1456322 Warrant Officer Geoffrey Symonds
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 21
Geoffrey was born in Chesterfield in the last quarter of 1922. He was second of seven children born to Reginald Symonds and his wife of three years Annie (nee Birley). The family moved to Rotherham in the 1930's and lived at 256 Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton. He was still undertaking his training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit when he was killed on 15 October 1944.
Halifax M K V DK116
The aircraft took off from Sandtoft, which is situated between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, at 17:45 on a night cross-country training flight. While flying at 12,000 feet, the port inner caught fire and the crew were unable to quell, or control, the flames as they spread towards the fuselage. Three managed to bale out from the sticken aircraft but four of the crew stayed with the aircraft as the rear gunner who had difficulty in escaping from his turret. The Halifax smashed into the heavily wooded Copreston Fell on Glendhu Hill in Kielder Forest.
Crew on Board:
P/O 184184 (pilot)Herbert George Haddrell – aged 30 – killed
Sgt John Nielsen 1583156 (flight engineer) – aged 21 – killed
F/S John Mahoney 1800604 (navigator) – baled out (injured)
Sgt Reid (wireless operator) – baled out
W/O Maurice Frederick James 1443034 (wireless operator) - aged 22 - killed.
F/S Mahoney's injuries were relatively slight and he later joined 170 Squadron. On 7-8 March 1945.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 21
Geoffrey was born in Chesterfield in the last quarter of 1922. He was second of seven children born to Reginald Symonds and his wife of three years Annie (nee Birley). The family moved to Rotherham in the 1930's and lived at 256 Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton. He was still undertaking his training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit when he was killed on 15 October 1944.
Halifax M K V DK116
The aircraft took off from Sandtoft, which is situated between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, at 17:45 on a night cross-country training flight. While flying at 12,000 feet, the port inner caught fire and the crew were unable to quell, or control, the flames as they spread towards the fuselage. Three managed to bale out from the sticken aircraft but four of the crew stayed with the aircraft as the rear gunner who had difficulty in escaping from his turret. The Halifax smashed into the heavily wooded Copreston Fell on Glendhu Hill in Kielder Forest.
Crew on Board:
P/O 184184 (pilot)Herbert George Haddrell – aged 30 – killed
Sgt John Nielsen 1583156 (flight engineer) – aged 21 – killed
F/S John Mahoney 1800604 (navigator) – baled out (injured)
Sgt Reid (wireless operator) – baled out
W/O Maurice Frederick James 1443034 (wireless operator) - aged 22 - killed.
F/S Mahoney's injuries were relatively slight and he later joined 170 Squadron. On 7-8 March 1945.
1456322 Warrant Officer Geoffrey Symonds
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 21
Geoffrey was born in Chesterfield in the last quarter of 1922. He was second of seven children born to Reginald Symonds and his wife of three years Annie (nee Birley). The family moved to Rotherham in the 1930's and lived at 256 Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton. He was still undertaking his training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit when he was killed on 15 October 1944.
Halifax M K V DK116
The aircraft took off from Sandtoft, which is situated between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, at 17:45 on a night cross-country training flight. While flying at 12,000 feet, the port inner caught fire and the crew were unable to quell, or control, the flames as they spread towards the fuselage. Three managed to bale out from the sticken aircraft but four of the crew stayed with the aircraft as the rear gunner who had difficulty in escaping from his turret. The Halifax smashed into the heavily wooded Copreston Fell on Glendhu Hill in Kielder Forest.
Crew on Board:
P/O 184184 (pilot)Herbert George Haddrell – aged 30 – killed
Sgt John Nielsen 1583156 (flight engineer) – aged 21 – killed
F/S John Mahoney 1800604 (navigator) – baled out (injured)
Sgt Reid (wireless operator) – baled out
W/O Maurice Frederick James 1443034 (wireless operator) - aged 22 - killed.
F/S Mahoney's injuries were relatively slight and he later joined 170 Squadron. On 7-8 March 1945.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 21
Geoffrey was born in Chesterfield in the last quarter of 1922. He was second of seven children born to Reginald Symonds and his wife of three years Annie (nee Birley). The family moved to Rotherham in the 1930's and lived at 256 Badsley Moor Lane, Clifton. He was still undertaking his training with 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit when he was killed on 15 October 1944.
Halifax M K V DK116
The aircraft took off from Sandtoft, which is situated between Doncaster and Scunthorpe, at 17:45 on a night cross-country training flight. While flying at 12,000 feet, the port inner caught fire and the crew were unable to quell, or control, the flames as they spread towards the fuselage. Three managed to bale out from the sticken aircraft but four of the crew stayed with the aircraft as the rear gunner who had difficulty in escaping from his turret. The Halifax smashed into the heavily wooded Copreston Fell on Glendhu Hill in Kielder Forest.
Crew on Board:
P/O 184184 (pilot)Herbert George Haddrell – aged 30 – killed
Sgt John Nielsen 1583156 (flight engineer) – aged 21 – killed
F/S John Mahoney 1800604 (navigator) – baled out (injured)
Sgt Reid (wireless operator) – baled out
W/O Maurice Frederick James 1443034 (wireless operator) - aged 22 - killed.
F/S Mahoney's injuries were relatively slight and he later joined 170 Squadron. On 7-8 March 1945.
Gravesite Details
ROTHERHAM (MOORGATE) CEMETERY, Yorkshire
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