1432835, Sergeant (Air Gunner), Frederick John SKEELES
Aged 20
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Frederick John SKEELES was born in 1923 (Wellingborough Q2-1922 3B:229), son of Cyril John and Florence Jane SKEELES (née KNIGHT)
of Rushden, Northamptonshire.
He was a member of the 23rd (Culford School) Bury St Edmunds Scouts. In the 1939 register, at 9 Essex Road, Rushden, were his father Cyril [23-5-1892] foreman in shoe trade, and mother Florence J [13-9-1891] and Victor J Sutton [1929] (an evacuee ?). Frederick's will has them at the same address, father the factory manager. |
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On 21st February 1942, at 17:42, Vickers Wellington MkIII, ser.no.BK435, sqn id. QB-U took off from RAF Topcliffe on a "Gardening" mission,
laying mines in the area of the Friesian Islands. They were shot down by Oblt Rudolf Sigmund IV/NJG1 and crashed at 19:46 about
50 km north of Texel. All were killed and are commemorated on the Runnymede memorial.
The crew was :- Sgt. Ivan Harry William BAULF (RNZAF) P/O Walter Norman PLEASANCE (RCAF) Sgt. Basil Talbot WHITE (RAF) Sgt. Leslie John KING (RAFVR) Sgt Frederick John SKEELES (RAFVR) Sgt. Joseph Jean Charles ARPIN (RCAF) The Rushden Echo, 12th March, 1943, (via http://www.rushdenheritage.co.uk/) carried the following report:- Volunteer at 18 - Young Rushden Air-Gunner is Missing News has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Skeeles, of 9, Essex-road, Rushden, that their only son, Sergeant Frederick John Skeeles, an air-gunner in the R.A.F., is missing as a result of air operations in February. Sergeant Skeeles, who is 20 and a native of Rushden, volunteered for the R.A.F. at the age of 18, and joined up in October, 1941. Educated at Newton-road School, Rushden, and at Culford School, Bury St. Edmunds, he joined the Home Guard on the day of formation and also attended the A.T.C. course. In civil life he was a member of Park-road Methodist Church, Rushden Toc H, and the Town Hockey Club, and was employed by Messrs. C. W. Horrell, Ltd., boot manufacturers. His father , a well-known townsman, is a sergeant of the Special Police. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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