Flight Sergeant Walter Burton - 51 Squadron  
   

Flight Sergeant Walter Matthew Burton   - RAF

 

Flight Sergeant Walter Matthew Burton  was serving as an Air Gunner on board Halifax Mk.BIII LV-952 coded MH-F  for an operation to Hanover on January 5/6 1945. The aircraft departed from Snaith at 1647hrs but was reported to crash at Leinhausen a short time later. Six of the crew, including F/Sgt Burton lost their lives, they are buried at the Hannover War Cemetery.

The rest of the crew were:

Name

Service

Hometown

Age

P/O Alan Leach

RAFVR

-

-

Sgt Peter Neale

RAFVR

Kingston on Thames

20

F/Sgt Jack Staples

RAFVR

-

-

F/Sgt William Bowen

RAFVR

Kentish Town, London

22

F/O Lionel Wilson

RAAF

Mayfield,N.S.W.

32

Sgt D. Thomsett - POW

RAFVR

-

-

 

Flight Sergeant Walter Matthew Burton RAF was the son of Charles and Lily Burton of  Horbury, Yorkshire. He was one of five brothers and one sister. He was the husband of Irene of Crigglestone, Wakefield, Yorkshire and father of Susan and Derek.

.

Walter and Irene Burton on their Wedding day

Prior to enlisting, Walter made tennis rackets at the nearby Slazenger factory in Horbury, Yorkshire. Sergeant D. Thomsett was the only survivor of the crash and became  a POW, in the post war years he remained friends with Walter’s wife till she passed away in 1992.

 

 

  
 

Photos courtesy of Susan Burton (daughter of F/Sgt Burton), research by Linda Ibrom