205719 Sgt. Allfred Bailey Royal Air Force Air Gunner. 10 Squadron from:Rotherham, Yorkshire (d.29th June 1943) Sgt. A. Bailey was a young lad that came from Rotherham. He worked for Guest & Chrimes, Ltd., when he left to join the RAF. The staff all chipped in to get him a wrist watch and wishing him the best of luck. In March 1941 his brother Syd had joined the RE..so it was a sad time for all.
Alfred was sent to No 10 Squadron at Melboune just ouside York. He must have had some fun because he bought a bicycle to get round on. Some of his mates were from all over, Canada, one from Sheffield, Derby, and Liverpool.
This was some of his crew. The crws knew that planes get lost and never return and on the night of the 27th June 1943 he sat down and wrote a letter to his Mom ...sad to say, his last.On that same day he posted it, that same day he and his crew went on an operations raid..
No one knows what..but on that night the Halifax Crew of 7 were reported missing.They were all under 22 years of age. The crew were - Sg. A Bailey, WO/AG
- Sgt. H. Pape from Liverpool
- FO. H. Pearson from Derby
- PO S. Peat from Sheffield
- Sgt. H. Ericson from Canada
- Sgt P.L. Rakoczy from Canada and
- Sgt. J.G. Sweeney also from Canada
In October 1944 the crew was laid to rest at Woensel Cemetery, Holland.
It was then it came to light that the plane had been shot down by Night Fighers over Holland.All that I know is that the target was Colione.The sad thing is that they did the bombing raid and got shot down on the way back. But the family did get to go to the resting place of their brave son and his crew in 1948. the loving mother died 1981. Some of her ashes lie with him today. The other point is that his bicycle was stlen by someone on the base. All of the paper work from the Air Ministry on Sgt. A. Bailey was, and still is, with the family.
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