Operation: Training

Date: 28th April 1943 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 3 Advanced Flying Unit

Type: Anson I

Serial: N5379

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Halfpenny Green, Bobbington,

Location: Brown Clee Hill, Shropshire

Pilot: Sgt. William Michael Robinson Lloyd 1278603 RAFVR Age 27. Killed

Nav (U/T): Fl/Sgt. William Sprowell R/144996 RCAF Age 27. Killed

Nav (U/T): Fl/Sgt. Keith Robinson Stratton R/140944 RCAF Age 20. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Eric Frank Banks 1132835 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr (U/T): Sgt. Kenneth Arthur Hammond 1335656 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Very few details on this loss. If you are able to contribute further information we would be interested to hear from you?

Taking off on a training exercise when, possibly due to the poor weather conditions at the time, flew into high ground at night at Old Lodge Farm, Brown Clee Hill in Shropshire about 30 Km west from the base.

(1) The brother of Fl/Sgt. Keith Robinson Stratton, 20 year old, Sgt. Ronald Grant Stratton R/59586 RCAF also lost his life. Flying on a training exercise whilst with 10 OTU in Whitley V Z6667 on the 05th July 1941. Stratton Lake west of Nejanilini Lake was named after Fl/Sgt. Keith Robinson Stratton in 1974. Stratton Island was named after Sgt. Ronald Grant Stratton in 1995. Another brother erected a cairn to his two brothers in 1997, sadly we don't have a photograph or further details of this.

Burial details:

Sgt. William Michael Robinson Lloyd. Bridgnorth Cemetery. Plot S. Grave 1034. Son of William Edgar and Edith Lloyd, of Thornton Heath, Surrey and husband of Isabell Lloyd, of East Croydon, Surrey, England.

Fl/Sgt. William Sprowell. Warrington Cemetery. Sec. D. R.C. Grave 731. Son of William and Elizabeth Manion Sprowell, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Fl/Sgt. Keith Robinson Stratton. Bridgnorth Cemetery. Plot S. Grave 1033. Son of Mr and Mrs. A.K. Stratton of Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada.

Sgt. Eric Frank Banks. Wednesfield Churchyard Extension (St. Thomas). Row 4. Grave 46. Son of Frank and Clara Edith Banks and husband of Itala Florence Mary Banks, of Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England.

Sgt. Kenneth Arthur Hammond. City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Manor Park. Square 199. Grave 110873. His brother, Sgt. Leonard Douglas Hammond was lost in operations over Berlin on the 29th January 1944. He is interred at the Berlin 1939-1945 Cemetery 5.J.20. Sons of Arthur Harry and Edith May Askew Hammond. of Forest Gate, London, England.

For further details our thanks to the following sources:

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