Sefton, Edward
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Edward |
Surname | Sefton |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 22-01-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Pearson Sefton and Ada Sefton, of Everton, Liverpool. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
Serial Number | LW319 |
Markings | EY-R |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Liverpool (Kirkdale) Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Sec. 20. C. of E. Grave 1114. |
Epitaph | BRAVE IN SPIRIT, KIND IN THOUGHT AND DEED, HE DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 239 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 983376 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 78 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Clubhouse, Breighton Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Dedicated to all who served at this airfield and gave their lives during World War II |
Location | External, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | 78 Sqn 4 Group Bomber Command Yorkshire 1939 - 1945 To All Who Served |
Location | Internal, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Wooden Board, Memorial Chapel featuring Cross made from Halifax wreckage |
Memorial Text | The 78 Sqn Memorial in the Churchyard was dedicated by the Bishop of Selby on 7th September 1986. RAF Breighton, two miles from this church was the Sqn's home from June 1943 to May 1945 |
Location | Outside "B" Hangar, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Slate Plaque |
Memorial Text | In proud memory of all who have lost their lives serving with 78 Sqn Royal Air Force "Nemo Non Paratus - Nobody Unprepared" |
Miscellaneous Information
Death announced in Liverpool Echo 24th January 1944. Previously a typewriter mechanic in Liverpool |
Combat report: Enemy aircraft closed over to starboard quarter and turned in to attack. Rear gunner gave the order to corkscrew to starboard and enemy aircraft moved to dead astern and opened fire at 400 yards. Both gunners returned fire. The enemy aircraft closed in to 100 yards range and then broke away to port quarter up. Immediately after the fighter had broken away, another Ju88 was sighted right behind the tail and opened fire from point blank range. The Mid-Upper Gunner Sgt. Le Blanc observed cannon shells passing through the port tail of the LW319. Both gunners returned fire and enemy aircraft broke away to port quarter down. As no. 2 broke away, a third Ju88 broke into attack from dead astern and opened fire at approximately 3/400 yards range firing all the way in. Both gunners returned fire and hits were observed on enemy aircraft. The engineer reported from the astrodome that the third Ju88 was going down in flames. LW319 continued corkscrew throughout the whole combat, but was hit in the tail turret, the rear gunner Sgt. Sefton was hit in the head by a shell. His microphone was still open, so the crew could hear his breathing in it for the rest of the trip but he bled to death before anything could be done. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/661/2 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/661/1 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 21-01-1944 |
End Date | 22-01-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Breighton |
Day/Night Raid | Night (18% moon) |
Operation | Magdeburg |
Reason for Loss | Attacked by three night-fighters on the run-in, killing the rear gunner. The aircraft carried on to drop its bomb load and made a safe return to base. |