Sills, Earl Albert Henry
Personal Information
Rank | P/O |
Forename(s) | Earl Albert Henry |
Surname | Sills |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 14-02-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Harry Sills and Ruby Violet Sills (née Thompson), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | NA179 |
Markings | PT-B |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Sec. H. Row G. Grave 4. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 241 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/94220 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
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
Earl was born on 9 September 1924 at Toronto, Ontario. Both parents were born in England and his father worked as a Machine Shop Inspector. His records state that he was the eldest child so must have had at least one sibling, although none are named. He attended Annette Street school, 1932-1940, followed by Western Tech 1940-1941, both in Toronto. He worked for Delaney and Petitt as a labourer in 1941 and then left to go to Canadian Acme Screw Gear as a tool cutter and grinder, 1941-1943. Earl participated in all sports occasionally. |
He enlisted on 8 September 1943 and after training was posted to the U.K. embarking from Halifax on 25 May 1944 he arrived at 3(RCAF) PRC on 3 June 1944. He then went to 22 OTU on 11 July 1944, 61 Base 4 October 1944 and 420 Squadron 28 December 1944. Sadly on 14 February 1945 whilst returning from a bombing raid he lost his life when the aircraft crashed one mile from the end of the runway at Tholthorpe, Yorkshire. He was 20 years old. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1826/26 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1826/25 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 14-02-1945 |
End Date | 15-02-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Tholthorpe |
Day/Night Raid | Night (8% moon) |
Operation | Chemnitz as a continuation of Operation Thunderclap. 717 aircraft, 13 lost. As with the raid on Dresden, this was a two-wave raid, 3 hours apart. A very elaborate diversion program kept fighters at bay but the target was cloud-covered so only sky-marking was possible. Most parts of the town were hit but many bombs fell in open country. No local report is available. |
Reason for Loss | Returned to base due to an unserviceable starboard outer engine. Seen in the circuit but span out of control at 600' and crashed one mile north of the airfield |