Help Sought


I received a message from Peter Bailey, who was going through his late father Leslie James Bailey’s effects when he came across a news-paper cutting and a photograph of airman, George Williams. Peter would dearly love to pass these on to anyone who has any connect-ion with George, who lived at Middleton Street, St. Thomas.

What do we know about George? There wasn’t much to go on from the undated, untitled newspaper article, “…SING IN RAID TWO DAYS AFTER WEDDING”, what could be establish-ed from the article was that Miss Beryl Evans was the wife to be. That was a good start. I searched the records on FreeBMD.org and bingo I got a result. The marriage took place in the June quarter (April, May, June) of 1943. That gave me the year of the article as 1943. Next stop, the Commonwealth War Grave Commission website www.cwgc.org, and yet again bingo, I found our man, Graham George Williams. Here’s the information obtained from the website:



Flying Officer (Air Gunner) Graham George Williams. GM (George Medal)



Service Number 136044. Aged 22. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 102 Squadron. Killed on 17 April 1943 and buried in the Maubeuge-Centre Cemetery, Nord, France. Son of Alfred and Elizabeth Williams; husband of Beryl Williams.



One would think that this is end of the line, but I was interested in trying to establish why he was awarded his George Medal. This medal is only awarded to ‘those performing acts of bravery in the meriting recognition by, the United Kingdom’. The first one was awarded in 1940. After a long search, I found an entry from the London Gazette, dated 6th January 1942, which reads;



‘In June 1941, (Westhampnett Airfield, Sussex) ammunition in an aircraft exploded by spontaneous combustion. In spite of the explosions, Aircraftman Bland climbed on to the mainplane and unfastened the gun panels. By this time the ammunition tank was burning fiercely, so he released it from the gun.

Leading Aircraftman Williams carried away the burning tank, which started to explode while he was carrying it. The presence of mind and courage shown by these two air-men undoubtedly saved the aircraft and probably the lives of the air crews and armourers who were emptying the remaining ammunition tanks.’



Finally, the events of 16/17th April 1943



197 Lancaster Bombers and 130 Halifax took off from RAF Pocklington to bomb the Skoda armaments factory in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. Wally Lashbrook piloted one of the Halifax and on the return journey the aircraft was attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 110. Whilst over the Belgian-French border 500ft above ground Lashbrook and the rest of the crew bailed out, sadly Williams was killed, and fin-ally the aircraft crashed to the ground. The rest of the crew were on the run and 5 made it back to the UK.



If George is connected to your family please get in touch as Peter would be delighted to give you the photographs.

Copyright – The Bay Magazine – May 2018

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