Name
Cyril Brown
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
25/07/1944
37
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
1875016
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
514 Sqdn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Panel 225.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin, St. Mark’s Church Memorial, Hitchin
Biography
His Service Number was 1875016 and he was a member of 514 Squadron although he was above the average age for aircrew. At the time of his death the Squadron was flying Lancaster Bombers from Waterbeach northeast of Cambridge. On his 5th operational flight, Cyril was an Air Gunner in Lancaster III PB185 J-I-F and the aircraft took off at 21.45hrs on the night of the 24th/25th July 1944. The target was Stuttgart and 461 Lancasters took part in the attack but 17 did not return. This was the first of three raids in five nights that devastated the centre of Stuttgart.
The aircraft was believed to have crashed in the vicinity of Trier as one member of the crew was identified at the time. However, along with the rest of the crew, he now has no known grave and is remembered on Panel 225 of the R.A.F. Memorial to the Missing at Runnymede, Egham in Surrey.
He was the son of Arthur and Ada Brown of Hitchin.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Mr D. Moore, Secretary, Aircrew Association (North Herts), ‘Bomber Command Diaries’ by M. Middlebrook & C. Everitt, ‘Bomber Command Losses - 1944’ by W.R. Chorley
