Claude Raymond Westbury
Claude Westbury was a provision shop assistant in 1939.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of Herbert and Mary Westbury and brother of Herbert, May, Joyce May and Margaret Anne Westbury. In 1939, they lived at 14, Lamcote Grove, Meadows, Nottingham.
NOTTINGHAM CHURCH CEMETERY St George Sec Grave 12058
Manchester I L7523 took off 17.35 14 Jan 1942 from Bottesford. Eight Bottesford Lancasters had been briefed to attack the Bloom & Voss shipyards situated on the Kuhwerder Island opposite the Sankt Pauli district of Hamburg to the west of the city. It crashed at 20.45 and burnt out at Cliff House Farm near Holmpton 4 miles SSE of Withernsea Yorkshire having aborted the mission.
Flight Sergeant B C Westcombe (P), Sergeant F E Thomas (N), Sergeant E R Harper (AB), Flight Sergeant L Sieve (W/Op), Sergeant C R Westbury (W/Op), Sergeant J T Howe (AG), Sergeant M R Walker (AG): killed.
Chris Ward intimates that 'towering pillars of ice-bearing cumulus cloud, which was better circumnavigated than flown through' may have been a factor.' However, 'the wreckage was consumed by fire and none of crew... survived to provide an insight into the cause of the early return.' (Source: Chris Ward with Raymond Glynne-Owen, 207 Squadron p.79)
95 aircraft, including 28 Hampdens and 7 Manchesters from 5 Group, attacked shipyards and an airframe factory during this raid on Hamburg. 6 civilians were killed and 22 injured. 2 Hampdens and Westbury's Wellington were lost.
The Avro 679 Manchester was a British twin-engine heavy bomber developed and manufactured by the Avro aircraft company in the United Kingdom. While not being built in great numbers, it was the forerunner of the more famed and more successful four-engined Avro Lancaster.
Photo of Claude Raymond Westbury