Sheppard, Walter Fitzgerald
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Walter Fitzgerald |
Surname | Sheppard |
Gender | M |
Age | 29 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 17-12-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Walter Festing Sheppard and Ethel May Sheppard (née Fitzgerald), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | JB369 |
Markings | LQ-D |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Cambridge City Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Grave 14554A. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 240 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/14170 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 405 (Vancouver) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Village Windmill, Mill Rd, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Remembering 405 (Vancouver) Sqn. PFF at Gransden Lodge 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Bartholomew's Church, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, RoH and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the 801 airmen of 405 Sqn. RCAF who gave their lives 1941 - 1945 |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Marble Pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of 102 (Ceylon) and 405 (Vancouver) Sqns. Pocklington Airfield |
Miscellaneous Information
Walter was born on 15 December 1914 at Calgary, Alberta. His father, a machine agent, was born at Stamford House, Sussex, England and his mother was born in Waterford, Ireland. He had two sisters, Ethel May and June Freda and four brothers. The younger two were Douglas Morris and Robert Festing and the elder two were both with the 12th Canadian Tank Battalion, overseas and were Lieutenants. He attended Primate Public School 1923-1928 and then at Kerrobert High 1929-1932. Between 1932-1933 Walter worked as a hardware clerk, and was a farm hand 1933-1937. From 1937 until enlistment he worked as a mechanic and Machine operator for The Torrington Company in Bedford, Quebec. Walter took part in many varied sports and also enjoyed music and reading. |
He enlisted on 20 July 1940 and after training was posted to the U.K..where he arrived on 9 November 1942. He was at 1 (0)AFU 20 April 1943, 22 OTU 18 May 1943, 1664 CU 1 August 1943, 419 Sqn 24 August 1943 and 405 Squadron on 10 October 1943. Sadly Walter was to lose his life on 17 December 1943 from 405 Squadron. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1788/24 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1788/23 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 16-12-1943 |
End Date | 17-12-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Gransden Lodge |
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 near Ely on return |