8 July 1944
Douglas Boston Mk III (BZ262 - code RH-O - ex 42-33017)
88 Squadron RAF
"La Faucaudière" - Le Pertre (35)
(contributors : J.P. Favrais, Daniel Dahiot)
Douglas Boston III s/n 42-33017 before coming BZ262
Photo World War photos
Crew :
- Flight Sergeant (pilot) Frederick William HALSEY
photo source unknown
R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve (service number 657773)
Grave # 3, Le Pertre communal cemetery
- Flight Sergeant (navigator - bombardier) Norman DIXON - 22 ans
R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve (service number 1452166)
Son of James Henry and Margaret Emma Dixon from Birkenshaw, Yorkshire
Grave # 2, Le Pertre communal cemetery
- Sergeant (wireless operator) Thomas Henry McCAFFREY - 20 years old
R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve (service number 1579118)
Son of Edith Mary McCaffrey from Nottingham
Grave # 1, Le Pertre communal cemetery
- Warrant Officer (or Flight Sergeant) (air gunner) Harry Donald PARKER - 24 years old
photo Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira
R.N.Z.A.F. (service number NZ412517)
Born 2nd February, 1920
Son of Henry Leslie and Lucy Pearl Parker from Mount Eden, Auckland city, New-Zealand
Grave # 4, Le Pertre communal cemetery
Some photos of Frederick William HALSEY
The three HALSEY brothers - From left to right James, Frederick William and Edward
Photo source unknown
Flight Sergeant Frederick William HALSEY
Photo source unknown
THE LIFE OF FLIGHT SERGEANT HARRY DONALD PARKER
(Source : Auckland Museum archives document - see appendices)
Harry Donald Parker was born at Wellington on February 2nd, 1920. He received his secondary education at Sedon Memorial Technical College in Auckland. He was actively interested in running, yachting, swimming and cricket. He was employed by the New Zealand Railways as a porter when, on 9th January, 1940, he applied for Aircrew training in the R.N.Z.A.F. He was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing at Levin on 13th April, 1941 and then began his flying training on 5th July at No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth. In August, he was reassigned to observer training at Rongotai (Wellington). He returned to Levin Training School on 2nd November, then embarked on 17th December for Canada to further his training at the Empire Air Training Scheme.
A few time later, Parker was posted on January 3rd, 1942 to No. 6 Air Observer's School, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. But this training was discontinued and he was posted on April 25th to the Composite Training School at Trenton, Ontario, to become a machine gunner and then posted on May 23rd to No. 6 Bombing and Gunnery School in Mountain View, Ontario. On June 22nd, he was awarded the Air Gunner's Badge and was promoted to Sergeant (he would become Flight Sergeant on May 15th, 1943). On July 2nd, 1942, he was sent to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await embarkation to the United Kingdom.
Parker arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, and was posted on 1st September 1942 to No. 7 Air Gunner School, RAF Stormy Down, Glamorganshire (South Wales). He was then sent to No. 487 (NZ) Squadron at Feltwell, Norfolk. With this Squadron, he carried out 8 operational missions as the air Gunner on Ventura aircraft, includingattacks on Eindhoven, Ijmuiden in Holland, Abbeville, Caen and Dunkirk in France but also an Air/Sea rescue mission. Early in March 1943, he attended a course of a few days at No 1482 Bombing and Gunnery Flight, at West Raynham, in the county of Norfolk, before returning to No 487 Squadron. He resumed operational missions with 8 operations against targets including Caen, Dieppe, Saint-Brieuc, Boulogne and Cherbourg in France, Rotterdam in Holland and Zeebrugge in Belgium, plus a Sea rescue operation. On August 28th, 1943, he was assigned to no. 88 Squadron at RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk. As a Air Gunner aboard Boston aircraft, he carried out 33 operations, giving him a total of 49 operational missions. This is how he carried out missions to Boulogne, Courtrai, Bernay, Audinghem (3), Saint-Omer (2), Abbeville (2), Dieppe, Creil, Charleroi (2), the "Ferme de Pouy", the " Bois de Justice", Flixecourt, Hambures, Bois-de-Cocquerel, Caen, Marlemont, Haillicourt in France, and Ijmuiden in Holland.
Parker was Air Gunner aboard the Boston BZ262 when he was reported "missing in action" on July 8th, 1944. Later, information received from the International Red Cross from German sources revealed that he had lost his life, and he was in consequence reclassified "killed in action". Other information revealed that he was buried in 'Le Pertre' communal cemetery.
COMMEMORATION
8th July, 2004
The graves of the airmen decorated with flowers in their memory
Photo source unknown
IN MEMORIAM
Le Pertre communal cemetery.
The four aviators rest in peace side by side
Photo ABSA 39-45
Grave of Thomas Henry McCaffrey Grave of Norman Dixon
Photos ABSA 39-45
Grave of Frederick William Halsey Grave of Harry Donald Parker
Photos ABSA 39-45
APPENDICE
♦ Operational Record Book of Squadron 88 for the month of July 1944
(source documents : The National Archives)
- on the first page, we learn that 15 night flight tests (NFTs) were carried out, that 11 aircrafts were sent on operational missions and that among them, 9 carried out their mission successfully, 1 abandoned due to bad weather and 1 crew was reported missing (our Boston BZ262 with our 4 crew members).
- on the second page, it is specified that not 11 but 12 Bosrons of 88 SQN were sent to harass German troops behing the combat area using bombs and machine gun fire. Attacks were carried out on a restricted area and 9 aircrafts dropped fragmentation bombs on road convoys, on railway junctions and woods. An aircraft was missing (the 'O' meaning the RH-O of F/S Halsey and his crew). The other two aircrafts abandoned the mission, one due to mechanical failures and the other due to bad weather.
- on the third page, we find the names of the crew members of the Boston III BZ262 (code RH-O) and we learn that it took off at 11:50 p.m. Note that on this page, the 4 aviators are noted with the rank of 'F/S' (Flight Sergeant) while on the first page, McCaffrey was indicated 'Sgt' (Sergeant). In addition, the Air Gunner Harry Donald Parker, the only New Zealander in the crew, is given as 'F/S' while other sources indicate Warrant-Officer.
♦ Archives document at the Auckland Museum, depicting the life of Flight Sergeant Harry Donald Parker.
(source Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira)
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