Parsons, Ernest Ian Died

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Personal Information

Rank P/O
Forename(s) Ernest Ian
Surname Parsons
Gender M
Decorations DFC
Date of Death 14-08-1940
Next of Kin Husband of Miriam Parsons (née Robinson), of Thanet, Kent. Father of Tina Johnson Parsons (b. 8 November 1940). Her second forename, Johnson, was given in respect of Pip’s best friend who died sometime between August and November. Miriam subsequently married a marine and settled in America.
PARSONS EI

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V
Serial Number P4965
Markings ZA-H

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country France
Burial/Memorial Place Boulogne Eastern Cemetery
Grave Reference Plot 12. Row D. Grave 6.

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 223
PARSONS EI

Location

Row -
Panel 223
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 2
Panel Number 223

Enlistment Information

Service Number 43370
Service Royal Air Force
Group 4
Squadron 10
Squadron Motto Rem acu tangere (To hit the mark)
Trade Pilot
Country of Origin New Zealand

Other Memorials

Location Melbourne, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Brick Memorial Stone & Plaque
Memorial Text No 10 Squadron, 4 Group Bomber Command, WWII 1939-1945. This memorial was erected at the entrance to the former RAF Station Melbourne by ex Members and Friends of the Squadron to honour the memory of all personnel who died in the service of their Country during WWII and as a tribute to the many friends in the Villages of Melbourne and Seaton Ross for their many deeds of kindness.
Location Melbourne Airfield, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Runway Light in Concrete Base
Memorial Text Let this landing light be a memorial to all those 1,000 aircrew and 120 aircraft that left this very point never to return so that we may return again and again in freedom to enjoy York Motor Sport Park
Location Roadside location (off E6), Fættenfjord, near Åsenfjord, Trøndelag Fylke
Country Norway
Memorial Type Inscribed memorial stone atopped with inert aerial sea mine and Tirpitz anchor chain link
Memorial Text For Frihet Til minne om Allierte Flymannskaper fra RAF drept under angrep pa det tyske slagskipet Tirpitz i Fættenfjord 1942
Translation "For freedom In memory of the Allied Aircrews from the RAF who died in attacks on the German Battleship Tirpitz in the Fættenfjord 1942 "
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Gardens, Propeller, Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text In everlasting homage to the courage of those who have found their winged victory through the skies of Yorkshire
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text They made the supreme sacrifice so that you & I may go in peace with freedom. 4 Group 1939 - 1945.
Location Heslington Hall, York, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Heslington Hall 1941 - 1945, 4 Gp Headquarters Bomber Command. In remembrance of those Air & Ground personnel who made the supreme sacrifice that we all may walk in peace with freedom

Miscellaneous Information

Born 24 October 1912 in Linwood, Christchurch, New Zealand. Attended Christchurch Boys' High School, followed by Camnterbury University College where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerice degree. Known as Pip. He held a private pilot's licence, which he obtained in 1932. He was a former England rugby international - see detailed account here: www.rugbynetwork.net/main/s101/st196615.htm
He had flown 23 operations and his DFC was awarded at the end of July 1940
Of the three survivors one, the Wireless Operator Sgt. Chamberlain, was left clinging to a buoy. Fortunately, Miss Peggy Prince, an Air raid Precautions Ambulance Driver, witnessed the incident and set out on her small river canoe in an effort to rescue any survivors. After she returned to shore without success she was not satisfied with the outcome so returned to the crash site to find the Wireless Operator clinging to the buoy. For this incredible act of bravery she was awareded the BEM.
London Gazette, Tuesday 20 August 1940: "The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following Award:— The Medal of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, for Meritorious Service: — Miss Peggy Prince, Dymchurch. On the morning of the I4th August a Whitley bomber crashed in the Channel and sank in three minutes. Two of the crew were rescued by a motor boat. Miss Peggy Prince, Air Raid Precautions ambulance driver, Dymchurch, set out from there in her small canoe, accompanied by a soldier, to try and pick up the remaining members- of the crew. After searching for some time the boat returned. Miss Prince was not satisfied- and elected to go out again by herself in the canoe. On this journey she picked up a Sergeant Wireless Operator, who was clinging to a buoy. Somehow the exhausted airman was got into the small canoe, and his rescuer paddled back to her home. He undoubtedly owes his life to Miss Prince's courage and determination.
The other two crew members were rescued by Mr. H. Griggs, the former coxwain of the Hythe lifeboat.

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/141/24
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/141/24

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.

Name Outcome
Campion A N (Sgt) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 13-08-1940
End Date 14-08-1940
Takeoff Station Abingdon
Day/Night Raid Night (84% moon)
Operation Bomb Fiat Lingotto engine plant at Turin
Reason for Aircraft Loss Attacked by enemy fighter, taking out one engine. The attacking fighter was hit by return fire and, sensing that it was doomed, the pilot Giorgio Graffer decided to ram the bomber and then bale out. P4965 limped home but a damaged aileron broke away and the aircraft crashed close to Dymchurch Redoubt. The two pilots perished in the crash and their bodies eventually washed up on the French coast and were buried locally.
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.