Clifton, St James Church - Part 4
Robert Swan - 1596538
Robert Swan was born in Rotherham on 2 July 1925, only child of Robert Ernest Swan and Elsie May (nee Saunby) of 65 Broadway East, East Dene, Rotherham. Robert was educated Spurley Hey Central School and Rotherham College of Technology. He was training to be an architect and was employed by D B Jenkinson (Architect) Rotherham. Robert was a member of Rotherham YMCA.
He was called up in 1944 and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1596538. He became a Flight Engineer with the rank of Sergeant and flew on active service with 90 Squadron. This squadron was based at Tuddenham in Sufolk about 8 miles north-west of Bury St Edmunds and flew the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. On 2 February 1945 the squadron was tasked on a mission to Wiesbaden in Germany, part of a 495 Lancaster and 12 Mosquito force sent to the city. Robert Swan was part of the crew of the squadron Commanding Officer that night and flew in Lancaster serial number HK610 and squadron markings of WP-K. The aircraft was airborne at 20:52 but just 33 minutes into the sortie the plane was in collision with another 90 Squadron Lancaster, PD336. Out of control HK610 crashed with a full bomb load and exploded at Hengrave, 3 miles north west of Bury St Edmunds, killing all the crew. Robert Swan was 19 years old and his funeral service took place on Thursday 8 February 1945 at St James Church, Clifton with interment at Rotherham (Moorgate) Cemetery.
Notes
The other Lancaster PD336 managed to avoid crashing, although it was lost on a mission a few weeks later.
The other crew members of HK610 were:
W/C William Geoffrey Bannister RAF – 36022 - Pilot – aged 33
F/L Henry Arthur Wellington Williams RAFVR – 60770 - Navigator – aged 29
Sgt Alan Moore RAFVR – 1685098 - Bomb Aimer – aged 22
Sgt Jeffrey James Chidwick RAFVR - 1892895– Wireless operator/ air gunner – aged 19
Sgt George Leonard Webb RAFVR – 1813422 - Air Gunner - aged 20
W/O2 John Train RCAF – R/208304 - Air Gunner aged 20
Sgt Donald Frederick Luxford RAFVR – 1813498 – Air Gunner -aged 19
He was called up in 1944 and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1596538. He became a Flight Engineer with the rank of Sergeant and flew on active service with 90 Squadron. This squadron was based at Tuddenham in Sufolk about 8 miles north-west of Bury St Edmunds and flew the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. On 2 February 1945 the squadron was tasked on a mission to Wiesbaden in Germany, part of a 495 Lancaster and 12 Mosquito force sent to the city. Robert Swan was part of the crew of the squadron Commanding Officer that night and flew in Lancaster serial number HK610 and squadron markings of WP-K. The aircraft was airborne at 20:52 but just 33 minutes into the sortie the plane was in collision with another 90 Squadron Lancaster, PD336. Out of control HK610 crashed with a full bomb load and exploded at Hengrave, 3 miles north west of Bury St Edmunds, killing all the crew. Robert Swan was 19 years old and his funeral service took place on Thursday 8 February 1945 at St James Church, Clifton with interment at Rotherham (Moorgate) Cemetery.
Notes
The other Lancaster PD336 managed to avoid crashing, although it was lost on a mission a few weeks later.
The other crew members of HK610 were:
W/C William Geoffrey Bannister RAF – 36022 - Pilot – aged 33
F/L Henry Arthur Wellington Williams RAFVR – 60770 - Navigator – aged 29
Sgt Alan Moore RAFVR – 1685098 - Bomb Aimer – aged 22
Sgt Jeffrey James Chidwick RAFVR - 1892895– Wireless operator/ air gunner – aged 19
Sgt George Leonard Webb RAFVR – 1813422 - Air Gunner - aged 20
W/O2 John Train RCAF – R/208304 - Air Gunner aged 20
Sgt Donald Frederick Luxford RAFVR – 1813498 – Air Gunner -aged 19
Geoffrey Symonds - 1456322
Geoffrey Symonds was born in Chesterfield in the last quarter of 1922, second of seven children born to Reginald Symonds and his wife of three years Annie (nee Birley). The family moved to Rotherham in the 1930’s and lived at 256 Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton. He was employed by Montague Burton, High Street, Rotherham.
