SAILLY-FLIBEAUCOURT CHURCHYARD
Somme
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 50.18619, Longitude: 1.76559
Image above Johan Pauwels
Location Information
Sailly-Flibeaucourt is a village and commune about 11 kilometres north-north-west of Abbeville and some 5 kilometres east of Noyelles-sur-Mer. Sailly is the main part of the commune, Flibeaucourt being a hamlet about 2 kilometres south of it.
The church is at Sailly, and in the south-eastern corner of the churchyard is a collective grave in which lie seven airmen. Five of them belonged to the Royal Air Force and two to the Royal Australian Air Force.
Flight Details
R.A.F. Base: Holme-on-Spalding Moor, North Yorkshire
Unit: 76 Sqdn. Bomber Command
Aircraft: Halifax Mk. III, serial LK873
Target: V1 storage and launch sites, Acquet
Incident: The aircraft was shot down by Oblt. Werner Hopf and crashed at Sailly-Flibeaucourt. There were no survivors
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
Images below © Barry Cuttell
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175588 Pilot Officer David Ellis Blockley, D. F. M. Air Gunner in 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 19th July 1944, aged 24. Son of George and Mary Jane Blockley of Chirbury, Montgomeryshire. His headstone bears the inscription "The King Of Love My Shepherd Is Whose Goodness Faileth Never"
1802280 Sergeant Ronald Nevill, Flight Engineer in 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 19th July 1944, aged 22. Son of Albert E. and Elizabeth Nevill of Stratford, Essex. His headstone bears the inscription "His Duty Done, He Rests In Peace. He Will Live For Ever In Our Memory"
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2208843 Flight Sergeant Fred Phillips, Air Gunner in 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 19th July 1944, aged 20. Son of James and Doris Phillips of Heywood, Lancashire. His headstone bears the inscription "All That He Had, All That He Hoped For, He Gave"
1138809 Sergeant Wilfred Ray, Wireless Operator in 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 19th July 1944, aged 22. Son of James and Florence Ray.
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421628 Pilot Officer Alexander Gordon Rodgers, Air Bomber in 76 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, died 19th July 1944, aged 30. Son of John and Theresa Mary Rodgers of Tomki, New South Wales, Australia. His headstone bears the inscription "His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered"
420288 Flight Lieutenant Paul Ernest Sinclair, D. F. C. Pilot in 76 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, died 19th July 1944, aged 22. Son of John Malcolm and Grace Emily Sinclair of Moree, New South Wales, Australia. His headstone bears the inscription "Our Beloved Only Son Who Died Nobly"
140880 Flying Officer Gwynfor Watkins, Navigator in 76 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 19th July 1944 aged 24. Son of William John and Catherine Hannah Watkins of Somerton, Newport, Monmouthshire. His headstone bears the inscription "To Live In The Hearts Of Those We Love Is Not To Die"
The following is a copy of the crews last operation to bomb the flying bomb site at Acquet on July 19th 1944, courtesy of Mike Harrison
Click on image to enlarge
Below is a grainy image of what we think are the seven crew members who are buried in this cemetery. The Airman on the left is Flight Lieutenant Sinclair but if anyone recognises any of the other crew members please get in touch. We are also looking to find out where the Flying Bomb Site was actually located.
