Lawton, William Ellemor
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | William Ellemor |
Surname | Lawton |
Gender | M |
Age | 24 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 19-04-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Ralph and Margaret Ann Lawton, of New Silksworth, Co. Durham. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LK790 |
Markings | MP-K |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 6. B. 15. |
Epitaph | ABSENT IN BODY, BUT PRESENT IN SPIRIT |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 197 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1565563 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 76 |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Behind old Main Guardroom, former Holme On Spalding Moor Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Pillar with inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | In Remembrance of the aircrew members from the UK,Australia,New Zealand,Canada and Norway,who gave their lives in the cause of freedom in operational sorties against the enemy from 76 Sqn 1941-1945 and to the ground personal who lost their lives by enemy |
Location | All Saints Church, Holme On Spalding Moor, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window and Roll of Honour within Wooden Box with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | S G Window In memory of 76 Sqn R.A.F / Roll of honour In memory of those members of 76 Sqn R.A.F who were killed on active service 1939-1954 |
Miscellaneous Information
Shot as the PoW column in which he was marching was strafed by Allied Typhoons . Date of crash 25/3/44 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/652/6 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/652/5 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 24-03-1944 |
End Date | 25-03-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Holme-on-Spalding-Moor |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 811 aircraft, 72 losses (8.9%). Known as the 'night of the strong winds', a very powerful wind from the north tended to push the aircraft south at every stage of the operation. As a result, the bomber stream became very scattered, allowing fighters to pick off stragglers, although 50 of the aircraft Lost were hit by flak. Around 20000 were bombed out but no industrial premises were hit. This was the last major raid on Berlin of the war. |
Reason for Loss | Crashed near Gatow, Germany |