Cooke, Eric Thomas
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Eric Thomas |
Surname | Cooke |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-07-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cooke. Husband of Freda Eluira Elizabeth Cooke, of Tonyrefail, Glamorgan. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | JD211 |
Markings | ZA-Y |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 146. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 147 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 572721 |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 10 |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Melbourne, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Memorial Stone & Plaque |
Memorial Text | No 10 Squadron, 4 Group Bomber Command, WWII 1939-1945. This memorial was erected at the entrance to the former RAF Station Melbourne by ex Members and Friends of the Squadron to honour the memory of all personnel who died in the service of their Country |
Location | Melbourne Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Runway Light in Concrete Base |
Memorial Text | Let this landing light be a memorial to all those 1,000 aircrew and 120 aircraft that left this very point never to return so that we may return again and again in freedom to enjoy York Motor Sport Park |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/144/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/144/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 15-07-1943 |
End Date | 16-07-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Melbourne |
Day/Night Raid | Night (96% moon) |
Operation | Montbéliard- to attack the Peugeot factory near the Swiss border. 165 Halifaxes, 5 of which were Lost (3.0%). Clear weather conditions and the target was only lightly defended but PFF marked 700 yards beyond the factory and as a result 80% of the bombs fell on the town and only 20% on the target. The raid had no impact on production at the factory |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter flown by Uffw. Heinrich Prinz of 5./NJG4 at 3,000m altitude and time 01:30 and crashed at Besancon railway station. The night fighter was itself shot down by return fire from the Halifax. Dornier 217 N-1 Serial Number 1450 5/NJG4. Crew: (Pilot) Uffw. Heinrich Prinz (Bf), Uffz. Leopold Zodl, Uffz. Karl Schönbrod. Crashed at La Barre, 25 km NE of Dole, France. Took off from Dijon-Longvic. The Do 217 came down close to a WWI monument but it was undamaged. All of the crew of both machines were killed. |