Sealy, Harold Hogarth
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Harold Hogarth |
Surname | Sealy |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 29-01-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Leonard Henry John Thomas and Mabel Sealy (née Hogarth), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Vickers Wellington III |
Serial Number | DF626 |
Markings | PT- |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Bridgwater (St. John's) Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Sec. 2. Grave 2460. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 239 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/93087 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Harold was born on 28 June 1920 at Toronto, Ontario. Both parents were born in England. His father, a painter and decorator, was born at Bridgewater, Somerset and his mother at Barrow-in-Furness. He had two brothers Jack and Albert, both serving with RCAF - Albert with 199 Squadron. Harold attended Danforth Public School, 1928-1935 and East York Collegiate 1935-1938. He also attended East York night school 1938-1939 to study shorthand and typing. His sport interests were cricket, softball, baseball and basketball. He also looked after racing homing pigeons. Harold worked for Simpson’s Knitting Mills in the card room between 1938-1940. He then spent six months during 1940 at Sanson O.L.S. as a Surveyor’s assistant and finished off at T. Eaton Company as a clerk before enlisting on 10 February 1941. |
After completing his training he was posted to the U.K. and departed from Canada on 30 April 1942. Harold arrived at 3PRC on 13 May and went on to 3 (0) AFU 16 June 1942, 22 OTU 21 July 1942 and 420 Squadron on 1 October 1942. It was from there that Harold sadly lost his life on 29 January 1943. |
He was laid to rest in Bridgewater, his father's birthplace, and most likely where some family still resided. His brother Jack, who was in the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, also attended the funeral. His other brother, R/170739 F/Sgt. Albert Edward Sealy lost his life one year less one day later - http://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/225088 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/22 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/21 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 29-01-1943 |
End Date | 30-01-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Night (43% moon) |
Operation | Lorient. 116 aircraft, 4 losses. The target area was covered by thick cloud and the crews also suffered from severe icing. There was no PFF target marking, which meant the bombing was scattered and ineffective. |
Reason for Loss | Jettisoned bomb load and crashed at Exeter |