Geoffrey enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1941, service number 1456322, and became an air gunner with the rank of Warrant Officer. He spent two years as an instructor and was undertaking his training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit for operational duties when he was killed on 15 October 1944. On this day he was the rear gunner, part of the crew of a Handley Page Halifax mk V with serial number DK116 and unit marking of GG-Z. The aircraft took off from Sandtoft, which is situated between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, at 17:45 on a night cross-country training flight. While flying at 12,000 feet, the port inner caught fire and the crew were unable to quell, or control, the flames as they spread towards the fuselage. Three managed to bale out from the stricken aircraft but four of the crew stayed with the aircraft as the rear gunner who had difficulty in escaping from his turret. The Halifax smashed into the heavily wooded Copreston Fell on Glendhu Hill in Kielder Forest (official records show the site as 55.10N 02.40W and the time of the crash as 22:30). Notes The other crew members were: P/O Herbert George Haddrell 184184 (pilot) – aged 30 – killed Sgt John Nielsen 1583156 (flight engineer) – aged 21 – killed F/S John Mahoney 1800604 (navigator) – baled out (injured) Sgt Reid (wireless operator) – baled out Sgt Hammond (air gunner) – baled out W/O Maurice Frederick James 1443034 (wireless operator) - aged 22 - killed F/S Mahoney’s injuries were relatively slight and he later joined 170 Squadron. On 7-8 March 1945, he was killed when his Lancaster failed to return from Dessau. To this day there are still substantial amounts of debris at the crash site. |
John Henry Tindall
John Henry Tindall was born in Rotherham on 19 March 1919, to John Henry Tindall and Louisa (nee Clarke) who had married in 1906. In 1911 his parents, and their then three children, were living at 31 Grosvenor Road. John want to the Cranworth Road School and later the family was to live at
15 Sheridan Drive, Herringthorpe.
John Henry enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1936, service number D/SSX 19771 and served two years on aircraft carriers. In 1940, for the Norway Campaign he was serving on HMS Glorious. Glorious was a Courageous-class cruiser completed in late 1916. After serving in the First World War it was paid off, but was rebuilt as an aircraft carrier during the 1920’s. In WWII she supported operations in Norway in May and June 1940. As part of the withdrawl 20 RAF fighters had flown on for transport to the UK, in addition to her fighters and 5 torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm, HMS Glorious then departed for the UK. On 8 June 1940 she sailed independently with the destroyer escorts, HMS Acasta and HMS Ardent for Scapa Flow. Glorious reduced speed to 17 knots and, in an
attempt to confuse enemy submarines, commenced zigzag. By 16:00 Glorious was in the fourth degree of readiness, i.e. at cruising stations, steaming at 17 knots on 12 of her 18 boilers. No aircraft were ranged on deck, nor were any in the air. Ardent and Acasta were disposed two cables (440 metres) on either bow. None of the ships were fitted with radar and the carrier had no lookout in her crow's nest. The sea was calm, with wind force 2-3 (approximately 6.5 knots) from the northwest, sea temperature
34°F (I°C), visibility unlimited. Two strange ships were sighted on the western horizon shortly after 16:00. Ardent was ordered to close and identify them, and a pipe was made for five Swordfish to be ranged on the flight deck. Action Stations sounded about 16:20. The two ships were the German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst who had sighted smoke on the eastern horizon at 15:46, and altered course to close the enemy. By 16:36 Gneisenau was making 30.5 knots and Scharnhorst was making 29 knots. Scharnhorst initially in the leading position, opened fire on Glorious at 16:32, range 28,600 yards (over 16 miles) and Gneisenau opened fire at 16:46. In
accordance with instructions from Glorious, Ardent closed the enemy ships flashing a challenge on her searchlight and was fired on. Ardent withdrew, firing torpedoes, one of which was seen to pass close ahead of the Scharnhorst. Both destroyers made smoke to screen the Glorious. This smoke was effective enough to force the Germans to cease fire from about 16:58 to 17:20. Glorious received her first hit at 16:38 from Scharnhorst's third salvo. The 11 inch shell penetrated the flight deck and burst in the upper hangar starting a large fire. Splinters pierced a boiler casing and smoke entered air intakes. This caused a temporary drop in steam pressure from two boilers, but pressure was built up again as the smoke cleared. Further hits were obtained after 17:20 as the carrier once again became visible through the smoke of the screening destroyers. At 16:56, just before the Germans ceased fire due to screening smoke, a hit on the homing beacon wrecked the bridge, killing the captain and almost all of
the bridge personnel. The Executive Officer assumed command of the ship. About 17:20 a hit in the centre engine room shook the whole ship, which thereafter began to lose speed, developed a starboard list, and commence a slow circle to port. The Germans ceased fire at about 17:40, and Glorious sank at about 18:10.
