Sefton, Edward Died

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Personal Information

Rank Sgt
Forename(s) Edward
Surname Sefton
Gender M
Age 24
Date of Death 22-01-1944
Next of Kin Son of William Pearson Sefton and Ada Sefton, of Everton, Liverpool.
SEFTON E

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Handley Page Halifax II
Serial Number LW318
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

Map
Directions to panel 239
SEFTON E

Location

Row -
Panel 239
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 2
Panel Number 239

Enlistment Information

Service Number 983376
Service Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Group 4
Squadron 78
Squadron Motto Nemo non paratus (Nobody unprepared)
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"
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Gardens, Propeller, Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text In everlasting homage to the courage of those who have found their winged victory through the skies of Yorkshire
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text They made the supreme sacrifice so that you & I may go in peace with freedom. 4 Group 1939 - 1945.
Location Heslington Hall, York, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Heslington Hall 1941 - 1945, 4 Gp Headquarters Bomber Command. In remembrance of those Air & Ground personnel who made the supreme sacrifice that we all may walk in peace with freedom

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.

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/661/2
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/661/2

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 Aircraft 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.
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.