Field, Ernest James Died

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Personal Information

Rank Sgt
Forename(s) Ernest James
Surname Field
Gender M
Age 25
Date of Death 15-04-1943
FIELD EJ

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Vickers Wellington
Serial Number HZ256
Markings HD-L

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country United Kingdom
Burial/Memorial Place Littlehampton Cemetery
Grave Reference Sec. D. Grave 4274.
Epitaph CHIN'S UP, GOD BLESS HAPPY LANDINGS STELLA

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 163
FIELD EJ

Location

Row -
Panel 163
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 2
Panel Number 163

Enlistment Information

Service Number 628161
Service Royal Air Force
Group 4
Squadron 466 (Australian)
Trade Air Gunner
Country of Origin United Kingdom

Other Memorials

Location Normandy Barracks, Leconfield, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Metal Sculpture Brick Pillars and Inscribed Sqn Badges
Memorial Text A memorial to those who flew from RAF Leconfield, including 640 Sqn
Location Memorial Gardens, North End Park, Driffield, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Marble Memorial
Memorial Text A memorial to the men and women of 462 and 466 Sqns RAAF who served in Bomber Command during WW2
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Gardens, Propeller, Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text In everlasting homage to the courage of those who have found their winged victory through the skies of Yorkshire
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text They made the supreme sacrifice so that you & I may go in peace with freedom. 4 Group 1939 - 1945.
Location Heslington Hall, York, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Heslington Hall 1941 - 1945, 4 Gp Headquarters Bomber Command. In remembrance of those Air & Ground personnel who made the supreme sacrifice that we all may walk in peace with freedom

Miscellaneous Information

All four surviving airmen were decorated for their actions on this raid, their joint citations reads as follows: "In April 1943, Pilot Officer Hopkins, Flying Officer Clayton and Sergeants Hicks and Blair were air bomber, navigator, captain and wireless operator respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack a target in the Ruhr. Over Germany the aircraft was attacked by an enemy fighter. The first burst of fire from the attacker fatally injured the rear gunner and wounded the air bomber, navigator and wireless operator. The fighter made a second attack but Sergeant Hicks avoided its gunfire by turning steeply under the enemy aircraft which was not seen again. Although the hydraulic and brake systems of the bomber were damaged, causing the wheels to drop down and the bomb doors to open, the crew decided to continue their mission. Pilot Officer Hopkins, the air bomber, although suffering from a compound fracture of the arm and, at times, only retaining consciousness with great difficulty, displayed unsurpassed determination by directing his pilot to the target and bombing it successfully. On the return flight, Pilot Officer Hopkins, Flying Officer Clayton and Sergeant Blair laboured for more than 2 hours to assist the mortally wounded rear gunner, extricating him from his turret and administering morphia. Some of their efforts were made whilst flying at 15,000 feet and without oxygen. Sergeant Hicks eventually flew the damaged aircraft to an airfield in this country, where he effected a landing without the aid of flaps. These members of aircraft crew displayed great courage, fortitude and determination in most hazardous circumstances."

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1925/10
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1925/10

Last Operation Information

Start Date 14-04-1943
End Date 15-04-1943
Takeoff Station Leconfield
Day/Night Raid Night (72% moon)
Operation Stuttgart
Reason for Aircraft Loss Attacked by a night fighter and Sgt Ernest Field sustained fatal injuries. Three other members of the crew were less seriously injured but they continued to the target and released their bomb load. Owing to the injuries to the crew, the damage to the aircraft and a lack of fuel Sgt Hicks crash landed at Ford airfield on their return to England at 04.15hrs.
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.