WoP
Harry Heald Bawden
Military Details
Service Number: 1478506
Regiment & Unit / Ship
31 (SAAF) Squadron
Service Branch
RAF
Enlisted
1st May 1942
Enlistment Details
Service Number at Enlistment
1478506
Service History
Sergeant Harry Heald Bawden, the Wireless Operator is from my local area of West Cumbria. If it is of interest, here is some additional information about him:
Prior to enlisting with the R.A.F. Harry Bawden had been a member of the local Air Cadets (Scawfell Squadron). After joining the R.A.F. he was stationed at Blackpool for a time, studied ju-jitsu and won the Judo Cup amateur trophy.
Personal Details
Date of Birth
1st April 1923
Place of Birth
Cleator
Address
Cleator
Parents
Robert & Elsie
Education and Occupation
School
Whitehaven County
Work Address
6 Old Hall, Cleator
Death and Memorial
Date of Death
13th October 1944
Age at Death
20
Circumstances of Death
On 12 October 1944 16 Liberators of 31 Squadron and 4 of 34 Squadron SAAF took off from Foggia and Celone on a supply dropping mission to Italian partisans in the mountains of northern Italy. There were 4 different drop zones with five planes allotted to each site. They took off in late afternoon knowing that they would be flying in the night as they approached the north.
The weather was bad with poor visibility and few crews were able to see the drop site fires so many drops were aborted. Of the 20 planes that set out 6 failed to return. Four crashed high in the mountains, one crashed near Cantalupa but the sixth, KH158, disappeared without trace. The wreckages of the crashed planes were eventually found but there was no news of the sixth Liberator
Place of Death
Italy
Theater of Action
Western Europe
Battalion/Vessel at Death
31 (S.A.A.F.) Squadron, RAFVR.
Rank at Death
Sgt.
Notes
Buried or Commemorated at
RAFVR Milan War Cemetery Italy
italy
Grave Position: Coll. grave VI. C. 12-15.
Private Memorial: Cleator War Memorial
Cleator Moor roll of honour
Whitehaven Grammar School WW2 memoria
Links & Resources
Stories from Cleator Moor
Read stories of the men and women from the Cleator Moor who fought in the World Wars. Got a story to tell? Please let us know and preserve the memories for generations to come.
Share & Read Stories