Sergeant George Kirkpatrick -  49 Squadron  
   

Sergeant George Edward Kirkpatrick  - RAFVR

 

 Sergeant George Kirkpatrick was serving as an Air Gunner on board Lancaster Mk.III JB701 coded EA-G during an operation to bomb to Stuttgart on the night July 28/29 1944. The aircraft left Fiskerton at 2223hrs and crashed  between the villages of St-Martin-sur-Oreuse and La Chapelle sur Oreuse in l’Yonne, northern France, killing the entire crew. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Powell managed to avoid any civilian casualties by bringing the Lancaster down at the side of the road connecting the two villages.

The crew consisted of:

Name Service Trade Hometown  Age
F/L William Powell  RAFVR Pilot Croydon 22
Sgt John West  RAFVR Flight Engineer Altrincham,Cheshire 29
F/O Geoffrey Franklin  RAFVR Navigator Lampeter,Cardiganshire 31
F/O Albert Cole  RAFVR Bomb Aimer Hastings 21
Sgt Donald Stephens  RAFVR W/Op/AG Truro,Devon 20
Sgt George Kirkpatrick  RAFVR Air Gunner Sutton in Ashfield,Notts 30
Sgt Thomas Moore*  RAFVR Air Gunner - -

*Sergeant Moore replaced Sergeant Ian Mitchell on this mission.

 Sergeant George Edward “Ted” Kirkpatrick was the son of John & Marguerite Fitzpatrick, husband of Hilda of Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and father of Bob and Mike.

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The Crew of JB701

Back Row: (l to r) Sgt John West,FO Geoffrey Franklin,FOAlbert Cole,Sgt Ian Mitchell(replaced by Thomas Moore on the fatal mission).Front row.Left to right.Sgt George Kirkpatrick, F/L William Powell, Sgt Donald Stephens

 

 All of the crew rest in the communal cemetery at St-Martin-sur-Oreuse. On July 31st 2004, a memorial was erected in memory of the crew of JB701at St.-Martin-sur-Oreuse after the hard work, research and dedication by Jean-Luc Prieur. Members of the Fitzpatrick family were in attendance.

Photo courtesy of Bob Leader (nephew) & the Fitzpatrick family, research by Linda Ibrom.