Hewitt, Kenneth William
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Kenneth William |
Surname | Hewitt |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | DFM |
Date of Death | 23-12-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Buxton Hewitt, and of Jessie Florence Hewitt, of Cricklewood, Middlesex. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | PB141 |
Markings | 6O-F |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Heverlee War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 10. D. 9. |
Epitaph | POSTED TO A HIGHER SQUADRON |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 181 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 183777 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 582 |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to former Airfield Site, Little Staughton, Bedfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to RAF Little Staughton, including 109 Sqn |
Location | All Saints Church, Little Staughton, Bedfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Tablet & Sqn Badge |
Memorial Text | In memory of 109 and 582 Sqns. At R.A.F. Little Staughton |
Miscellaneous Information
The six surviving crew members all became PoW, both the wireless operator and one of the air gunners making a miraculous escape from the fuselage after it had crashed |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 23-12-1944 |
End Date | 23-12-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Little Staughton |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Köln- to attack the Gremberg railway yards. This raid went badly wrong. The force was split into three formations, each led by an Oboe equipped master and a similarly equipped Mosquito reserve master. Improved weather meant that the crews could bomb visually and the order was given. Tragically, the order did not reach S/L R A M Palmer's aircraft and they carried on unawares, being hit by flak on their approach but dropping their bomb load nonetheless. Soon afterwards they were set about by fighters and the aircraft was downed in the target area. S/L Palmer was posthumously awarded a VC for his valour. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by fighters over the target area. P/O Hewitt successfully baled out but landed in a built up area where an angry crowd had developed. He was shot and murdered by a soldier by the name of Hubert Wester, who was himself killed later at the eastern front and could not therefore be brought to justice. Other officials took him to the local hospital but he died en route. |