1397358 – Richard Gore Amory – British Guiana (Guyana) – Flight Sergeant – 100 Sqn RAF – KIA

Service Number: 1397358

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve   100 Sqdn.

Date of Death:  Died 21 July 1944 (navigator on Lancaster ND413)

Age 22 years old

Buried or commemorated at Cambridge City Cemetery, United Kingdom – Grave 14169.

Son of Arthur Alexander and Ellen Louisa Amory, of Georgetown, British Guiana.

Circumstances of death  http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=715: Lancaster III, ND413 took off 2355 20 July 1944 from Grimsby to bomb railway facilities in tactical support of the Normandy Battle Area. Homebound emerged from low cloud and crashed 0330 21 July 1944 at Aylesby 6 miles W of Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire.

[Courtesy AD]

2218972 – Karlton Delroy Baracatt – Jamaica – Sergeant – 158 Squadron RAF – Flight Engineer

Enlisted Padgate after October 1942

Wounded in Action

Nationality British
Fate Injured
Incident Details Crashed at Knodishall, Suffolk
Incident Date 21-22/02/1945
Incident Time 17:26
Rank Sergeant
Duty Location Worms
Service Royal Air Force
Station RAF LISSETT   (6 miles SW of Bridlington)
Squadron 158 Squadron
Crew Sgt K D Baracatt  [Flight Engineer]
Command Bomber Command
Aircraft Mark  III
Aircraft Code NP-Y
Aircraft Type Halifax
Aircraft Serial MZ813

Sgt. K. D. Baracatt, fifth from left.

From the website Aircrew Remembered: Halifax Mk.III MZ813, NP-Y from 158 Squadron took off at 17:26 hours for an attack on Worms, Germany. Aircraft crashed at 19:45 hours near Leiston, Suffolk, killing four crewmembers.
Read more on http://aircrewremembered.com/hampshire-rj.html

[Courtesy AD]

1390726 – Celso Lima de Freitas – Warrant Officer

Celso de Freitas joined the Royal Air Force in 1940, and went into action as· a Sergeant-Observer. He took part in the now famous thousand-bomber raids on Cologne and Essen, and during a similar raid on Hamburg his plane was one of those which failed to return. On the way home both engines on one side of the giant bomber were shot away, and the pilot had to make a crash landing. The crew were badly shaken, but managed to get out of their plane and set it on fire; they were taken prisoner only a few miles from the coast.

[Source: Saint Stanislaus Magazine, april 1943] Read more

He was one of the first to sign up from BG. His brother Arlindo de Freitas also signed up shortly afterwards.

Celso is one of the unfortunate prisoners of war who have been put in chains, and in a recent letter he speaks of the new experience of receiving Holy Communion in chains.
Mr. De Freitas was second only to South African, Billy Wade, in cricket batting averages in the POW camps and his style was later compared to Sir Colin Cowdrey. Cricket was going on in the POW camps as exercise and territorial rivalries led to informal “Tests”.  He is mentioned on pages 86/87 of this fascinating document which is a great read. https://www.lamsdorf.com/uploads/6/4/2/7/6427590/cricket.pdf

Celso was head of the British Guiana Volunteer Force (as its Lieutenant Colonel) in the run up to Guyanese independence. His small volunteer corps played a major role in quelling and preventing the political rioting which led up to the independence elections. He received an OBE (Mil) – a military OBE – for his efforts.

[Courtesy: Paul de Freitas]

Aircrew of No.15 Squadron in front of Short Stirling I, December 1941. Celso de Freitas is last row, second from left. (Click to enlarge)

[Source: History of War]

Flight Sgt Navigator, 1397411, flying Mosquito no 739, when he crashed (there may have been a change to his service no after his commision)

Frederick Thomas WESTON was born on the 9th November 1908. He was educated at Cardiff University gaining  B.A Hons in French and Education. He served as assistant master at Wallingford grammar school before being appointed as Master at Queen’s College Georgetown where he remained for 6 years.Known as”Taffy” and described as”the greatest all rounder” the College ever had. During his time at Queens he introduced swimming sports revived boxing and became Scoutmaster to the 27th Q.C.scouts. He also became Commisioner for Scouts for Guyana,served on the Boxing Board of Control and became Scout Commisioner for Guyana and represented Guyana at rugby football. He left Guyana in 1941 to return to Britain to serve with the RAFVR in WW2. Throughout his service he wore the British Guyana name on the shoulder of his uniform,wearing it on the day that his plane crashed killing him and his pilot Barney Joblin on 31st August 1943. It was always his intention to return to Guyana after the war to further his carreer at Queens. The pupils and staff at Queens bestowed on him the great honour of naming one of the new school houses after him,”Weston House”. Although not a native Guyanese he carried Guyana in his heart to the grave.

[Source: Fred Weston]

R108843 – F/S – 405 Squadron – KOAS (Killed on active service: possible training accident)
Yorkshire aircraft

[Sources: RCAF Casuality list 442, CWGC, courtesy Alieneyes]

Sergeant – RCAF – R135114

[Source: CMHA]

W/O – 76 squardron – Halifax EB253 MP-C – KIA 23 sept. 1943

[Sources: Chorley, CWGC; courtesy Alieneyes]

[Trinidad Guardian 18 January 1944 – Courtesy Jerome Lee, CMHA]

More information on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial:  https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1802667

1386903 – Geoffrey A. Welch – F/S – Pilot – 38 sqn – Wellington – KIA 12.01.1943

WELCH, GEOFFREY A. Initials: G A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 38 Sqdn.Date of Death: 12/01/1943 Service No: 1386903 Additional information: Reported as Died on Active Service West India Circular issue May 1943 – from Bermuda. RAFCommands: Coastal Command, Wellington Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 7. E. 28.Cemetery: BENGHAZI WAR CEMETERY,LIBYA.

1389078 – Kenneth Andrew Way – F/S -Pilot – 149 Sqn – Stirling III – KIA 4.4.1943

WAY, KENNETH ANDREW Initials: K A  Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 149 Sqdn. Date of Death: 04/04/1943 Service No: 1389078 Additional information: Of British Guiana. Stirling III R9327 OJ-M Op. Kiel Airborne 2039 4 Apr 43 from Lakenheath. Cause of loss not established. Crashed 2257 at Obbekaer, 7 km ENE of Ribe, Denmark. All are buried in Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery.Sgt K.A.Way KIA Sgt N.MacLeod KIA Sgt J.Palmer KIA Sgt R.G.Woodfield KIA Sgt R.P.Bilham KIA Sgt E.G.King KIA Sgt W.E.Norman KIA Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: AIII. 7. 8. Cemetery: ESBJERG (FOURFELT) CEMETERY,DENMARK

Sgt Hugh A A Gobin, Navigator, RAFVR. From Trinidad. Enlisted 1942, qualified/promoted to Sgt in April 1944.

Trinidad Guardian, circa 5 October 1944.

[Courtesy J.A. Lee]

1810415. Hugh Gobin settled in London after the war. He died in 1961, aged 49.

[Source: AD]

 Trinidad Sunday Guardian, 18 March 1945