Maltby - Panel 3 Left
William Gershom Noble - 45723
© IWM (CH 17300) Avro Manchester - from 207 Squadron
William Gershom Noble was born on 17 July 1914 in Darfield, his birth being registered in Barnsley. His parents Frank Noble and Catherine Emma (nee Dickinson) were married at Elsecar Parish Church on 21 May 1913, and then lived at 20 Doncaster Road, Darfield. His father who was a pipe fitter
joined the army in the First World War in 1916. The family moved to live on Maltby, where his father was a draper before his death in 1926. William was educated at Rotherham Grammar School. William was married in the last quarter of 1939, his marriage was registered in the Rother Valley district and lived at 204 Rotherham Road, Maltby with his wife’s family.
William enlisted in the Royal Air Force in January 1931 when he joined the 23rd entry of apprentices at RAF Cranwell to train as Instrument Makers or Wireless Operator Mechanics. His service number was 565284, although he later trained as a pilot and attained the rank of Sergeant. On 1 May 1941 he was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer and as a consequence his service number changed to 45723. He was stationed with 207 Squadron at Waddington just south of Lincoln, when on 17 September 1941 he was posted to 97 Squadron at Coningsby. The squadron flew the two engined Avro Manchester bomber. On 20 October 1941 he was pilot of one of eight aircraft of B Flight briefed in early afternoon for operations with an early take-off, this was to be his first mission with the Squadron. Their target was a railway junction at Bremen, and the weather was good except for low cloud and haze over target area. Three aircraft carried 4,000lb bombs and 4 x 500lb, the remainder carried 6 x 1,000lb. P/O Noble’s aircraft that night was a Manchester serial number L7462 with squadron markings of OF-Z, and was airborne at 18:30. All aircraft were reported as having bombed successfully. At 00:30 a message was received indicating that the wireless equipment was causing problems, this was the last that was heard of the aircraft and it’s crew was posted missing. On 4 November 1941, news came from Coltishall that the body of Sgt Hunt had been recovered from the sea, and a similar message was received from Martlesham Heath in respect of Sgt Redwood. Clearly the aircraft had crashed into the sea close to the coast. William Gershom Noble was 27 years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Note
The other members of the crew were:
Pilot: Flt/Sgt 402184 Lester Louis Harrison RNZAF, aged 26
Observer: Sgt 1185406 Arthur Francis George Redwood RAFVR, aged 21
Wireless Operator: Sgt 923092 Nigel Frederick Hunt RAFVR
Sgt 929438 Charles Caesar Kolar RAFVR, aged 21
F/O 79190 Lionel Abel John Mills DFC RAFVR, aged 24
Sgt 1056815 Robert Muirhead Colin Worthington RAFVR, aged 21
joined the army in the First World War in 1916. The family moved to live on Maltby, where his father was a draper before his death in 1926. William was educated at Rotherham Grammar School. William was married in the last quarter of 1939, his marriage was registered in the Rother Valley district and lived at 204 Rotherham Road, Maltby with his wife’s family.
