Name: KING, CHARLES PARNELL
Initials: C P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Air Bomber)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 9 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 26/06/1943
Service No: 1383417
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: British Plot 2. Grave 4.
Cemetery: HARDERWIJK GENERAL CEMETERY

Lancaster ED831 Mission to Gelsenkirchen

T/O 22.30 from Bardney. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at 02.19 into the IJsselmeer off Hoorn (Holland). All are buried in various Dutch Cemetries. F/O Sams, whose body was washed ashore 5th July 1943, was a graduate from Oxford University, and had reported to the Squadron from 1660 HCU on the day of the operation and was flying as second piot.

S/L A M Hobbs DFC RNZAF
F/O J H Sams (P2)
Sgt F W Sanderson
Sgt K G Mott
Sgt C P King
Sgt E C Bishop
Sgt W C Rowlands
F/Sgt W Slater

[Source: www.WW2chat.com]

The Barbados Second Contingent
Back row: C.P. King, J.S. Partridge, A.A. Walrond, J.L.L. Yearwood, M.R. Cuke, E.W. Barrow – Front row: G.D. Cumberbatch, A.P.C. Dunlop, H.E.S. Worme, G.A. Barrow, A.O. Weekes, B.F.H. Miller.

Subsequently killed were: Sgt. Charles Parnell King, Sgt. Arthur Adolphus Walrond, Pilot Mark Radford Cuke, Sgt. Grey Doyle Cumberbatch, Flying Officer Andrew P.C. Dunlop, Pilot Officer Bruce F.H. Miller

The First Contingent, the Harold Wright Contingent as is became known, sailed 27th July 1940 and was recruited for the forces generally. However, the Second Contingent were recruited for the RAF and departed Barbados in November 1940. The 12 men selected included Errol W. Barrow, who would survive the war, enter politics and eventually become Barbados’ first Prime Minister (1966-1976)

[Source: Barbados at War 1939-1945 by Warren Alleyne, privately published 1999, p.9]

In 2008 the Barbados Postal Service issued a set of stamps commemorating their men who served in the Royal Air Force in WW2. More »

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Charles Parnell KING, was in the first batch of Barbadians to depart the Island for the UK as a RAF trainee Air crew.
He wa enlisted as an Air Gunner,Aftertraining received his Brevet and and was posted to an OTU,after completing the course was posted to a Bomber Squadron. He flew several ops until eventually was shot down over Holland and is buried at ‘Hardvic’ (Harderwijk?) Holland.

Little more is known of his career as the Family left  these Shores before I retuned Home from The UK.
He was a cousin to DSB Davies.

DSW Deane cousin to the two mentioned above, enlisted in Trinidad and qualified as a Pilot. On arrival in the Uk he was attached to an OTU Special Observers Training School.

On an evening training Mission on coming to land. the runway had changed and the Pilotwas unable to gain sufficient hight and consequently  crashed in the nearby sea. ALL occupants died in the Crash.

David is buried in Blacon Military Cemetery

[Derek Davies]