North, Wilfred Ronald Eli
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Wilfred Ronald Eli |
Surname | North |
Gender | M |
Age | 27 |
Decorations | DFC, MiD |
Date of Death | 27-11-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Alfred and Lizzie North. Husband of Joan Mary North, of Stoke, Warwickshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster II |
Serial Number | DS723 |
Markings | EQ-B |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Runnymede Memorial |
Grave Reference | Panel 127. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 219 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 114391 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 408 (Goose) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Village Centre, Linton on Ouse, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial and inscribed slate tablet |
Memorial Text | In memory of 408 (Goose) and 426 (Thunderbird) Squadrons of R.C.A.F |
Miscellaneous Information
Wilfred was born on the 3rd November 1916. He and his wife resided at 64 Hastings Road, Stoke, Coventry and had one child. attended Bablake School from 1927 to 1932 and employed by Roland Hollick & Co until enlisting on 9 September 1939. Previously the family had resided in Lossiemouth, Scotland. In July 1940 he wrote thanking the school for the presents he had received and the copy of 'The Wheatleyan'. Wilfred was gazetted as a temporary Flight Sergeant on 15 December 1941, mentioned in despatches in February 1942 and awarded his DFC on 14 September 194. The citation reads as follows: "Flying Officer North, now on second tour of operational duty, has taken part in attacks on most of the major enemy targets in Germany. A very efficient navigator, he has consistently displayed a fine fighting spirit and great devotion to duty, while his cheerful confidence has done much towards maintaining the high standard of morale attained by crew." "Flying Officer North is now completing his second tour on this squadron, having completed his first tour on Wellingtons. He has carried out operations against some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany, namely Bochum, Berlin, Wuppertal, Dusseldorf, Le Creusot, Krefeld, Mulheim, Cologne, Gelsenkirchen, Kiel. Throughout his tour with this squadron, Flying Officer North has proven himself to be a very competent navigator, leading his captain to targets with a high degree of navigational proficiency. He has set a fine example and his cheerful confidence has inspired a high standard of morale in his crew". |
Mentioned in Despatches June 1943 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1797/20 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1797/19 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 26-11-1943 |
End Date | 27-11-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Linton-on-Ouse |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 443 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes with a 178 aircraft diversionary raid on Stuttgart. Unlike previous raids that included a diversionary element, both forces flew together over France and separated close to Frankfurt. Consequently the German controller assumed that the raid was on Frankfurt alone. As a result, the Berlin force met with few night-fighters but heavy flak fire and the scattered nature of the force by this time led to significant losses- 28 Lancasters (6.2%) and a further 14 crashed on the return leg or on return to base, leading to a total loss rate of some 9.3%. PFF target marking was 6-7 miles from the intended city centre position and as a consequence, the industrial suburb of Reinickendorf bore the brunt with 38 war related factories being destroyed and many more damaged. Berlin Zoo was also badly damaged with the result that many dangerous animals had to be shot in the streets. Approximately 700-800 deaths and total bombed out in recent raids was increased to some 417665. |
Reason for Loss | Lost without trace |