Ray, Geoffrey Arthur William
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Geoffrey Arthur William |
Surname | Ray |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-12-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Frank Weedon Ray and Ada Elizabeth Ray, of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster II |
Serial Number | DS835 |
Markings | KO-K |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
Burial/Memorial Place | Heemskerk Protestant Churchyard |
Grave Reference | Plot 1. Grave 309. |
Epitaph | GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 230 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1323244 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 115 |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Lancaster Industrial Estate, Witchford, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Pillar with inscribed Slate Tablets & Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In honour of those who served during the Second World War 1939 - 1945 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/890/24 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/890/23 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 16-12-1943 |
End Date | 17-12-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Witchford |
Day/Night Raid | Night (76% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 483 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes and a further 5 Mosquitoes to drop decoy flares south of the city. 25 Lancasters Lost (5.2%) and many more were lost on their return to England due to very poor weather across almost all airfields. The target was cloud covered so sky-marking was used with reasonable accuracy. Most of the bombs hit housing and railway assets- very little damage was caused to industrial premises. The cumulative damage to the railway system was beginning to impact Germany's ability to deliver supplies to the eastern front by this stage. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed at Kruisberg Dune near Heemskerk, NW of Amsterdam |