Derek Patfield had known Joe Whittaker for as long as he could remember. He and his eldest sister Edna grew up with Joe and his sister Deborah ,and their parents were firm friends. When Joe was killed during the second world war it was a pivotal moment for Derek. It set firm his determination to avenge the death of his friend. 

  Now aged 83, Derek comments: "A great friendship developed between the four of us,  Joe and Deborah were almost like a second brother and sister to my sister Edna and I. We loved going round to their house and their parents became uncle Frank and Auntie Eadie to us. Frank had rigged up a swing suspended from the ceiling in the kitchen and we often stayed to lunch.  Aunt Eadie would serve up a sweet broken-up cake, liberally covered with cold custard and cornflakes. I am still partial to custard and cornflakes to this day." 

 Derek and Edna grew up in Norfolk Street, Kings Lynn, Norfolk where their parents, Winifred and Percy, operated the Pats hotel and restaurant.  The Whittakers were close by in Railway Road. Derek's peacetime job was as an engineering draughtsman in Norwich, while Joe followed in the footsteps of his father, a master plasterer in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Even when the Patfields moved to Norwich, where Derek still lives, the bond was not broken and he used to cycle back to Kings Lynn to see his friend Joe and his family. Derek's sister Edna became a nurse during the war. Despite losing other friends and comrades during the course of the war Derek never forgot Joe, his childhood friend the following is a tribute not just to Joe but to all the other men who lost friends that they had grown up with and who died during the war.

Service with 150 Squadron

 Sergeant Joe Whittaker and the rest of his crew flying Wellington Mk.III serial number BJ- 881,took off from Snaith, Yorkshire at 2340 to attack Saabrucken on the night of 29th/30th July 1942. The mission was a success when almost 400 buildings were destroyed. Sadly, Joe Whittaker and the rest of the crew were lost when their Wellington crashed at Pihen-les-Guines in the Pas-de-Calais 10 kilometres south-west of Calais.

There were no survivors.

 The crew consisted of: S/L Lionel Rees Cohen  - Pilot, aged 29 (born in Sydney, Australia. Wife,Tenby,S.Wales) P/O Herbert John Ivory - Observor, aged 27 of Chard, Somerset,England. Sgt Alfred James  - Wireless operator/Air Gunner, aged 22 of Hoxton, London,England. Sergeant (Air Gunner) Joseph Frank(Joe) Whittaker aged 20 of Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England. Sergeant Desmond Albert York - Wireless operator/Air Gunner, aged 22 of Leicester, England. 

 The crew's regular skipper, F/O Jacobs, had been replaced by Squadron Leader Cohen on this mission. Sergeant Desmond York (s/n 1326506) is buried at Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Row C, Grave 22. Squadron Leader Lionel Cohen (s/n 39497) is buried at Pihen-Les-Guines war Cemetery Grave 1A6, he is also remembered on the Tenby Roll of Honour. Pilot Officer Herbert Ivory (s/n 112553) is buried at Pihen-Les-Guines War cemetery.Grave 1A4. Sergeant Alfred James (s/n 1260203) is buried at Pihen-Les-Guines War Cemetery.Grave 1A2. Sergeant Joe Whittaker (s/n 1202337) is buried at Pihen-Les-Guines War Cemetery, Grave 1A3.

Joe Whittaker's grave at Pihen-Les-Guines War Cemetery The Inscription fittingly reads: "Greater love no man know than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."

Footnote

 The pilot of Wellington BJ-881 for its final operation, S/L Lionel Rees Cohen, narrowly missed being interned by Ireland after a Hudson bomber he was ferrying to the UK from Canada made a forced landing in Ballyliffen in Donegal, Ireland. He was allowed to fly his aircraft out after it had been repaired. 

Authour's Notes

Grateful thanks to Mr. Derek Patfield for allowing use of his original photo, (veteran of 61 squadron, 5 Group, Bomber Command) of Norwich, England, Paul Long(150 squadron website), R.A.F. Commands. Thanks also to Dennis Burke-War Room website(www.skynet.ie/~dan/war) and  Hugh Halliday.

 For parties seeking more information please contact Linda Ibrom at cathogs2000@tiscali.co.uk