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Operation: Pont-de-L'Arche
Date: 13/14th June 1940 (Thursday/Friday)
Unit: No. 9 Squadron
Type: Wellington IA
Serial: L7787
Code: WS-J
Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk
Location: Drosay, Seine Maritime, France.
Pilot: Sgt. Robert Hewitt 521236 RAF Age 24. Killed
Pilot 2: Sgt. Frank Richard Edwards 741487 RAFVR Age 21. Killed
Obs: Sgt. Leonard Wingate Routledge 580737 RAFVR Age 22. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Donald Hardy 624501 RAF Age 19. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Selwyn Frederick Youngson 632041 RAF Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Cecil Bertram Kircher 513103 RAF Age 27. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Detailed to join 163 aircraft made up with 65 Wellingtons, 64 Hampdens, 34 Whitleys to bomb various communication targets in Northern France.
No details on why the Wellington crashed but it was the only loss from the bomber force.
Above and left crew graves at Drosay Churchyard as photographed by our Kate Tame during her visit in 2012. We would be delighted to provide relatives with higher resoltion images of the graves.
Burial details:Sgt. Robert Hewitt. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Robert Hewitt and of Jane Parker Hewitt (nee Harvey), of Glasgow; husband of Helen Annie Hewitt, of Glasgow, Scotland.
Sgt. Frank Richard Edwards. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Edward Richard and Ada Gertrude Edwards, of Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England.
Sgt. Leonard Wingate Routledge. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Herbert Bird Routledge and Gladys Elisabeth Routledge, of Wembley, Middlesex, England.
Sgt. Frederick Donald Hardy. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Thomas Patrick and Florence Jeannette Hardy, of Nazeing, Essex, England.
Sgt. Selwyn Frederick Youngson. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Fred and Helen Youngson, of Inverness, Scotland.
Sgt. Cecil Bertram Kircher. Drosay Churchyard. Coll. Grave 5-6. Son of Bertram and Maud Kircher, husband of Stella Helene Kircher, of Didcot, Berkshire, England.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses' Vol. 1, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 27 August 2018, 23:21