215438 Sqd.Ldr. John Theodore Hanafy Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 180 Squadron (d.25th May 1943) John Theodore Hanafy died aged 25, born in Bromley in 1918 he was the son of John (real name Mohammad) Zaky Hanafy and the late Agnes May Hanafy (nee South) of Jarrow
John is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension. He iscommemorated at Cambridge University Peterhouse World War 2 War Memorial
and also on the WW2 Roll of Honour Plaque in the entrance of Jarrow Town Hall.
From other research: The following is posted on the Airfield Information Exchange website blog but is only an assumption:
A 1943 B25 Mitchell crash which has left three crewmembers buried in a local (Pende) cemetery. The aircraft, part of a flight of Mitchells of 180 Squadron (based then at Foulsham) came down on 25 May 1943 near Pende, ten minutes from St.Valery-sur-Somme. They had semi-successfully attacked Abbeville airfield, which had by then become the home of the "Abbeville Boys", a gang of Focke-Wulf 190's who played havoc with allied bombers. Three of the four-man crew of the B-25 are buried at Pende, Gunners DRN Reynolds and J Palmerley and Navigator RJ Fowler, yet the pilot, Squadron Leader JT Hanafy lies in Abbeville Cemetery, and I am again puzzled as to why the team has been separated in this way.
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