[SIZE=10.5pt]Dear members,[/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]I am seeking for information on Flight Sergeant Gordon Ernest Vernon, RAF Volunteer Reserve. He and his six crewmembers lost their lives after a bombing raid on Oberhausen on November 1st, 1944. Their plane was downed on the way home by Oblt. Johannes Hager and crashed on the outskirts of Sint Joost, the Netherlands. For the last eight or so years I have been trying to reconstruct their ill-fated maiden sortie and the lives of these men, but I get stuck at F/Sgt Vernon. He was the only Brit in his crew (rest was Canadian), so archival research is sadly impossible for third parties.[/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]Gordon was the only married crewmember (spouse: Mrs. Irene F. R. Vernon), and from an interview with an eyewitness who saw the plane come down in flames I learned that they probably had two daughters. Several documents, including a picture of a woman with two little girls, were recovered from the bodies by the German soldier who buried the crew the day after the crash (he was billeted in the house of this eyewitness at the time). She very vividly remembers this photo. Sadly these documents were all lost during the liberation of St. Joost on January 21st, 1945, when a Churchill Crocodile Flamethrower set their house ablaze; barely making it out in time. From the few documents I was able to look into I found out that Gordon was from Wimbleton Park, London. Mrs. Vernon moved to Eastbourne, Sussex, after the war. [/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]I am looking for information such as: date/place of birth, what he did prior to his service time (e.g. education/work/hobbies), date/place of enlistment, where he had his training, etc. etc. The only other additional bit of information I have is that he (and three other crewmembers) was a member of the Caterpillar Club. He earned his membership after the pilot lost control of the plane during a cross-country training flight and ordered his men to bail out. After the first four got out he regained control and safely landed the kite. [/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]The crew of Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.III, MZ376, QB-K of No. 424 Squadron, RCAF:[/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]Pilot: P/O Avron Jacobs (J88163), age 20 [/SIZE] Air Bomber: P/O William James Cameron Gibson (J95158), age 20 Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: P/O Robert James Kay (J95365), age 20 Air Gunner (Tail): F/Sgt Harold Wallace Botterill (R196196), age 21 [SIZE=10.5pt]Air Gunner (Mid-Upper): P/O Walter Yunsko (J95475), age 23 [/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]Flight Engineer: F/Sgt Gordon Ernest Vernon (1880548), age 28 [/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]Navigator: F/O James Fraser (J37166), age 34 [/SIZE] [SIZE=10.5pt]Any help is greatly appreciated![/SIZE]
Hi Ivo I would suggest you add some tags to the thread so that other members will be able to pick up your post more easily. If you 'edit' your first post above then select 'Use Full Editor' then you can add tags such as his name, service (RAF/RCAF), 424 Squadron etc. TD
His headstone has no additional information: Ivo, how do you know he was 28 years old? The CWGC website doesn't mention his age.
England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916-2005 about Gordon E Vernon Name: Gordon E Vernon Mother's Maiden Surname: Lake Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1916 Registration district: Kingston Inferred County: Kent Volume Number: 2a Page Number: 667 VERNON, GORDON ERNEST Rank: Sergeant Trade: Flt. Engr. Service No: 1880548 Date of Death: 01/11/1944 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 424 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference IV. E. 12. Cemetery NEDERWEERT WAR CEMETERY England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005 about Gordon E Vernon Name: Gordon E Vernon Spouse Surname: Frier Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1944 Registration district: Surrey North Eastern Inferred County: Surrey Volume Number: 2a Page Number: 188 Find Spouse: Find Spouse England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005 about Irene F R Frier Name: Irene F R Frier Spouse Surname: Vernon Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1944 Registration district: Surrey North Eastern Inferred County: Surrey Volume Number: 2a Page Number: 188 Find Spouse: Find Spouse Probate 1947 29 Jan VERNON Gordon Ernest of 29 Melrose-avenue Wimbledon Park London SW19 died on or since 1 November 1944 on war service Administration Lewes 29 January to Irene Frances Rose Vernon widow. Effects £230 4s 8d. Searching for Vernon's born 1944/1945 with a mothers maiden name of Frier provides zero results - perhaps the children you speak of are from her second marriage (if there was one) TD
Thanks for the help thus far! I obtained some 2000 documents from the Canadian archive related to the (Canadian) crewmembers. I believe his age was mentioned in one of these documents (can't find it right away). They can't be from a second marriage as this picture was found on one of the bodies on November 2nd, 1944. I know it is highly unlikely, but perhaps they had children prior to their marriage? I will add some tags to the post (thanks for mentioning).
Many thanks, Geoff! It wouldn't make much sense though if they were indeed her children. I'll keep searching for a possible explanation for this picture.
