Litchfield, George Andrew
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | George Andrew |
Surname | Litchfield |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | MiD |
Date of Death | 02-01-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Fredrick and Margaret Litchfield, of Bedford. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | LM372 |
Markings | PO-K |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hanover War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 1. G. 13. |
Epitaph | THE DEARLY BELOVED SON OF MR. AND MRS.F. LITCHFIELD 56 EDWARD ROAD, BEDFORD. R.I.P. |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 63 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1579416 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 5 |
Squadron | 467 (Australian) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | St. Mary the Virgin Church, Bottesford, Leicestershire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | RoH in wooden cabinet |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour remembering all 467 (RAAF) Sqn personnel who failed to return from Ops at RAF Bottesford |
Location | SHQ, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | External Clock & Internal inscribed Brass Plaque |
Memorial Text | A commemorative clock in memory of the members of 463 and 467 Sqns RAAF who served at RAF Waddington during WW2 |
Location | Memorial Gardens, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Propeller & Inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | A memorial to the members of 463 and 467 Sqns RAAF who served at RAF Waddington during WW2 |
Location | Bar Lane, Waddington, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Clock and inscribed Wooden Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial clock to the members of 463 and 467 Sqns RAAF who served with Bomber Command during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
George was born in Bedford, England, on 17 December 1922. He attended Ampthill Road School between the ages of 5 until 11. He then transferred to Harpur Central School in Horne Lane, Bedford in 1934. The Harpur Centre Shopping Centre now stands on the original site of Harpur Central School in Bedford town centre. Whilst at Harpur Central he joined 645 Squadron of the Air Training Corps at the age of 14. Upon leaving school he gained employment in the education department at Bedford County Hall. By this time the second world war was well underway, and George told his mother he would volunteer for service in the RAF as soon as he was old enough. True to his word, when he reached 18 in 1940, he volunteered for service joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. |
Citation for his Mention in Despatches (following their attack on Dusseldorf, 3-4 November 1943: "F/O Patkin and crew were involved in a very determined attack attack by an ME 110 night fighter. The gunners put up a spirited battle, finally shooting the fighter down in flames; confirmed by the other crew members. When the Lancaster reached Bottesford it was found that between the two gunners they had fired 4,000 rounds. Both gunners were wounded". P/O Haddlesey was awarded the DFC for his actions. 'Tim' Haddlesey, despite 3 bullets in his shoulder, helped Bill Fisher out of the rear-turret and didn't comment on his own wounds until back at Bottesford. |
This was his 11th operational sortie: 6-7 September 1943 Munich; 1-2 October 1943 Hagen; 2-3 October 1943 Munich; 18-19 October 1943 Hanover; 20-21 October 1943 Leipzig; 22-23 October 1943 Kassel; 3-4 November 1943 Dusseldorf; 26-27 November 1943 Berlin; 3-4 December 1943 Leipzig: 22-23 October 1943 Frankfurt; 1-2 January 1944 Berlin. (Information kindly provided by his great nephew, James Parton) |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1935/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1931/1 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 01-01-1944 |
End Date | 02-01-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Waddington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (41% moon) |
Operation | Berlin |
Reason for Loss | Shot down, probably by fighter ace Hptm. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein of Stab/ NJG2, crashing in a field near the small village of Altmerdingsen |