|
|
|
27th April 1944On this day:
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
|
Remembering those who died this day.
- Beeden Kenneth Wallace. Pte. (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Berry Dennis Lionel. Cpl. (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Clark Frank Allen. Pte. (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Dougan Stephen Nelson. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Dyerson Harold Edward. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Dyment Leslie Roy. Flt.Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Laybourne Roy William. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- McJannett Alexander Strathern. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- McKay Alfred Thompson. F/O (d.27th April 1944)
- Middleton Robert. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Nicholls George Edwin. P/O (d.27th April 1944)
- Parry Eric Frank. (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Parry Eric Frank. Sgt. (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Pond Hubert William. P/O (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Potter John Milton. W/O (d.27th Apr 1944)
- Reeve Stanley Rickard. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Shiels Alexander Kelso. Sgt. (d.27th April 1944)
- Smith Lawrence Lindsay. F/O (d.27th April 1944)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 22nd April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263973 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please read our Family History FAQ's
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
|
We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates.
If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page.
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
Want to know more about the 27th of April 1944? There are:27 items tagged 27th of April 1944 available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
|
Stories from 27th April 1944
|
P/O Hubert William " " Pond. Belgium Croix de Guerre 1940 with palm Royal Air Force , 431 Squadron . (d.27th Apr 1944) I am seeking any information and pictures about Hubert Pond and his short time at Croft Airfield.
Hubert was the adopted and only child of Harold and Ethel Pond, Halifax, NS.
He lost his life on April 27th, 1944 while flying with the 431 Squadron. He is buried in Heverlee Cemetary Belgium. The crew were
- 1Lt Earman USAAF KIA,
- Sgt J.Graham KIA,
- F/O WG Dundley RCAF POW,
- Sgt. JFL Perry RCAF POW, F/O DM King RCAF POW,
- Sgt JJ Cooke RCAF KIA,
- P/O HW Pond RCAF KIA
They were on a mission to the Montzen rail yards when the Halifax MK 111 was shot down by a night fighter.
I am having great difficulty finding any information except the statistical, including what happened to his parents. His mother was presented with his Belgium Croix de Guerre in 1948. There are so many wonderful accounts of the men who sacrificed so much on this site and others, it grieves me that Hubert Pond may just be a name on a stone with no one to remember him.
My mother Catherine (nee Pattison) McMillen and Hubert were close before he left for England. All my years growing up she kept out a picture of this young serviceman, we just knew him as her friend Hubert. I am intending to copy that picture and hopefully have it installed on this wonderful site.
I am also looking for a picture of the Memorial at Dalton Village nearby the airfield. Any information any one could supply will be gratefully accepted.
Glynis Mullen
|
Pte. Frank Allen Clark. British Army, 2nd Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment. (d.27th Apr 1944) Frank Clark was my grandmother's cousin. He was born in Swannage, Dorset in 1918, but moved to Weymouth after his father died when Frank was only 7. He joined the 5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment on 4/5/1939 as a 'Lift Boy'. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion on the 21/3/1942 and was sent to India on 10/4/1942. Frank sadly died of his wounds at Kohima, on 27/4/1944. Would like to hear from anyone (or families of persons) who may have served with Frank or have any photos, (groups or battalion etc) that Frank could be on.
Barbara Wheeler
|
Sgt. Eric Frank Parry. Royal Air Force, 100 Squadron. (d.27th Apr 1944) My Grandad, Sergeant Eric Frank Parry was killed in WW2, he was a member of 100 Squadron and died on 27/04/1944. Unfortunately my Mum was so young, only two, when he died so she didn't get to know him and only recently when my nan died did she get to know some details about him. So far I have taken her to Kleve to see his War Grave, I have managed to obtain birth, marriage and death certificates for him and last year I had his medals issued to her which she has never seen before nor knows what happened to them. My Mum has asked for a picture of a Lancaster Bomber, (the plane he flew in) he was a gunner, and my husband suggested that whilst you can get hold of pictures of a Lancaster Bomber anywhere, wouldn't it be nice to get a picture of one with the correct initials on the side that he would have had on his plane. How I can obtain anymore details about where he was stationed, the flight he was on when killed but most importantly where I may be able to get hold of a picture with the correct initials on etc. it would be the missing piece of a rather difficult jigsaw.Lynne Darroch
|
Sgt. Stanley Rickard Reeve. Royal Air Force, 106 Squadron. (d.27th April 1944) My Great Uncle, Stan Reeve, was a wireless operator on Lancaster bombers during WW2. He was killed in action on the 27/04/1944 and I believe he was involved in bombing a ball bearing factory at Schweinfort in Germany. I would like to know more about him and if anybody knew him I would be very grateful for any information.Steve wright
|
Cpl. Dennis Lionel Berry. British Army, 2nd Btn. Dorsetshire Regiment. (d.27th Apr 1944) Dennis Berry was the youngest son of Frank and Lulu Berry and was born in Taunton, Somerset.
He was killed at the battle of the Tennis Court, Kohima on 27 April 1944, aged 26. He came from a keen sporting family and was a talented cricketer along with his two brothers Ken and John (who also played football for Taunton Town FC).
