No.528466, Sergeant, Herbert MINNS
Aged 25
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Born in 1918 (1st qtr 1918 ROCHFORD 4a:958), son of Richard William and Emily MINNS (née MITCHELL) of 35 Out Risbygate Street, Bury St.Edmunds. He married Betty Irene VIRGO in Cardiff in 1941, later of Maindy, Glamorgan. Their son, Peter, was born in Cardiff 1944. His father died in 1934. His widowed mother and sister Ruth [5-1-1914] were still at 35 Out Risbygate in 1939. |
| Avro Lancaster Mk3 ED348 c/s EA-R of 49 Squadron took off from RAF Fiskerton (just east of Lincoln) at 16:46 to bomb Dusseldorf.
Shot down near Cologne by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Ludwig Meister of the 1./NJG 4, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Florennes airfield, Belgium.[aviation-safety.net]
The crew :- Pilot - F/Lt C G Thomas, Navigator - F/Sgt W G Clutterbuck, Air Gunr - H Minns, Air Gunr - Sgt G E Boxer and Bomb Aimer - F/O C P Ross were killed
P/O Teager (2nd pilot), Sgt Panter (Engineer) and Sgt Payne (WOP/A Gun) managed to escape before the aircraft exploded. They survived the war as prisoners.
Originally buried in Cologne South Cemetery, reinterred March 1946. also commemorated at Culford School click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
