No.902896, Sergeant, Stanley Jack ROSS-HOFF
Aged 32
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Apparently:- Stanley Jack Hoff was born in 14th May 1910 in Bengal, the son of Stanley and Sybil Nora ROSS-HOFF (née ) of Birdbrook. The problem here is when Hoff became Ross-Hoff. It looks as if his parents were much travelled and they have not been found in on line records as Ross-Hoff anywhere other than CWGC. There was a corn merchant S.J.Ross-Hoff in Haverhill, at least from 1927 to 1937, at 45 High Street. He married, in Birdbrook, Jeanne Elsie FRENCH [22] of "The Elms" Birdbrook on 30th November 1940 when he was stationed (as an L.A.C) at RAF Prestwick in Scotland. His father's occupation was given as accountant. They had one daughter, Jeanette |
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6 Hampden's of 83 Squadron flew a sweep over the North Sea on the first day of the war, but these outdated bombers were soon replaced by Manchesters, which
were also found to be inadequate and in 1942 were replaced by Lancasters. 83 Squadron became one of the original Pathfinder squadrons at RAF Wyton in August 1942.
On the night of 2nd June 1942, the crew of Lancaster Mk1 ser.no. R5564, c/sign "OL-P" took part in a thousand bomber raid against Essen. They took off from their base at R.A.F. Scampton at 23.10 on 1st June. Nothing more was heard of them after take off and it is presumed they crashed into the North Sea, west of Katwijk, Netherlands. P/O Billing's body washed ashore on the Dutch coast and he was buried on 1st August 1942 in Amsterdam's New Eastern Cemetery. The rest of the crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey. From http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/541.html - Lancaster I, R5564 of 83 Sqn, (raid Essen, night 01/02 June 1942, pilot Busby) came down in the North Sea off the Dutch coast north of The Hague. Six crew are MIA, but New Zealand Pilot Officer Kelvin C. Billing washed ashore 2 months later, probably at Zandvoort beach. He was buried 01 August 1942 in grave 12 with three non-identified RAF airmen found on the same beach. These are the unknown airmen in grave 13, 16 and 19. The complete crew was Captain P/O Frank Busby RAFVR; Observer P/O Kelvin Billing RNZAF; Sgt Clifford Baines RAFVR; Sgt Joseph Dodsworth RAF; Sgt William Hall RAFVR; Sgt Stanley Ross-Hoff RAFVR and Sgt Leonard Smith RAF. So far it has proved impossible to ascertain the 'trade' of each of them.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission also on the Haverhill war memorial. click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
Avro Lancaster Mk1(suitably re-lettered)