Hatchman, Fred
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Fred |
Surname | Hatchman |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Date of Death | 23-04-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Walter Hatchman and Ellen Hatchman (née Monks), of Farnworth, Lancashire and later of Providence, Rhode Island, USA. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | MZ514 |
Markings | SE-P |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 18. E. 1-5. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 178 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/86443 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 431 (Iroquois) |
Squadron Motto | The hatiten ronteriios (Warriors of the air) |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
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 | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | A memorial to all those who served on 431 Sqn RCAF at RCAF Burn, 1942-1943 |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed metal plaques & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Old Control Tower, former airfield site, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Fred was born on 10 May 1922 at Farnworth, Lancaster, England. His parents were both born in Bolton, Lancashire but later emigrated to Rhode Island, USA where his father worked as a Janitor. He had one sister Lily. He went to school at the Gilbert Stuart Jnr. High in Providence, Rhode Island between 1928-1937. He then moved on to the Central High in Providence, 1937-1940 and also studied there doing night courses during 1940-1941 for maths and geometry. Fred’s sporting interests were football, baseball, swimming, bowling etc, and he was interested in making model aircraft. During 1941-1942 he had a variety of employment and worked in a Cafeteria at the Gorham Company jewellers then with two other companies before working back at Gorham Co. Jewellers, in their offices. |
He enlisted on 17 April 1942 and after training was posted to the U.K.. He embarked from Halifax on 23 June 1943, arriving at 3PRC on 2 July . He then went to 23 OTU on 17 August 1943, 61 Base 12 November 1943, 1667 CU 14 December 1943 and 431 Squadron 13 March 1944. Fred sadly lost his life from 431 Squadron on 23 April 1944. |
Although born British and having lived in USA, he gave his nationality as Canadian on his enlistment papers. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/8 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/7 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-04-1944 |
End Date | 23-04-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Night (0% moon) |
Operation | Düsseldorf. 596 aircraft, 29 losses (4.9%). 2150 tones of bombs were dropped, causing considerable damage, mainly to the northern districts. 56 large industrial premises were hit, of which 7 were destroyed. More than 2000 homes were destroyed, 883 people killed and 593 injured, although these figures were compiled before all the missing had been dug out. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Veen, SW of Wesel, Germany |