Sgt. Frederick Anderson
Royal Air Force 12 Squadron
from:Bournemouth
(d.12th June 1943)
My great-uncle Sergeant Frederick Anderson served as a Mid-Upper Gunner with 12 Squadron, Royal Air Force stationed at RAF Wickenby during WWII. Frederick was born in Bournemouth on 21st July, 1920. His serial number was 626653.
He died in the early hours of Saturday 12th June, 1943 aged 22 when Lancaster PH-F W4373 was shot down between Neuss and Holziem during a raid on Dusseldorf (part of a force of 326 Lancasters, 202 Halifaxes, 143 Wellingtons, 99 Stirlings and 13 Mosquitoes).
The full crew of PH-F W4373 on this mission were:
- Pilot - Flight Lieutenant Patrick Raymond Ford (aged 22, Royal Australian Air Force) Killed. A414132.
- Navigator (Nav) - Sgt James Albert Osborn (aged 25) Killed. 657839.
- Wireless Technician (W.T.) - Sgt Myer Harris (aged 22) Killed. 953174.
- Bomb Aimer (B.A.) - Sgt Geoffrey William Twitty (aged 20) Killed. 1235304
- Flight Engineer (Eng.) - Sgt Reginald Arthur Charles Avery (aged 20) Killed. 1336681.
- Mid-Upper Gunner (M.U.G.) - Sgt Frederick Anderson (aged 22) Killed. 626653.
- Rear Gunner (R.G.) - Sgt Marcus Walter Stone (aged 21) Killed. 1308435.
All 7 crew members are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, they were originally buried in Dusseldorf Northern Cemetery.
I would be very interested to hear any information anybody might have about Frederick's time in the RAF and the crew members he served with.
