Pennycook, Charles
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Charles |
Surname | Pennycook |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 04-10-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Ralph Pennycook and Elizabeth Pennycook (née Higgins), of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Short Stirling III |
Serial Number | EF130 |
Markings | JN-M |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 1. H. 1-7. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 225 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/137421 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 75 (NZ) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | A142 Mepal, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Piller and Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Former site of RAF Mepal. Home to No 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, No 3 Gp, Bomber Command, 1943-1945 |
Location | Village Centre, Mepal, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A stone memorial, donated by former members of 75 (NZ) Sqn RAF stationed at Mepal between 1943 and 1945 |
Location | St. Andrews Church, Sutton, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour in Wooden Case with brass plaque |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour. Plaque, Presented by 75(NZ) Sqn Association - UK Branch in memory of Comrades named in the Roll of Honour |
Location | St. Marys Church, Feltwell, Norfolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Piller and Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | A memorial to 75 (NZ) Sqn, RAF. Formed at RAF Feltwell in April 1940 and flew from there until June 1942. The Sqn number was presented to New Zealand becoming 75 Sqn RNZAF in October 1946 until its disbanding in December 2001. |
Location | Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Remembering No 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, No 3 Gp Bomber Command. RAF Newmarket Heath, November 1942 - June 1943 |
Miscellaneous Information
Charles was born on 27 March 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were both born in Glasgow. His father worked as a machinist and his mother was deceased by the time of Charles's enlistment. He had two brothers, Ralph and Thomas, as well as a sister Rebecca. LAC Ralph Pennycook was at the Air Training School in London, Ontario. His sister Rebecca Lapsley Pennycook was a Corporal at Camp Borden. The schools he attended were all in Windsor, Ontario: David Maxwell Public School 1929-1934, Gordon McGregor High School, 1934-1935 and again 1935-1937. These were followed by Windsor Vocational 1937-1940 (Metallurgy). He liked to play basketball and hockey. He worked as a welder for Meter Products Corporation in Windsor for about five months, 1940/1941. |
Charles enlisted on 17 November 1941 and after training was posted to the U.K. He embarked from Canada on 26 January 1943 and arrived 3PRC on 5 February 1943 before continuing to 4 AOS 19 April 1943, 12 OTU Chipping Warden (Course No.55) 18 May 1943, 1651 CU 19 August 1943 and 75 Squadron 16 September 1943. It was from there that Charles was to lose his life shortly afterwards, on 4 October 1943. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/646/44 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/646/43 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 04-10-1943 |
End Date | 05-10-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Mepal |
Day/Night Raid | Night (30% moon) |
Operation | Frankfurt. 409 aircraft including three B-17s. 11 losses, including one B-17 (2.5%). This was the last raid where American aircraft were involved. Clear weather led to good marking and extensive destruction to the eastern half of the city and the inland docks. Tragically, an orphanage housed in a former Jewish hospital suffered a direct hit resulting in the death of 90 children, 14 nuns and some other members of staff |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Russelsheim, Germany |