Cheetham, Herbert Thomas
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Herbert Thomas |
Surname | Cheetham |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 22-11-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Thomas and Christina Cheetham, of Whelley, Wigan, Lancashire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | W7914 |
Markings | DY-A |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Abbeville Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Plot 6. Row J. Grave 10. |
Epitaph | IF I HAD NOT INHERITED COURAGE, I MIGHT HAVE ENJOYED LIFE AS COWARDS DO |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 143 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 615248 |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 102 (Ceylon) |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | St. Catherine's Church Barmby Moor, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour in wall mounted wooden case, Sqn Badge above |
Memorial Text | 102 (Ceylon) Sqn Roll of Honour and Sqn badge |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, Easy Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stylised Memorial with inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Memorial to 102 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF and 405 (Vancouver) Sqn RCAF which served at RAF Pocklington during WW2 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/808/40 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/808/39 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-11-1942 |
End Date | 23-11-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Pocklington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (100% moon) |
Operation | Stuttgart. 222 aircraft, 10 losses (4.5%). PFF had difficulty marking the target due to cloud cover and as a result most of the bombs fell on the suburbs of the city. One low level attack on the railway station was successful, however. |
Reason for Loss | Eyewitnesses at Hangest sur Somme reported that the pilot attempted a controlled landing but flew into an embankment |