Jennings, Reginald George
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Reginald George |
Surname | Jennings |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 20-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Ralph George Jennings and Pauline Mary Jennings (née White), of St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada. Husband of Essie Clara Jennings (née Coale), whom he married on 11 March 1940 at Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was 18 years of age. Father of Ronald George, who was born in October 1940. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax V |
Serial Number | LL257 |
Markings | WL-Z |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hanover War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 8. C. 11. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 189 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/88334 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 434 (Bluenose) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
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 | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Former Control Tower, old Tholthorpe airfield site, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 434 Sqn RCAF |
Miscellaneous Information
Reginald was born at St.Catherine, Ontario on 6 October 1922. Both parents were born at Brantford , Ontario and his father worked as a construction foreman. Both parents became naturalised Americans. He had two brothers, John William, who worked as an electrician and Douglas Arthur. The schools Reginald attended were: #29 Buffalo 1928-1936 followed by Burgard Vocational High School 1936-1939, Buffalo, USA. He enjoyed swimming. Reginald stated his occupation on his enlistmetn papers as an interstate driver and had numerous other short term occupations. He spent one year (1940-1941) as a Pressman, another year (1941-1942) as a Tankman. For three months during 1942 he was an iron worker followed by another three months as a truck driver. This was followed by his enlistment on 14 September 1942. |
After initial training Reginald was posted to the U.K. where he arrived at 3PRC on 2 September 1943. He went on to 24 OTU on 14 September 1943 and 434 Squadron on 8 January 1944. It was from there that Reginald was sadly to lose his life the following month, 20 February 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 19-02-1944 |
End Date | 20-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Night (22% moon) |
Operation | Leipzig. 823 aircraft, 78 losses (9.5%). Excluding early returners, the Halifax loss rate was 14.9%. As a result, Halifax Mks II and V were permanently withdrawn from service over Germany. The Kiel mine laying diversion was successful in drawing off fighters, but the German controllers only sent half of the available aircraft. As soon as the bomber stream crossed the Dutch coast they were confronted by the remaining half of the fighters and, moreover, the ones sent to Kiel were returned to join the fray. As a consequence, the fighters steadily picked off bombers all the way to this distant target. The winds were strongly than had been predicted and many bombers arrived early and had to orbit the target awaiting the Pathfinders, further increasing the likelihood of being picked off, either by flak or fighters. Leipzig was cloud covered and sky-marking had to be used. Early bombing appeared to be concentrated but later bombing less so. There was no local report nor a reconnaissance flight the following day. An American raid the following day then made it impossible to judge the effectiveness of the raid. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter on outbound leg from 21000' and crashed near Hohenhameln, Germany |