Bales, Peter Richard
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Peter Richard |
Surname | Bales |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-01-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Walter Albert and Emmeline Bales, of Coventry. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LV787 |
Markings | TL-K |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 204. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 126 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 150127 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 35 (Madras Presidency) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Roadside Location, Graveley, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | Graveley Airfield 1942-1945 8 Group Bomber Command 35 Squadron Pathfinder Force 692 Squadron Light Night Striking Force R.A.F. To commemorate this airfield in honour of those who served the nation aircrew, groundstaff & WAFF of United Kingdom Dominions, C |
Location | All Saints Church, Offord Cluny, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, Sqn Badge & Roll of Honour |
Memorial Text | Remember before God all those airmen and airwomen 3who served with 35 Squadron R.A.F. Graveley 1939-1945 |
Miscellaneous Information
His obituary in the Coventry Preparatory School Magazine, December 1945 reads "Peter Bales, Flying Officer in the Pathfinder Force, failed to return from air operations on the 21st January, 1944. He had been awarded the Wings of the American Army Air Force in addition to those of the RAF – a unique privilege. He was 24 years old". He went on to attend Wellingborough School and was previously employed in his father's chemist and was an officer in the Signal Corps before joining the RAF". |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/381/2 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/381/1 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-01-1944 |
End Date | 22-01-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Graveley |
Day/Night Raid | Night (18% moon) |
Operation | Magdeburg- the first major raid on this target. 648 aircraft, 57 losses (8.8%). The Halifax loss rate was especially high at 15.6%. The German controller tracked the bomber stream across the North Sea and many night-fighters were already in the stream before it reached the German coast (using the newly developed Tame Boar methodology). The controller was slow in identifying Magdeburg as the target but this was of little consequence as the fighters were able to stay in the stream for the duration of the approach. Despite the high loss rate, this was not a successful attack. Stronger tail winds than anticipated placed some of the stream over the target before Zero Hour and dropped their bomb load anyway, making the target marking much less effective. German decoy markers exacerbated the situation. No local report is available but it is thought that most of the bombs fell outside of the city. |
Reason for Loss | Lost without trace |