Thomas Hugh Burton Kirkby
In 1939, he was boarding at Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
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He was the son of James Burton Kirkby and Frances Kirkby, of West Sale, Cheshire.
HAMBURG CEMETERY 4A. J. 10.
Lancaster I NG182 took off 1802 7 Mar 1945 to bomb oil installations at Harburg. Cause of loss not established.
234 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 5 Group carried out an accurate attack on the Harburg oil refinery. 14 Lancasters, including NG182, were lost. 189 Sqdn from Fulbeck (Lincs) lost 4 of its 16 Lancasters on the raid. A rubber factory was seriously damaged. 422 people were killed including 44 in the rubber factory shelter. There were 99 fires, 37 classified as large.(Middlebrook and Everitt, Bomber Command Diaries, p. 676).
15 Lancasters from 61 Squadron participated in the raid. Three were lost and one returned early with mechanical problems. (61 Sqadron ORB March 1945, Summary of Events TNA Air27/580/5). Kirby was the air bomber aboard Lancaster I NG182. Six fatalities are listed: Kirkby + WAM Johnstone (FE), HG Hardy (N), AJ Deverell (W/Op), and two air gunners KL Mowl and J Fitpatrick. The captain is listed as F/O Pearce but there exists no record of him being killed in this incident and he was not listed as a POW or Evader.
Unknown
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