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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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12 Squadron Crest
25.06.1943 No. 12 Squadron Lancaster III ED968 PH-P Bar Fl/Sgt. Howard G. Yeo

Operation: Training

Date: 25th June 1943

Unit: No. 12 Squadron

Type: Lancaster Type III

Serial: ED968

Code: PH-P Bar

Base: RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire

Location: Stenigot, 5 miles south of Louth, Lincolnshire

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Howard Garfield Yeo AUS/409268 RAAF Age 22. Killed

Flt/Engr: Sgt. Charles William Robinson 578359 RAF Age 19. Killed

Nav: Sgt. Maurice Robert Aston 1394397 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. George Adam Hiddleston 656250 RAF Age 27. Killed

W/Op/Air Gnr: Sgt. Reginald Sneesby 1381732 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Paul Soluk R/130819 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. John Stanley Rennick R/99592 RCAF Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS

Delivered to 12 Squadron in May 1943, ED968 took part in a series of raids to Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Essen, Bochum and Oberhausen before being lost on a flying test on the afternoon of June 25, 1943.

Left: Sgt. Reginald Sneesby Right: Sgt. John Rennick (courtesy Tom Forbes and Wickenby Register)


The aircraft reportedly broke up in mid air and dived into the ground possibly due to some structural damage inflicted and undetected during a previous bombing operation. Fate lent a cruel hand to Sgt. Reginald Sneesby as he was not a regular member of this crew but was standing in for another airman who was unavailable to fly that day.

Sgt. Reginald Sneesby shown far left with his usual crew with LM321 HW-K - This aircraft later lost on 10/11th June 1944 (courtesy Tom Forbes and Wickenby register)

Burial Details:

Sergeants Aston, Soluk and Rennick were all buried in the Cambridge City Cemetery while the other members of the crew were claimed by relatives for burial in their hometowns.

Fl/Sgt. Howard Garfield Yeo. Watford Cemetery Sec. M. Cons. Row 3. Grave 421. Son of Richard James Garfield Yeo and Elizabeth Ellen Yeo, of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. Charles William Robinson. Thorne Cemetery Grave Ref. 866. Son of Charlie and Florence Lily Robinson, of Thorne, Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Maurice Robert Aston. Cambridge City Cemetery Grave Ref. 14535. Son of George Melbourne Aston and Elsie Aston, of Crouch End, Middlesex, England.

Fl/Sgt. George Adam Hiddleston. Renfrew (Arkleston) Cemetery Grave Ref. Sec. A. Row D. Grave 70. Son of Adam and Annette Hiddleston, husband of Hilda Mary Hiddleston, of Renfrew, Renfrewshire, Scotland.

Sgt. Reginald Sneesby. Selby Cemetery. Grave 5436. Son of Arthur William and Emily Sneesby, of Selby, North Yorkshire, England.

Sgt. Paul Soluk. Cambridge City Cemetery Grave Ref. 14536. Son of Dymetro and Franciska Soluk, of Sawdy, Alberta, Canada.

Sgt. John Stanley Rennick. Cambridge City Cemetery Grave Ref. 14534. Son of Stanley and Ada M. Rennick, of Bright, Ontario, Canada.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and RCAF specialist Colin Bamford for relatives of this crew. For further details our thanks to the following, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

CHB 23.02.2010
CHB 10.10.2019 Sgt. Soluk photograph added.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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