Sgt. William Harvey Flower

• Thu 25/Fri 26 Jun 1942
• Bomber Command
• Raid on Bremen, Germany (by 960 aircraft - 50 lost)
• 11 Operational Training Unit, RAF (Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire - 91 Group)
• Wellington IC DV778/A - took off at 2314 captained by Sgt J C Cubitt, RAF, on same raid as the above, and brought down into the sea in or near the Heligoland Bight. The captain and navigator Flower are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The body of navigator Parish later washed ashore near Cuxhaven and was buried there, but later reinterred at Becklingen, 17km south of Soltau. The New Zealand wireless operator-air gunner was recovered from the harbour entrance at Westeraccumersiel, opposite the island of Langeoog, and buried at Wittmund alongside the body of an RAF crew member, but both were later reinterred at Sage, 24km south of Oldenburg
• Navigator(?): NZ412472 Sgt William Harvey FLOWER, RNZAF - Age 22. 75hrs. 1st op.
• Navigator(?): NZ41546 Sgt Richard John PARISH, RNZAF - Age 23. 230hrs. 1st op.
• WOpAG: NZ403631 Sgt Stanley Lyell WILTON, RNZAF - Age 32. 107hrs. 1st op.
• Two navigators in the one crew was unusual but probably came about through trying to make up the numbers for this ‘1000 bomber’ raid. One of them almost certainly would have acted as air bomber. Source: For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1915-1943)

FLOWER, Sergeant William Harvey. NZ412472; b Auckland 5 Jan 20; Matamata JHS (1st XV); exchange clerk - P & T Dept, Matamata. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Air Observer u/t 13 Apr 41, emb for Canada 18 Jun 41, att RCAF 3 Jul 41, 6AOS 6 Jul 41, 3BGS 28 Sep 41, Air Observers Badge & Sgt 8 Nov 41, 1ANS 9 Nov 41, 1 Y Depôt 19 Dec 41, att RAF & emb for UK 8 Jan 42, 3PRC 21 Jan 42, 2(O)AFU 21 Mar 42, 11OTU (Wellington - 1 op) 28 Apr 42, kao 26 Jun 42. Runnymede Memorial - Panel 117. Son of Leonard & Constance Ruby Irene Flower (née Mincher), Tauranga. [phot. TWN 22.7.42]. Source: For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Vol Three, Biographies 7 Appendices):

Links:

• Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
• New Zealand War Graves Project https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/william-harvey-flower
• Sergeant 412472, Royal New Zealand Air Force serving with R.A.F. Squadron. Died 26th June 1942. Aged 22. Son of Leonard and Constance Ruby Irene Flower (nee Mincher), of Tauranga, Auckland, New Zealand. No known grave. Commemorated on RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey. Panel 117. Source: http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Cambridgeshire/SteepleMorden355thFigh...