William enlisted in the Royal Air Force in January 1931 when he joined the 23rd entry of apprentices at RAF Cranwell to train as Instrument Makers or Wireless Operator Mechanics. His service number was 565284, although he later trained as a pilot and attained the rank of Sergeant. On 1 May 1941 he was promoted to the rank of Pilot Officer and as a consequence his service number changed to 45723. He was stationed with 207 Squadron at Waddington just south of Lincoln, when on 17 September 1941 he was posted to 97 Squadron at Coningsby. The squadron flew the two engined Avro Manchester bomber. On 20 October 1941 he was pilot of one of eight aircraft of B Flight briefed in early afternoon for operations with an early take-off, this was to be his first mission with the Squadron. Their target was a railway junction at Bremen, and the weather was good except for low cloud and haze over target area. Three aircraft carried 4,000lb bombs and 4 x 500lb, the remainder carried 6 x 1,000lb. P/O Noble’s aircraft that night was a Manchester serial number L7462 with squadron markings of OF-Z, and was airborne at 18:30. All aircraft were reported as having bombed successfully. At 00:30 a message was received indicating that the wireless equipment was causing problems, this was the last that was heard of the aircraft and it’s crew was posted missing. On 4 November 1941, news came from Coltishall that the body of Sgt Hunt had been recovered from the sea, and a similar message was received from Martlesham Heath in respect of Sgt Redwood. Clearly the aircraft had crashed into the sea close to the coast. William Gershom Noble was 27 years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Note
The other members of the crew were:
Pilot: Flt/Sgt 402184 Lester Louis Harrison RNZAF, aged 26
Observer: Sgt 1185406 Arthur Francis George Redwood RAFVR, aged 21
Wireless Operator: Sgt 923092 Nigel Frederick Hunt RAFVR
Sgt 929438 Charles Caesar Kolar RAFVR, aged 21
F/O 79190 Lionel Abel John Mills DFC RAFVR, aged 24
Sgt 1056815 Robert Muirhead Colin Worthington RAFVR, aged 21
Douglas Archibald Oldale - 3320079
Edwin Payling - 126015
Edwin Payling was the son of William Payling and Hetty (nee Newberry), his birth being registered in Doncaster in the third quarter of 1909. His parents later lived at 175 Highfield Park, Maltby. Edwin was married in 1932 in Rotherham.
Edwin joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with service number 1288438, upon commissioning on 14 July 1942 from Leading Aircraftman to Pilot Officer his
service number changed to 126015. He trained as a navigator and served with 408 Squadron of Bomber Command, part of 6 Group under the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 14 January 1943, and was based at Leeming, Yorkshire. A few months after the squadron had converted to the four engined Handley Page Halifax bomber, the squadron together with 419 Squadron put up 22 Halifaxes on the night of 29/30 January 1943. They were joined from the Group by 40 Wellingtons from 420, 424, 425, 426, and 427 Squadrons on an attack on the dock area of Lorient, France. The crews encountered severe icing and bad weather over the target resulting in bombing being scattered. F/O Payling was part of the crew of Halifax HR662 coded EQ-H which was airborne at 16:56 from Leeming. The aircraft was lost on this mission and was the first crew to be reported missing from the squadron since its conversion from Hampdens. The cause of loss and crash-site not established, but it resulted in the deaths of all seven on board. Edwin Payling was 33 years old, he and the rest of the crew are buried in Guidel Communal Cemetery, 10 kilometres north-west of Lorient.
Note
Other Crew members of Halifax HR662:
P/O T C Roux- 80412 - RAFVR, Pilot, aged 29
Sgt F A Cavadino – 573801 – RAF, Flight Engineer, aged 19
Sgt J Rostron –1029458 – RAFVR, Navigator/Air Bomber, aged 30
Sgt W K Barton – 1177728 - RAFVR, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner
P/O R G Brinkworth – RAFVR, Air Gunner, aged 28
Sgt J D Adam – 655432 - RAF, Air Gunner, aged 26
Edwin joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with service number 1288438, upon commissioning on 14 July 1942 from Leading Aircraftman to Pilot Officer his
service number changed to 126015. He trained as a navigator and served with 408 Squadron of Bomber Command, part of 6 Group under the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 14 January 1943, and was based at Leeming, Yorkshire. A few months after the squadron had converted to the four engined Handley Page Halifax bomber, the squadron together with 419 Squadron put up 22 Halifaxes on the night of 29/30 January 1943. They were joined from the Group by 40 Wellingtons from 420, 424, 425, 426, and 427 Squadrons on an attack on the dock area of Lorient, France. The crews encountered severe icing and bad weather over the target resulting in bombing being scattered. F/O Payling was part of the crew of Halifax HR662 coded EQ-H which was airborne at 16:56 from Leeming. The aircraft was lost on this mission and was the first crew to be reported missing from the squadron since its conversion from Hampdens. The cause of loss and crash-site not established, but it resulted in the deaths of all seven on board. Edwin Payling was 33 years old, he and the rest of the crew are buried in Guidel Communal Cemetery, 10 kilometres north-west of Lorient.
