G.+BOWDEN

Sergeant (Air Gunner), 1528496, 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Died 14th July 1943 aged 20

Geoffrey, born in 1923, was the only son of John George (1895-1968) and Olive (née Hill, 1895-1963) Hill. He had three sisters, Florence (b. 1921), Iris (b. 1925) and Sylvia (b. 1931) with all the births registered in Basford, Nottinghamshire. His parents’ marriage was also registered there (where Olive had been born) which covers Ilkeston, and this was where Florence was born. By 1939, the family had moved to 65 Kirk Leys Avenue in Spondon.

According to the Derby Daily Telegraph of 9 November 1943, Geoffrey had been posted “missing” that June, but his parents had only just been informed by the International Red Cross that he was buried in Crooswijk General Cemetery, near Rotterdam in the Netherlands (since identified as plot LL, Row 2, Grave 51). He had been in the RAF since June 1941, having worked at Derby Co-operative Society previous to that. According to [|Ken Porter’s website], he was “killed in action when his Halifax II from 78 Squadron took off from RAF Breighton on the night of 13 July 1943 on an operation to Aachen, and due to enemy action crashed in the vicinity of Cologne.” However, a local [|Dutch website] gives a comprehensive account, stating that the aircraft crashed near Peursum, killing all six crew members.


 * Spondon**
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 * Spondon Liberal Club**
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