Fitzpatrick, Joseph Stanley Paul
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Joseph Stanley Paul |
Surname | Fitzpatrick |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-07-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Fitzpatrick and Mary Ellen Fitzpatrick (née Crowley) of Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | MZ617 |
Markings | LK-D |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
Burial/Memorial Place | Uden War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 3. I. 1. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 164 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/25707 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 578 |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | For all who served in 578 Squadron Royal Air Force Burn 1944 - 1945 |
Location | Methodist Church, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text |
Location | Selby Abbey, Selby, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | RoH in Glass topped wooden cabinet |
Memorial Text | In memory of all 578 Sqn Aircrew who failed to return from Ops at RAF Burn |
Miscellaneous Information
Joseph was born at Canboro, Ontario on 11 January 1919. Both parents were born in Ontario, his father in Westhorne and his mother in Dutton. His father was a farmer and died in 1941. Joseph had two siblings but very sadly, a brother John was stillborn and a baby sister Mary died in 1916 aged just three weeks. He went to Dunnville Public School, Ontario 1925-1933 and then to the High School 1933-1938. He then undertook two Correspondence Courses (Commercial) between 1939-1940 and 1941-1942. His sport interests were hockey and tennis and his hobbies Semaphore and the Morse code. For employment he undertook a variety of mostly seasonal odd jobs between 1932-1940. He then worked as a clerk 1940-1942 and as a Sampler in a chemical laboratory at Atlas Steel in Welland from 1942 until enlistment. |
After enlisting on 15 May 1942 and completing his training he was posted to the U.K. and embarked from Canada for the U.K. on 23 June 1943. He arrived at 3PRC on 2 July 1943 then continued to 4 (0) AFU on 12 July 1943, 20 OTU 17 August 1943, 1663 CU 22 November 1943, and 578 Squadron 27 March 1944. Sadly Joseph was to lose his life on 21 July 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2052/15 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2050/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 20-07-1944 |
End Date | 21-07-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Burn |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Bottrop- to attack a synthetic oil plant. 166 aircraft, 8 losses. The northern part of the target was badly damaged |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Herpen, ENE of Oss, Holland |