Note
Other Crew members of Halifax HR662:
P/O T C Roux- 80412 - RAFVR, Pilot, aged 29
Sgt F A Cavadino – 573801 – RAF, Flight Engineer, aged 19
Sgt J Rostron –1029458 – RAFVR, Navigator/Air Bomber, aged 30
Sgt W K Barton – 1177728 - RAFVR, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner
P/O R G Brinkworth – RAFVR, Air Gunner, aged 28
Sgt J D Adam – 655432 - RAF, Air Gunner, aged 26
Kenneth Peat - 623243
Kenneth Peat was born in Doncaster in the second quarter of 1916, he was the youngest child of Alfred Peat and Eliza (nee Boot), who had been married 20 years. Alfred Peat, who was a chargeman at Wath Colliery, and his family lived in Brampton Bierlow. Later on the family lived at 138 Muglet Lane, Maltby..
Kenneth enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 623243, and became a Sergeant with 242 Squadron. In December 1941 the squadron moved
to Singapore arriving in January 1942. The situation was desperate and it had to move to Java where the squadron collapsed through lack of spares. Kenneth was taken prisoner following the Japanese expansionist invasions in south-east Asia. He died on 19 June 1943, aged 26 years old and was buried in Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia.
Kenneth enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 623243, and became a Sergeant with 242 Squadron. In December 1941 the squadron moved
to Singapore arriving in January 1942. The situation was desperate and it had to move to Java where the squadron collapsed through lack of spares. Kenneth was taken prisoner following the Japanese expansionist invasions in south-east Asia. He died on 19 June 1943, aged 26 years old and was buried in Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia.
John Lyndon Powell - 998039
John Lyndon Powell was born on 8 August 1914 in Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales son of Alfred John Powell and his wife of 11 years Elizabeth Jane (nee Down). His parents lived at 32 Under Houses, Somerset Street, Abertillery with John's older siblings. His father worked in the local coal mine where he was a haulier working underground. In 1925 the family moved to Yorkshire, where his father died in 1927.
Jack as he was known by his family enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 998039, and attained the rank of Sergeant. He was an Air Gunner with Bomber Command and his final training was with1667 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Faldingworth in Lincolnshire. On 30 December 1943 he and his crew were posted to 550 Squadron at North Killingholme to fly the Lancaster heavy bomber. They had only flown a handful of missions before the fateful night of 25 February 1944. He was part of the crew of a Lancaster mk I serial number ME582, with squadron markings of BQ-E which was airborne from its base at 18:28. The aircraft was part of a force of 594 aircraft - 461 Lancasters, 123 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - on the first large raid to Augsburg in the south of Germany. ME582 crashed near Liesse (Aisne), 15 km NE of Laon, France, resulting in the death of all seven members of the crew. John Lyndon Powell was 29 years old and is buried in Liesse Communal Cemetery along with the rest of his crew.
Jack as he was known by his family enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 998039, and attained the rank of Sergeant. He was an Air Gunner with Bomber Command and his final training was with1667 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Faldingworth in Lincolnshire. On 30 December 1943 he and his crew were posted to 550 Squadron at North Killingholme to fly the Lancaster heavy bomber. They had only flown a handful of missions before the fateful night of 25 February 1944. He was part of the crew of a Lancaster mk I serial number ME582, with squadron markings of BQ-E which was airborne from its base at 18:28. The aircraft was part of a force of 594 aircraft - 461 Lancasters, 123 Halifaxes, 10 Mosquitos - on the first large raid to Augsburg in the south of Germany. ME582 crashed near Liesse (Aisne), 15 km NE of Laon, France, resulting in the death of all seven members of the crew. John Lyndon Powell was 29 years old and is buried in Liesse Communal Cemetery along with the rest of his crew.