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This data is related to World War 2
Flying Officer

Arthur Ferdinand Green

Service number 148269
Military unit Off duty serving with Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Address 29, Fernleigh Avenue, Mapperley, Nottingham.
Date of birth 02 Sep 1911
Date of death 17 Dec 1944 (33 years old)
Place of birth Unknown
Employment, education or hobbies

A. F. Green was educated at Newark's Magnus School and University College Nottingham.

Before enlisting, he had been for eight years a teacher at Chandos Street school, Netherfield.

Family history

He was the son of Arthur and Lily Green. He was married to Joan Cora Alfreda Lily Green and they lived at 29, Fernleigh Avenue, Mapperley, Nottingham. She later moved to Denham, Buckinghamshire.

Military history

Belgium SCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY V. D. 77.

Arthur Ferdinand Green died of wounds sustained during a V2 attack on the Rex Cinema in Antwerp.

Extra information

On 16 December 1944 (the first day of the Ardennes Offensive), at 15:20, a V2 rocket fired from The Netherlands (Hellendoorn) by the SS Werfer Battery 500 directly landed on the roof of the Rex cinema in Antwerp during a showing of The Plainsman (starring Gary Cooper). There were approximately 1,100 people inside the cinema and the explosion killed 567 including 296 Allied servicemen (194 further servicemen were injured) and 11 buildings in total destroyed. Up to 74 Belgian children were also killed.

It took nearly a week to dig all the bodies out of the rubble. It was the single highest death total from a single rocket attack during the war. Following the attack all public performance venues were closed and the town council ordered that a maximum of 50 people were allowed to congregate in any one location.

The theatre was re-built in 1947 but closed in 1993 and was demolished in 1995. (Wikipedia)

Photographs