Seedhouse, Harold Charles
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Harold Charles |
Surname | Seedhouse |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 23-04-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of John Henry Seedhouse and Mary Seedhouse (née Compton), of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | HX291 |
Markings | BM-W |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Heverlee War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 5. E. 19-25. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 239 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/94384 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 433 (Porcupine) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Hamonterweg, Lozen, Limburg Province |
Country | Belgium |
Memorial Type | Memorial stone & inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | De Britse bommenwerper Halifax HX 291 stortte heir te Lozen - Bocholt in Veldhoven neer - 22 April 1944 |
Miscellaneous Information
Harold was born at Toronto on 5 October 1923. Both parents were born in England and his father was a salesman. He had a brother John H. and a sister Muriel Mary. Harold was at Kennedy School 1930-1938 and again in 1938-1940 (Grade X). The sports he enjoyed were ice skating, baseball and swimming and he liked making model aircraft. Between 1940-1941 he worked as a labourer at British American Paint and again as a labourer at New Method Laundry between 1941-1942. He then worked as a truck driver for Handy Messenger during 1942 until enlisting on 10 November 1942. |
After initial training, Harold embarked from Halifax on 13 September 1943, arriving in the U.K. at 3 PRC on 20 September 1943. From there he went to 19 OTU 28 September 1943, 1652 CU 17 November 1943, 81 OTU 15 January 1944, 61 Base 6 Feb 1944 and 433 Squadron 23 February 1944. This young man sadly lost his life from there on 23 April 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1862/8 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1862/7 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-04-1944 |
End Date | 23-04-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Skipton on Swale |
Day/Night Raid | Night (0% moon) |
Operation | Düsseldorf. 596 aircraft, 29 losses (4.9%). 2150 tones of bombs were dropped, causing considerable damage, mainly to the northern districts. 56 large industrial premises were hit, of which 7 were destroyed. More than 2000 homes were destroyed, 883 people killed and 593 injured, although these figures were compiled before all the missing had been dug out. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter from 18000' near Weert, Holland. Abandoned whilst on fire, the aircraft then crashed near Meeuwen, Holland |