No.T/10693855, Driver, Sydney CHURCHYARD
Aged 22
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Sydney L. Churchyard was born in 1922 (Thetford Q3-1922 4B:524), son of Frederick Alfred and Susan CHURCHYARD (née BACON) of 193 London Road,
Brandon, previously of Angling lane, Lakenheath.
In the 1939 register, at 193 London Road, Brandon, were his parents Frederick A CHURCHYARD [21-6-1882] forestry labourer/tree feller and Susan [21-9-1882] and brother Alfred H.J. [8-9-1917] a chalk raiser/lime worker. There is one closed record. |
click here to go to the ww2.brandonatwar.co.uk website for more information
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At Arnhem, during Op Market Garden, 253 Coy provided 200 of the 1120 operational despatchers, manning 211 of the 624 sorties flown in Stirlings and a small contingent of Dakotas. Their task was to drop the panniers of supplies to the troops on the ground. Sydney was flying in Short Stirling Mk IV, ser.no. LJ830 (pilot Flying Officer McLEOD ) of No.620 Squadron when it was shot down, crashing between Heelsum and Wolfheze. They took off from RAF Fairford on MARKET V resupply mission to Arnhem and were hit by flak and crash landed in flames 15.30 hrs at Wolfheze Buunderkamp near Renkum on north side of the Rhine. F/O Thomas was killed as a result of falling from his badly damaged turret and the two 253 (Airborne) Composite Company, R.A.S.C. dispatchers were killed when they either fell or deliberately jumped from the rear of the blazing aircraft before it crashed. Of the rest of the crew, the pilot and bomb aimer were taken prisoner, and the other three evaded capture. Sydney Sydney was found on the edge of a wood at Heelsum, a short distance away, and was re-interred in Oosterbeek in 1946. |
620 Squadron ready to go to Arnhem
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details