Blakeney, Lester Ferguson
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Lester Ferguson |
Surname | Blakeney |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 26-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Lester H. D. Blakeney and of Mary Blakeney (Nee Ferguson), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
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. 30. |
Epitaph | HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 132 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/14827 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Pilot |
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 |
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 |