Sergeant Desmond David Hayward
Flight Engineer
* 13 april 1922 Lower Edmonton, Engeland
† 3 februari 1943 Elst UT
Son of William John Hayward and Lydia Hayward
Service nr. 651764
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Desmond David Hayward was born on April 13, 1922 in Lower Edmonton, Middlesex, just north of London.
A copy of his birth certificate on the left.
The house where Desmond was born, 189 Winchester Road, still exists, see the image from Google Streetview.
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A photo of Desmond with his older sister Josephine.
Probably behind the parental home.
(Photo enhanced with MyHeritage)
The "1939 Register" of Winchester Road 189.
Three individuals are registered, father and mother Hayward and his sister Eileen. Apparently Desmond was not living at home at the time. He will not be found at any other address either because he was still a minor in 1939, closed records as can be seen here.
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Desmonds first operational flight I could find was to Turin, Italy, on November 28, 1942. A long flight which ended with a crash landing. As stated in the Operations Record Book, they ran out of fuel. Two of the crew baled out, the others stayed on board. The Stirling crash-landed at RAF Stradishall, not far from its home base Newmarket. Fortunately, all were unharmed.
Flight time: 9.20 hrs
The next operational flight was on December 9, 1942, also to Turin, Italy. This flight was considerably shorter.
Flight time: 7.30 hrs.
Click an image to enlarge.
Operations on December 16, 1942, were "Gardening off Bordeaux" France, dropping sea mines.
Flight time: 7.30 hrs.
A bombing flight to Lorient, France, followed on 23 January 1943.
Lorient was an important base for the German U-boats.
Flight time: 4.40 hrs.
Click an image to enlarge.
On February 3, 1943, it was an attack on Hamburg. The Stirling was shot down by a German night fighter killing all eight crew.
Father and Mother Hayward at their son's grave at the Rusthof Cemetery in Leusden.
Probably shortly after the war.
(Photo enhanced with MyHeritage)
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Desmonds sisters Eileen and Josephine visiting the Netherlands. Possibly around May 4 and 5 at a meeting somewhere in Amersfoort. The lady on the left may be a hostess. The photo was taken by Foto Stakenburg, at the time located at 82 Leusderweg in Amersfoort as stated on the back of the photo.
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Four sisters of Desmond at the Rusthof cemetery in Leusden. Names of the other ladies in the photo are unknown. Photo may have been taken in the late 1950s or early 1960s.
Desmonds grave, May 4, 2019.
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