In Proud And Loving Memory

Of Our Darling Son

W/O Granville S. (Sonny) Sharpe

D. F. M. R.A.F. V.R

Who Gave His Life For His Country

On Operation Sept 24th 1944

Aged 23 Years

 

More information relating to Granville S Sharpe below

 

 

 

Service Number 1337744

Warrant Officer

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Bomb Aimer / Air Bomber

 

He was killed on 24th September 1944 flying with 97 Squadron - further details below

 

 

Halifax DT637 at Riccall airfield.

 

On the night of 12th / 13th May 1943 the crew of this aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Duisburg and took off from Snaith at 23.09hrs. On their return to base the area around Snaith airfield was suffering with poor visibility, the crew were diverted to land at Riccall airfield due a glycol leak in the port inner engine which had to be feathered, the aircraft was also running short of fuel. They landed at Riccall (at either 06.00hrs or 06.51hrs) but the aircraft overshot on landing and was badly damaged when it ran into a ditch on the boundary. The crew were not hurt, they had all been posted to 51 Squadron on 19th April 1943 from 1658 HCU.

 

Crew:

 

Pilot - Sgt Donald William Thompson RAFVR (1335401).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Joseph Clifford Harris-Ward RAFVR (566800).

Navigator - Sgt Allan Sharp Russell RAFVR (1392536).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Granville Sidney Sharpe RAFVR (1337744).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Frank Stephen Godden RAFVR (1210979).

Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Duncan Murray RCAF (R/157619), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Air Gunner - Sgt Gareth Jones RAFVR (1317434).

 

 

Granville Sharpe was awarded the DFM for service with 51 Squadron.

 

 

Lancaster PA974 crash

 

Lancaster III PA974 OF-B of 97 Squadron took off from RAF Coningsby on the night of 24th September 1944, to breach the Dortmund-Ems Canal North of Munster. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return from base.

 

Crew:

 

RAAF 421603 FO Robin Henry Lopez, Captain (Pilot)

RAF 1572193 Sgt Frank Buchan, (Flight Engineer)

RAAF 423784 FO Kenneth Frost, (Navigator)

RAF 1337744 WO Granville Sidney Sharpe, (DFM) (Air Bomber)

RAAF 410466 PO Clyde Joseph Girling, (Wireless Operator Air)

RAF 1806766 Sgt James Strowger, (Air Gunner)

RCAF J/26546 FO Ian Hector Maclean, (Air Bomber)

RCAF J/28784 FO Wallace Walker, (Air Gunner)

 

The aircraft crashed into the sea off Heacham, Norfolk and all the crew were killed.

 

Their bodies were subsequently recovered from the sea.

 

RAF Coningsby was built just before World War Two and became the home of 617 Squadron (known as the Dambusters) during the second half of the war.

 

Later, it was the base for the Vulcan bomber.