Foster, Harold Arthur
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Harold Arthur |
Surname | Foster |
Gender | M |
Age | 31 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 08-06-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Arthur and Alice Lily Foster. Husband of Joan Rosamund Foster, of Coventry. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster I |
Serial Number | LL864 |
Markings | A4-H |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Giverny Churchyard |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave. |
Epitaph | THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 165 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 177401 |
Service | Royal Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 115 |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Lancaster Industrial Estate, Witchford, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Pillar with inscribed Slate Tablets & Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In honour of those who served during the Second World War 1939 - 1945 |
Miscellaneous Information
115 Squadron lost six Lancasters and the lives of 36 aircrew on this operation |
Harold was born on 25 January 1913 at Birmingham. He attended Radford and Bablake Schools, both in Coventry. He later resided at 98, Lake View Road, Coventry, being employed by Armstrong Siddeley Motor Co. Ltd until enlisting in 1939. A plaque in Coventry War Memorial Park reads ‘Pilot officer H.A. (Rupert) Foster Royal Air Force Killed in action 8th June 1944'. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/891/12 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/891/11 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 07-06-1944 |
End Date | 08-06-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Witchford |
Day/Night Raid | Night (98% moon) |
Operation | Achères- to attack railway yards. Part of a 337 bomber strong force to bomb various lines of communications behind the Normandy beachhead. There was less cloud cover than the previous night with all targets being accurately bombed and fewer civilians killed. Because the targets were further inland than recent raids, the German night-fighters had a greater opportunity to infiltrate the bomber stream and as a result, losses were higher. 28 aircraft were Lost (8.3%). |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Giverny, France |