Name
Arthur Ernest Sly
Conflict
Second World War
Date of Death / Age
18/11/1943
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
1632077
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
622 Sqdn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Lachalade Churchyard
Coll. grave 2-4.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, Hitchin Roll of Honour 1939 – 1945 (Book) St Mary’s Church, Hitchin
Biography
He was a member of 622 Squadron and was given the Service Number 1632077. He was the Flight Engineer on Stirling bomber Mid EF 129 GI-D which took off from Mildenhall on the 18th November 1943 at 17.10hrs to attack Mannheim. This was a diversionary raid, the main part of the attack being on Berlin. 395 aircraft took part, of which 114 were Stirlings. The target was completely covered in cloud and most of the bombing was scattered. However, much of the industrial area in the north of the city was destroyed including the Daimler-Benz factory which suffered 90% loss of production for some considerable time. Twenty four aircraft were lost in the attack. This was the last raid on Mannheim for 15 months.
It was also Arthur's last flight as the aircraft crashed at Lachalade (Meuse) about 30 km west of Verdun in France. Seven members of the crew are buried together. The bomb-aimer, Sgt R. Harper, bailed out and was taken prisoner.
Arthur is buried in Collective Grave 2-4 in Lachalade Churchyard, Meuse in France.
Acknowledgments
David C Baines – ‘Hitchin’s Century of Sacrifice’, Paul Johnson - local historian, ‘Bomber Command Losses’ by W.R. Chorley
