Thompson, William Harris
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | William Harris |
Surname | Thompson |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 26-06-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Harris Thompson and Ethel Harris Thompson, of Etruria, Stoke-On-Trent. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Short Stirling III |
Serial Number | BK767 |
Markings | BU-L |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Netherlands |
Burial/Memorial Place | Aalten (Berkenhove) General Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Grave 589/1. |
Epitaph | IN REMEMBRANCE |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 253 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1476771 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 214 (Federated Malay States) |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Village Green, Chedburgh, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Monument with Inscribed Marble Tablets |
Memorial Text | In memory and honour of the Royal Air Force and Polish Air Force Squadrons who were based at RAF Chedburgh 1942 - 1946 |
Location | All Saints Church, Chedburgh, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Plaques and RoH within wooden case |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour and scroll remembering the members of the Royal and Polish Air Forces who served at RAF Chedburgh 1942 - 1946 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1322/12 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1322/11 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 25-06-1943 |
End Date | 26-06-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Chedburgh |
Day/Night Raid | Night (38% moon) |
Operation | Gelsenkirchen. 473 aircraft, 30 losses (6.3%). The first raid in around two years on this Ruhr town. Cloud cover and unserviceable Oboe equipment in 5 of the 12 Mosquitoes meant that the target was not well marked. As a result the local report puts the number of buildings destroyed at just 24. 16 deaths on the ground. Some nearby towns were hit in error, particularly Solingen with more people being killed there than in Gelsenkirchen itself. A good illustration of the dependency on PFF marking for raid success. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Allten, ESE of Arnhem, Holland |