South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War Two


Sergeant (Flight Engineer) 1819251 Henry GIBBS - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 78 Squadron


Killed in Action on 24th April 1944 aged 20

original grave for henry gibbs

Military History
   
Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial SWFHS Area Memorials
Benestroff Communal Cemetery Warwick (Eleanor Cross)
  Warwick St. Paul's
Action or Battle in which Killed or Wounded Warwick Avenue of Trees                          
Bomber Raid on Karlsruhe Germany  
  Date and Place Enlisted
Place of Death  March 1942
Benestroff, France  
  Medals
Other War Memorials 1939-45 Sta, Defence Medal & War Medals
Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln Air Crew Europe Star with France & Germany Bars
   

Circumstances Leading to Death

On 25th April 1944 Harry took off in Halifax Mark III LV958 / EY-0 from RAF Breighton in Yorkshire for operations over Karlsruhe, Germany. Over France the aircraft lost power and crashed, killing five of the seven crew. 

halifaxPhoto ©

Mission:

Took off 21:45 hrs 4 April 1944 from Breighton for operations against Karlsruhe, Germany. Order to bale out was issued at 20000 feet following failure of both port engines, crashing at Bénestroff, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France, just to the S of the railway leading from Metz to Sarrebourg roughly 10 km ESE of Morhange France. Perished with crew members;
RCAF Pilot Officer Theodore Phillip Bourque -Air Gunner
RAFVR Flying Officer James McCartney - Pilot
RAFVR Sergeant John Alfred Edward Skeat - Air Gunner
RAFVR Sergeant John Edward Waltham - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Survived Crash (POW);
RAFVR Flight Sergeant Norman Walter Brown
RAFVR Flight Officer Maurice M Holgate
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Bapitsm Date/Place
27 Apr 1923 in Warwick  
   
Parents Names Parents Abode
Charles and Sarah Gibbs         21 Hampton Street, Warwick
   
Schools Colleges
Westgate School ~
   
Address History Employment History                       
1923 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick  1939 - Garage Hand, Bath Garage, Leamington
1939 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick   
1942 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick   
   

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