225513 Sgt. Donald William Meeking Royal Air Force 50 Sqdn. from:Gestingthorpe, Essex (d.12th Feb 1942) Donald Meeking flew with 50 Squadron. Hampden AT177 (VN-) took off from RAF Skellingthorpe at 2.40pm on the 12th of February 1942, one of 8 aircraft from the squadron, taking off for the same raid. The extremely poor weather conditions over the target area made bombing unsuccessful as visibility was down to 200-300 metres. AT177 was the only aircraft not to return. All its crew were lost and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The crew were:
- pilot - Flying Officer Derek Guy Carter (22) son of Major Cyril Rodney Carter, D.S.O., and Celia Ellen Alexia Carter, of Penhalonga, Southern Rhodesia
- Air Gunner/W/op. - Sergeant Frederick George Hancock (22) son of Doris Hancock and stepson of Harry Noden, husband of Thelma Hancock of Northwich, Cheshire.
- Air Gunner W/Op. - Sergeant Donald William Meeking (19) son of William and Ellen Meeking of Gestingthorpe, Essex
- navigator/observer - Sergeant Donald McGregor Symes (19) son of Ernest Edmund and Ivy Symes of Newton Abbott, Devon.
My interest is that he is on our village war memorial and I am currently trying to ensure that all the names on the memorial from WW1 and WW2 are included on appropriate websites.
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