of these and any other information?

Sgt. William Dennis Robert George. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of William Thomas George and Grace George, of North Kensington, London, England.

P/O. John Raymond Connolly. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of Maurice Hugh and Constance May Connolly, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, England.

Sgt. Murray Charles Fred Swain. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of Charles Fred James Swain and Gladys Florence Swain, of Onslow Village, Guildford, Surrey, England.

Sgt. Sidney Frank Parker. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of John and Amy K. Parker, of East Dulwich, London, England.

Sgt. Charles Noel Reynolds. Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Collective grave 19. A. 8-11. Son of Charles Algemon and Catherine Margaret Reynolds, of Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.

Researched with information also supplied by David Parker (Nephew of Sgt. Sidney Parker), also Ian Gerrard, cousin of Sgt. Kitchen. Photographs of P/O. Connolly courtesy of Dominic Connolly - August 2016. With information from our own archives, supplemented with details from the following: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt 'Bomber Command War Diaries', the C.W.G.C.

KTY - 18.08.2016 Photo of Navigator added.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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