Warlow, William John
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | William John |
Surname | Warlow |
Gender | M |
Age | 30 |
Date of Death | 20-11-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of William Charles and Elizabeth Warlow, of Llanelly, Carmarthenshire. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | ND911 |
Markings | JN-V V-Victor |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Rheinberg War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 7. B. 5-7. |
Epitaph | PEACE, PERFECT PEACE |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 260 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1653307 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 75 (NZ) |
Squadron Motto | Ake ake kia kaha (For ever and ever be strong) |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | A142 Mepal, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Piller and Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Former site of RAF Mepal. Home to No 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, No 3 Gp, Bomber Command, 1943-1945 |
Location | Village Centre, Mepal, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A stone memorial, donated by former members of 75 (NZ) Sqn RAF stationed at Mepal between 1943 and 1945 |
Location | St. Andrews Church, Sutton, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour in Wooden Case with brass plaque |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour. Plaque, Presented by 75(NZ) Sqn Association - UK Branch in memory of Comrades named in the Roll of Honour |
Location | St. Marys Church, Feltwell, Norfolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Brick Piller and Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | A memorial to 75 (NZ) Sqn, RAF. Formed at RAF Feltwell in April 1940 and flew from there until June 1942. The Sqn number was presented to New Zealand becoming 75 Sqn RNZAF in October 1946 until its disbanding in December 2001. |
Location | Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket, Suffolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Tablet |
Memorial Text | Remembering No 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, No 3 Gp Bomber Command. RAF Newmarket Heath, November 1942 - June 1943 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/647/22 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/647/21 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 20-11-1944 |
End Date | 20-11-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Mepal |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Homberg- to attack the Meerbeck oil plant. 183 Lancasters, all from 3 Group, 5 lost. G-H equipped raid but the weather conditions were stormy and many aircraft were not able to keep in close formation with the G-H aircraft. Bombing was consequently scattered. |
Reason for Loss | At about 15:00 hrs whilst on the bombing run, the starboard engine failed. The pilot was forced to lose height and he decided to feather the failed engine. The aircraft was forced to leave the formation but nevertheless succeeded in bombing the target. At 15:17 hrs the aircraft received a direct flak hit on the port wing and it is thought that the fuel tanks exploded. The Lancaster broke up in mid-air and a very violent spin developed. Flt Sgt Gray, the rear gunner, was knocked unconscious. When he regained consciousness the entire tail unit had broken away during the explosion and he was able to rotate the turret and bail out at 10000'. He stated that he saw no other parachutes during his descent. During his parachute drop at around 2000' he was shot at by German ground troops but was not hit. |