Monday, June 29, 2009

Billy Lapham 1921 - 1942

RootsWeb's WorldConnect Project: LAPHAM one-name study:

"# Name: Wiliam George Webb Lapham 1
# Sex: M
# Birth: ABT 1921 in of Ayr Scotland




# Death: 25 JUN 1942 in Pilot Officer (Bomb Aimer) near Hanover , Germany
# Military Service: BEF JUN 1942 Pilot Officer (Bomb Aimer) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Service No: 121560 - 27. E. 9. BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY 1
# Burial: 25 JUN 1942 Soltau, Niedersachsen Germany 1"

Sources:
  1. Title: Commonwealth War Graves Commission http://www.cwgc.org/
The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Honeybourne:

Honeybourne Airfield opened 3/12/40 and was used for training Canadian pilots.

The Airfield closed in 1947. The runways have now reverted to farm land and part of the site is now an industrial park. The control tower is now a private dwelling.



"I am researching the Roll of Honour for my old school and one casualty was Pilot Officer E.L. Bedford. He took off from Honeybourne in a Whitley bomber belonging to 24 Operations Training Unit (OTU) on 24/25 June 1942 heading for Bremen. OTU's very often flew in missions with a/c crewed by trained crews.

The Whitley was a Mk V serial number Z 9441. The rest of the crew were: Pilot Officer J.A. Preston RCAF, Pilot Officer W.G.W. Lapham and Sergeants C.R. Robertson RCAF and A.E.Owen.

Any information please?

Phil Stanbridge"