Arnston, Frank Arthur
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Frank Arthur |
Surname | Arnston |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 26-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Joseph Harry Arnston and Dorothy Victoria Arnston (née Tiernay), of Toronto, Canada. Husband of Dorothy Grace Arnston (née Blyth - marriage 3 April 1943, St. John, New Brunswick) |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LW420 |
Markings | PT-U |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 4. G. 31. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 124 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/23753 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Enlisted 17 January 1941 and after training embarked from Canada on 27 May 1943. After arriving at 3PRC on 3 June 1943 he went on to 23 OTU, 17August1943, 61 Base, 1664CU 29 November 1943 420 Squadron 5 January 1944. |
The sports Frank enjoyed were Lacrosse, rugby, basketball and tennis. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 25-02-1944 |
End Date | 26-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Night (6% moon) |
Operation | Augsburg. 594 aircraft, 21 losses (3.6%) although at least four were Lost due to collision. A highly successful raid in clear weather conditions with more than 2000 tons of bombs being dropped. This was another two-wave raid after the success of the Schweinfurt raid the previous night. This raid was controversial because it completely destroyed the beautiful old town and, due to the very high concentration, very little damage to the industrial areas that one might have expected to be the target. Approximately 3000 houses were destroyed and 85000+ people were bombed out of their homes. It was exceptionally cold and as a result the River Lech was frozen over, limiting the supply of water to fight the many large fires that resulted from the bombing. Of particular note was the loss of works of art, which local reports put at an astonishing 800 million Reichmarks. The Germans were quick to condemn this raid in the media and coined the phrase 'terror bombing'. Bombing during the second wave did spread to the suburbs and an important aircraft component factory and the M.A.N. factory were damaged. |
Reason for Loss | Frank was born in New York on 28 November 1918. He had brothers Leonard, Donald and Harrison and a sister. His father was born in Riga, Latvia and worked as a Salesman and his mother was born In Blyth, Ontario. Frank went to the John English Public School 1924-1930, followed by Mimico High School 1930-1936 and then to Victoria College (University of Toronto) 1939-1940 (Senior Matriculation). He was a C.O.T.C. Cadet at the University, October 1939- March 1940. Frank worked for Campbell Soup Company, New Toronto in the Time Department 1938-1939 and then became Foreman in charges of unloading tomatoes between June and October 1940. He also went to Broulan Porcupine gold mine working as a labourer, between April- August 1939 before returning to University. |