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Pilot Officer
Roland Bowen - RAFVR |
| P/O Roland
Bowen was serving on board Lancaster MK.III JA-925 coded GT-L
for an operation to Berlin on January 1/2, 1944. The aircraft
departed from Warboys at 0019hrs but was lost without a trace.
The crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
P/O Roland John Bowen, known
as "Lofty" was aged 23 and the son of Roland Arnes and
Elizabeth May Bowen of Bridgnorth, Shropshire.
The rest of the crew were:
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Name |
Service |
Age |
Hometown |
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S/L Rowland Fawcett -DFC |
RAF |
- |
Duncan, B.C,
Canada |
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F/S John Bell |
RAFVR |
22 |
Lancashire |
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P/O Geoffrey Vickers - DFC |
RAFVR |
22 |
Castleford, Yorkshire |
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P/O Percy Lyford - DFC |
RAFVR |
21 |
Willesden Green,Middx |
|
F/S George Headley |
RAFVR |
19 |
Hull |
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F/S Brinley Hinks |
RAFVR |
20 |
Abercynon,Glamorgan |
In the letter shown below
dated 31.1.1944, his father wrote to the family of another
crew member and friend of Roland's, Brinley Hinks's parents.
He tells of their shock and how difficult they are finding
the suspense as they wait for news. He says that they must
not give up hope as "John" used to say that he would try to
avoid capture and that if they were to come down in occupied
territory, the local people often hid RAF boys.
Sadly this was not to be.
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