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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.
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.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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