Crofts, Donald Albert
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Donald Albert |
Surname | Crofts |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 02-03-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Richard Edward and Edith Crofts, of Far Cotton, Northampton, England. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Short Stirling III |
Serial Number | BK692 |
Markings | OJ-W |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | H. 54. |
Epitaph | HIS MEMORY WE SHALL ALWAYS TREASURE, IN OUR HEARTS HE WILL LIVE FOR EVER |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 150 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1193969 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 149 (East India) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | St. George's Church, Methwold, Norfolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour & inscribed window |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour of 149 Sqn RAF and a window remembering the men and women of all Nations who served at RAF Methwold, 1939-1945 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1003/6 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1003/5 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 01-03-1943 |
End Date | 02-03-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Lakenheath |
Day/Night Raid | Night (26% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 302 aircraft, 17 losses (5.6%). PFF had some difficulty recognising parts of the city using the early H2S system (which was still using 10cm wavelength at the time). Most of the bombs fell in the south west of the city. However, the sheer weight of numbers of bombers, together with the larger bomb loads that were possible since previous raids on Berlin made this a successful raid. Much damage to industrial buildings and particularly to a railway repair works. The Telefunken factory was also hit and by a quirk or fate, it contained the H2S set that had previously been recovered by the Germans by a recently downed bomber. The set was completely destroyed but another was recovered from the very force that bombed the first, allowing research to resume unhindered. |
Reason for Loss | Coned by searchlights and badly shot about by a night-fighter, killing Sgt Nunn and Sgt Crofts. Later hit by flak while crossing the French coast and partially abandoned |