Peter Berry
|
P/O George Edwin Nicholls. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
Sgt. Harold Edward Dyerson. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
Sgt. Alexander Strathern McJannett. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
F/O Lawrence Lindsay Smith. Royal Canadian Air Force, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
Sgt. Alexander Kelso Shiels. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
Sgt. Roy William Laybourne. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of 27th April 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12e squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are at 'Jonkerbos' war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crew members were:
F/O A.T. McKay (navigator)
Sgt R.W. Laybourne (flight engineer)
Sgt A.K. Shiels (airgunner)
F/O L.L. Smith (airbomber)
Sgt A.S. McJannett (wireless operator)
Sgt H.E. Dyerson (airgunner)
P/O G.E. Nicholls (pilot)
|
F/O Alfred Thompson McKay. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 12 Sqdn.. (d.27th April 1944) In the early morning of April 27th 1944 RAF Lancaster ND 873 12 squadron from Wickenby was shot down by a German nightfighter and crashed about 7 km from my home town in the south of the Netherlands. The seven crew members didn't survive. Their graves are now at Jonkerbos war cemetery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The crewmembers were:
- Flying officer McKay, Alfred Thompson 21 years, navigator. Son of Alfred and Margaret Thompson McKay, of Knockando, Morayshire.
- Sergeant Laybourne, Roy William 21 years, flight engineer. Son of William and Martha Laybourne, of Worsley, Lancashire.
- Sergeant Shiels, Alexander Kelso 21 years, air gunner. Son of James Lyle Shiels and Catherine Wilson Shiels, of Auchinloch, Lanarkshire.
- Flying officer Smith, Lawrence Lindsay 21 years, air bomber. Son of the Revd. Lawrence Bradway Smith, B.A., B.D., and of Lillian Frances Smith (nee Casselman), of Westmeath, Ontario, Canada.
- Sergeant McJannett, Alexander Strathern 21 years, wireless operator. Son of Margaret May McJannett; husband of Freda Joyce McJannett, of Wigston Magna, Leicestershire, from Wigston Magna, Leicestershire.
- Sergeant Dyerson, Harold Edward 32 years, airgunner. Son of Alfred Dyerson, and of Ada Bell Dyerson, of Plaistow, Essex.
- Pilot officer Nicholls, George Edwin 32 years, pilot. Son of James Edwin and Evelyn Nicholls, of Heamoor, Penzance, Cornwall; husband of Madeline Nicholls, of Heamoor.
The seven crew members of ND 873 were killed immediately. Their bodies were buried by the German occupying forces at a tempory military cemetery in Venlo (in fact a part of a terrain at the Dr Blumenkampstraat near the hospital of Venlo, claimed by the German army soon after the occupation of the Netherlands in 1940 and initially intended only for their killed soldiers).
In August 1947 the bodies of the seven crew members were removed to Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen, 50 km north of Venlo.
We, a small group of interested persons, are trying to collect information about this Lancaster and especially his crew.
Is there more information about the crew members? Photographs are very welcome. Are there next of kin still alive? They are
invited to contact me. Perhaps we have some information or pictures of interest for them. Theo van de Mortel
|
Sgt. Robert Middleton. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve , 630 Squadron. (d.27th April 1944) My Uncle Robert Middleton was born in August 1924, and only ever had flying in mind as an occupation. He joined the RAFVR in 1941, but was too young to join aircrew, and so was advised to train as an aircraft engineer.
I'm reliably informed that being a typical Scotsman, Bert liked a drink, and loved to have a good time socially.
At the first opportunity, he volunteered for aircrew duty,and with his mechanical experience, was steered towards training as a flight engineer. After his time at various Operational Training Units, he was posted to 630 Sqn, based at East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, flying in Lancasters.
Bert's Operational record is still unknown to me, but I believe he was nearing completion of his 2nd tour when he was killed in action. 15 Lancasters from 630 Sqn were detailed to join a large raid on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt on 26th April 1944. His aircraft, ND789, was intercepted, and badly damaged by a Luftwaffe night fighter over the French/German border, and crash landed almost intact near the village of Muhlhausen, in the state of Baden-Wurttemburg.
A villager, who is still alive, tells of hearing the aircraft being attacked, and circling for up to 15 minutes looking for a suitable place to crash land. He also remembers eye witnesses who went to the scene, to find at least two crewmen standing by the badly damaged aircraft. Another crewman was heard to cry for help from within the aircraft, and when his colleagues went back to assist, the whole plane exploded killing all the crew.
The ironic part is that Bert need not have been on the flight. He was a stand in that night for the regular flight engineer, who was hospitalised with a burst eardrum. ND789 was the only aircraft lost from 630 Squadron on that raid.
The crew of seven were initially buried in the village churchyard, and in 1946, were re-interred at Durnbach War Graves Cemetery, near Munich.
In recent years, a local from the village, Mr Roland Watzl, researched the circumstances of the crash, and gathered a remarkable database of facts, including details of the Luftwaffe pilot who attacked the Lancaster. A memorial stone to the aircraft and crew has been erected on the site, largely due to public donations, and the generosity of the people of Muhlhausen.
Stan Middleton
|
Sgt. Stephen Nelson Dougan. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 630 Squadron. (d.27th April 1944) Sergeant Stephen Dougan, served as a W/Op. with 630 Squadron. Son of Jim and May Dougan, husband of Edna Dougan he was lost over Germanyand is buried at Durnbach Cemetery, aged 23.
|
Pte. Kenneth Wallace Beeden. British Army, 2nd Btn. Durham Light Infantry. (d.27th Apr 1944) Kenneth Beeden died in Burma during the Battle of Kohima.SC
|
|
