Fern, Raymond John
Personal Information
Rank | F/L |
Forename(s) | Raymond John |
Surname | Fern |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 11-03-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Raymond Mason Fern and Vina Olive Fern (née Gibbs), of Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. Husband of Esme Dorothy Fern (née Temple), whom he married on 12 December 1944 at St.Dunstan’s church, East Acton, London, Middlesex. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster X |
Serial Number | KB834 |
Markings | WL-Y |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 13. F. 8. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 163 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/15681 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 434 (Bluenose) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Fern Lake, Saskatchewan |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Race Control Building, Croft Auto Circuit, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Roadside Location, A167, Dalton on Tees, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial topped with metal statue |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Former Control Tower, old Tholthorpe airfield site, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Raymond was born on 1 July 1919 at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. His father, a farmer, was born at Whitwick, Leicestershire, England and his mother at Harlan, Iowa, USA. He went to school at Christopher Lake, 1930-1935 (grades 1-8) and then attended the Government Correspondence School at Regina, 1935-1938 (grades 9-11). His sport interests were softball, baseball, swimming and hockey and his hobbies were mechanics, wireless and camping. Raymond worked at Prince Albert National Park Forestry Service as a labourer for two months in 1937 and then as a clerk and truck driver for them 1938-1939. |
On 13 August 1940 he enlisted and after training embarked from Canada for the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 1 October 1944, 61 Base 19 October 1944, 1664 CU 15 November 1944, and then 434 Squadron 31 December 1944. Raymond was to lose his life from there on 11 March 1945. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 11-03-1945 |
End Date | 11-03-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Essen. 1079 aircraft, 3 lost. This was the largest number of aircraft sent to a single target so far. Complete cloud cover led to the use of Oboe sky-marking. Some 4661 tons of bombs were dropped with great accuracy, paralysing Essen until the Americans arrived. 897 people were said to be killed although there is no proper report on this raid, such was the level of disarray. This was the last of a very large number of raids on Essen throughout the war, although many were poor due to the propensity for cloud and haze. The total death toll stood at 7000 and the population of the city halved due to people leaving for their own safety. |
Reason for Loss | Hit by flak almost immediately after completing the bombing run. Crashed onto the target |