John Henry Tindall is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and was 21 years old. (CWGC lists him as being 24)
15 Sheridan Drive, Herringthorpe.
John Henry enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1936, service number D/SSX 19771 and served two years on aircraft carriers. In 1940, for the Norway Campaign he was serving on HMS Glorious. Glorious was a Courageous-class cruiser completed in late 1916. After serving in the First World War it was paid off, but was rebuilt as an aircraft carrier during the 1920’s. In WWII she supported operations in Norway in May and June 1940. As part of the withdrawl 20 RAF fighters had flown on for transport to the UK, in addition to her fighters and 5 torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm, HMS Glorious then departed for the UK. On 8 June 1940 she sailed independently with the destroyer escorts, HMS Acasta and HMS Ardent for Scapa Flow. Glorious reduced speed to 17 knots and, in an
attempt to confuse enemy submarines, commenced zigzag. By 16:00 Glorious was in the fourth degree of readiness, i.e. at cruising stations, steaming at 17 knots on 12 of her 18 boilers. No aircraft were ranged on deck, nor were any in the air. Ardent and Acasta were disposed two cables (440 metres) on either bow. None of the ships were fitted with radar and the carrier had no lookout in her crow's nest. The sea was calm, with wind force 2-3 (approximately 6.5 knots) from the northwest, sea temperature
34°F (I°C), visibility unlimited. Two strange ships were sighted on the western horizon shortly after 16:00. Ardent was ordered to close and identify them, and a pipe was made for five Swordfish to be ranged on the flight deck. Action Stations sounded about 16:20. The two ships were the German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst who had sighted smoke on the eastern horizon at 15:46, and altered course to close the enemy. By 16:36 Gneisenau was making 30.5 knots and Scharnhorst was making 29 knots. Scharnhorst initially in the leading position, opened fire on Glorious at 16:32, range 28,600 yards (over 16 miles) and Gneisenau opened fire at 16:46. In
accordance with instructions from Glorious, Ardent closed the enemy ships flashing a challenge on her searchlight and was fired on. Ardent withdrew, firing torpedoes, one of which was seen to pass close ahead of the Scharnhorst. Both destroyers made smoke to screen the Glorious. This smoke was effective enough to force the Germans to cease fire from about 16:58 to 17:20. Glorious received her first hit at 16:38 from Scharnhorst's third salvo. The 11 inch shell penetrated the flight deck and burst in the upper hangar starting a large fire. Splinters pierced a boiler casing and smoke entered air intakes. This caused a temporary drop in steam pressure from two boilers, but pressure was built up again as the smoke cleared. Further hits were obtained after 17:20 as the carrier once again became visible through the smoke of the screening destroyers. At 16:56, just before the Germans ceased fire due to screening smoke, a hit on the homing beacon wrecked the bridge, killing the captain and almost all of
the bridge personnel. The Executive Officer assumed command of the ship. About 17:20 a hit in the centre engine room shook the whole ship, which thereafter began to lose speed, developed a starboard list, and commence a slow circle to port. The Germans ceased fire at about 17:40, and Glorious sank at about 18:10.
John Henry Tindall is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial and was 21 years old. (CWGC lists him as being 24)
Frank Walker - D/JX 570763
Frank Walker was born in Rotherham on 10 July 1925 and was baptised at Rotherham Parish Church on 2 August 1925. He was the second child, he had an older brother and three older step-sisters, of Arnold Walker and his wife of two years Edith (nee Ibbottson). Frank went to Spurley Hey school and was later employed at the Parkgate Forge.
He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1943 and was an Ordinary Seaman, service number D/JX 570763. After serving on the destroyer HMS Savage he was posted to the minesweeper HMS Hussar. In August 1944 HMS Hussar along with Britomart, Jason and Salamander were assigned to the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla (1MF), they were employed in the channel and off the Normandy beaches supporting the invasion. They were clearing German minefields and opening up routes to the ports. On the afternoon of 27 August 1944 they were sweeping off Cap d'Antifer in preparation for the battleship Warspite and the monitors Erebus and Roberts to engage Le Havre coastal artillery which was delaying the advance of Canadian troops. The headquarters officer assigning 1MF neglected to inform the Flag Officer British Assault Area, who was responsible for defending the invasion beaches from attacks by E-boats operating out of Le Havre. The 1MF was observed on the south-westerly leg of the minesweeping operation and assumed to be German ships proceeding to attack allied shipping off the invasion beaches. The admiral's staff requested the Royal Air Force to attack the ships with Typhoons from 263 and 266 Squadrons. The squadrons reacted with 16 Typhoons armed with 20mm cannons and high-explosive 60lb RP-3 unguided rockets. The RAF pilots identified the target as being friendly, but upon questioning their order were told there were no Royal Naval ships in the area. In a well executed attack out of the sun at 13:30 the Typhoons sank both Hussar and Britomart, and so badly damaged Salamander that it was not economical to repair. Eventually the aircraft were contacted and ceased the attack, but not before 86 sailors had been killed in this friendly fire incident. Frank Walker, aged 19 was one of those lost, and is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. |