Brown, William Gordon Leslie
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | William Gordon Leslie |
Surname | Brown |
Gender | M |
Age | 28 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 22-06-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Ewart Gladstone Brown and Lilian Brown, of Bradford, Yorkshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | HR799 |
Markings | TL-R |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
Burial/Memorial Place | Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Nijmegen |
Grave Reference | 7. H. 8. |
Epitaph | TO LIVE IN HEARTS THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 137 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 155006 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 35 (Madras Presidency) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
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
The Pathfinders of 35 Squadron Lost six Halifaxes on this operation |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/380/12 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/380/11 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-06-1943 |
End Date | 22-06-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Graveley |
Day/Night Raid | Night (80% moon) |
Operation | Krefeld. 705 aircraft, 44 losses (6.2%) with night-fighters counting for most of the losses (the night was moonlit). PFF marking was near-perfect (using Oboe). A large fire in the centre of Krefeld raged unchecked for many hours. Over 5500 houses destroyed, 1056 people killed and 72000 bombed out of their homes. |
Reason for Loss | On the return leg from Krefeld when the aircraft was intercepted at 0130hrs on 22 June 1943 by a Me 110 night-fighter flown by Major Gunter Radusch from the fighter base at Venlo. Six of the eight Halifax crew were able to bale out and became prisoners of war. The Halifax crashed at De Valkenberg in Klein Oirlo, near Castenray. The Local History & Geographic Society of Castenray has erected a memorial at the crash site. |