563426 F/Sgt Frederick George BERRY, DFM, MiD, Royal Air Force: 01/09/1940, Battle of Britain

Nick -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/CFE.jpg

= Tim

 

Tim

Thank you, it must have been an interesting experience to fly types that you had once fought against.

Having read the article in the NOTW and an account in The Few by Dilip Sarkar, I am surprised that Fred Berry had the time to contemplate such a manoeuvre whilst in the combat area, a brave man as well as a skillful pilot.

Regards,

Nick

 

Please see links below with kind permission from Timmo


Battle of Britain hero Wing Commander John Francis Durham Elkington, 1 Squadron, West Sussex, Hurricanes | News Of The World

johnelkington.com - influences - people - battle of britain.

 

Hi Timmo and a belated welcome to the forum from me,

Can I trouble you for some information please - My question is in relation to the parachutes used by the RAF in 1940 and specifically to the term 'cocked parachutes'.

I have posted the link below and if you click on it hopefully my query will be self explanitory.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/weapons-technology-equipment/25085-raf-aircrew-parachute-cocked-related-question.html

Once again welcome to the forum.

Kindest regards
Andy

 

Fred Berry

Tim Elkington

 

BERRY, FREDERICK GEORGE

Rank:
Flight Sergeant
Trade:
Pilot
Service No:
563426
Date of Death:
01/09/1940
Regiment/Service:
Royal Air Force

1 Sqdn.
Awards:
D F M
Grave Reference
Sec. G.5. Grave 92.
Cemetery
HARROW (PINNER) NEW CEMETERY

 

FG Berry's name on panel 1, column 4 (Bottom right) of the BOB Memorial at Capel le Ferne.

 

Firstly let me introduce myself, My name is Quentin and I were brought up in Brisley farmhouse Upper ruckinge(formerly Luckhurst's farm). My elder brother and I would go into the fields and play on the old scrapheaps there. It was great fun and we would always come home with bits and pieces. It was what you did as boys. There was a kind of crater and in it was what we thought was farming junk and what we though was mostly car parts, dashbord dials and the like. It wasn't till I were researching the history of the house to start writing a book when I came about the story of Sgt. Frederick George Berry. It was only then when I recalled that some of these dials were marked with RR and there was also some parts that were more plane shaped then cars as well as there being aeroplane looking parts in the nearby calvert. I know that the main site crater was filled in quite some time ago but I am also sure that there is more parts out there to be found. On finding out this story of heroism it had put a strange chilling feeling that I have known about Frederick Berry for most of my life and were really not surprised about the great losses that developed around the Farm for certain reasons and totally left me intrigued and wishing to know more about that fateful day. When my parents bought our family to Brisley farmhouse in 1973 there were many strange happenings which went on and many of them totally unexplained. Whether you believe in the afterlife or not please hear me out as you will surely understand my need to find answers. The house would suddenly have the smell of oil in a certain room from no where, the cats and dogs would not enter it and would escape or go feral if left in there. There were strange apparitions and noises throughout and it was even a scary place after we had St. Pauls, London had to come and exorcise the house. A thunder storm then spread from the direction of the field of rest and knocked out all of the electric and the Exorcism was carried out in candle light. Still the cats or dogs would not go in even if the house was very much more rested.This is the truth as I know it. Please do not think I am a crank, my Mother and Family will verify this and stand on oath to it. My mother is a very renown fine arts artist and although I were a bit young to understand all of it, I knew what I saw. Thankyou for any light you can shed on this and I am only to pleased to help. yours QUENTIN GRUGEON

 

Brisleyboy,

Hello and welcome to the forum.

A good informative first post.

Regards
Tom

 

Brisleyboy,
hello and welcome


thank you for the information


regards
Clive

 

Flt.Sgt. Fred Berry. DFM., Boulogne 1940
Berry received his DFM for coming to the aid of the troopship, Lancastria. The Lancastria was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft, off the French coast near Boulogne, with great loss of life. 1 Squadron., RAF. was based in France at that time.





http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/ww2/berry1.htm

 

BERRY, FREDERICK GEORGE
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Trade: Pilot
Service No: 563426
Date of Death: 01/09/1940
Regiment/Service: 1 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
Awards: D F M
Grave Reference: Sec. G.5. Grave 92.
Cemetery: PINNER CEMETERY

 

Hello. Not sure if anyone will see or read this but I thought I would join this forum regarding Fred Berry as he is my wife's grandfather. My eldest son completed his basic training at RAF Halton last year, the same base where his great grandfather was one of the original HaltonBrats. To see my boy standing on the same parade ground that his grandfather graced so many years before filled me with great joy and pride.

 

Hello Paul
welcome to the forum
glad you found this thread
Just to let you know I keep an eye on the grave .It is quite weather worn but the name is still visible.

regards
Clive

 

Hi Paul.
You might find reading,Patrick Bishop, Battle of Britain,A Day By Day Chronicle.interesting.
Page 276-279, Theres a mention of 1 Squadron on 1st September 1940.(I'm currently reading it myself.)
best..........Graham.

 

Current picture of the grave 3/5/18

 

The next day he was "Top Weaver", (Tim Elkington)flying back and forth over the rest of the squadron to provide an early warning of enemy fighters, when they encountered 100 German aircraft. In the ensuing melée, he never saw the aircraft that riddled his plane with cannon shells - although, amazingly, his mother did. From nearby Hayling Island and quite unaware that her son was involved, she watched the lone Hurricane pursued by three Me. 109s. Tim's fuel tank exploded, peppering him with shrapnel.
Perhaps not what most people would think of as good luck. Yet his luck did hold. Unconscious as he drifted seawards in his parachute, he would certainly have drowned. Then his flight leader, Sergeant Berry*, achieved the extraordinary feat of blowing him back over land with his aircraft's slipstream. "
Flt Sergeant Berry plunged to the ground on September 1, before Tim could even thank him

 

1st September 1940

F/Sgt F.G. Berry killed. (Shot down by Bf109s during combat action over Kent)
1400hrs: Dungeness. Hurricane P5185. 253 Squadron Kenley

 

Thankyou for this now let’s get this right was it a heinkel 111 or. Ju 88 for this history books state the latter? They state the units they come from which all state it was a ju88,if it was a 111 many history books and sites will have to be altered and I was about to put my findings in of a junkers 88 with the actual photo of the four man crew who flew it ?

 

Have a look here

johnelkington.com - influences - people - battle of britain.