Wilfred Dutton
1939 - grocer's shop assistant
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Wilfred was the son of Henry and Mary Dutton (née Fretwell).
His father was born in May 1900, the son of Sam Dutton. His mother, the daughter of Thomas and Eliza Fretwell, was born in Pleasley, Nottinghamshire, in February 1900 and baptised at Pleasley parish church on 11 March the same year.
The couple, both aged 22, were married at Pleasley St Michael in 1922 and had two sons, Henry b. 1923, and Henry Samuel b. December 1934 (reg. 1935 JFM).
The family was living at 343 Chesterfield Road, Mansfield, when the 1939 England and Wales Register was compiled but only Mary, Wilfred, a grocery shop assistant, and Henry, together with Francis Fretwell (b. 1870, married), a retired colliery hewer, were in the home when the household was registered. Henry Dutton was a patient at Mansfield & District General Hospital; his occupation was given as 'unemployed coalface getter'.
Henry Dutton died in 1961 and his widow in 1978 (reg. JFM); both deaths were recorded in the Mansfield registration district. Their son Henry Samuel died in 1981 (reg. JFM Mansfield).
Wilfred Dutton was serving with Bomber Command, 166 Squadron (motto 'Tenacity'), when he was killed on operations on 15 July 1944.
166 Squadron was a training unit before, and at the beginning, of the Second World War but then merged with 97 Squadron in April 1940 as No. 10 OTU. It was reformed as an operational night bomber squadron with detachments of 142 and 150 Squadrons in January 1943 and converted to Avro Lancasters from Vickers Wellingtons in the spring of 1943. Formerly at Leconfield and then Abingdon, the Squadron was based at Kirmington, Lincolnshire, from January 1943-18 November 1945. The Squadron was disbanded on 18 November.
Sergeant Dutton, flight engineer ND621, was reported missing on 16 July 1944, but his death had still not been confirmed a year later. (See 'Extra information).
IBCC: Avro Lancaster III, serial number ND621, marking AS-U.
'Took off at 21:25 on 14 July 1944 from Kirmington to attack rail facilities at Revigny. Crashed at 0236 on homeward journey, 2km south-east of Lusigny-sur-Barse, France.'
WW2 Allied Airmen ROH: (ND621) 'Shot down by a night fighter near Lusigny-sur-Barse ,9 miles south-east of Troyes, when returning from a raid on the Revigby rail yards.'
Although an Avro Lancaster usually had a crew of seven, there were eight casualties of ND621 who are buried in Lusigny-sur-Base Communal Cemetery (Coll. Grave 21).
The names, squadron and dates of death have been confirmed on Bomber Command websites and with individual CWGC records. The other seven members of the crew of ND621 were:
Jones Philip Griffith, 1515485 Flight Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) RAFVR. Age 21. Son of John Lewis Jones and Margaret Anne Jones of Denbigh. ‘They were a wall unto us both by night and day. 1 Samuel; XXV:16’
Llewellyn William Glyn, 103849 Flying Officer (Air Gunner) DFC RAFVR. Age 35. Son of Willie Morris Llewellyn and Ann Llewellyn. Husband of Marguerite Llewellyn of Bridgend, Glamorgan. ‘Lovingly Remembered’
McLure JE, R/87203 Warrant Officer (Navigator) RCAF. Age 23. Son of George R. McClure and Rebecca McClure of Wilkie, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Martin Sidney, 176912 Pilot Officer (Pilot) DFC RAFVR. Age 23. Son of Arthur and Alice Martin of Tipton Staffordshire. ‘In loving memory of our dearly beloved son. Sadly mourned by a proud family.'
Omoe Francis Melvin, R/184751 Flight Sergeant (Air Gunner) RCAF. Age 21. Son of Carsten Omoe and Rose Marie Omoe (née Peter) of Bawlf, Alberta, Canada.
Rodgers Alan Oswald, Flying Officer (Pilot) RNZAF. Age 21. Son of Oswald Joseph and Ruby Rodgers of Palmerston, North Wellington, New Zealand.
Wood Leonard George, Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber) RAFVR.
Six crew (1 RAF, 4 RAFVR, 1 RNZAF) of an Avro Lancaster of 138 Squadron, killed on 9 August 1944, are buried in the same cemetery (Coll. Grave 22).
CWGC headstone personal inscription: 'Deep in our hearts his memory is kept the one we loved but never forget'
Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser, 19 July, 1945: 'Missing. Dutton: loving thoughts centre around Sgt W Dutton RAF, who was reported missing July 16th 1944 and whom no further news has been received.'
Additional research RF (Jan. 2026)
Photo of Wilfred Dutton
Source: www.ww2cemeteries.com/lusigny-sur-barse-communal-cemetery.