POWELL, Richard John

St. Pol War Cemetery, FranceCredit: Unknown

Flight Sergeant
7 Squadron RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Richard was born 1923 in Newport to John Roger & Kathleen Agnes (nee THOMAS) POWELL of 18 Highfield Road in Newport.

Richard was an Air Gunner & took off at 1236 on the 29th June 1944 from RAF Oakington as Master Bomber for the attack on a flying-bomb site at Siracourt. Approaching the target area at 10,000 feet his Lancaster was hit by Flak & partially abandoned before crashing near St-Pol-sur-Ternoise (Pas-de-Calais).

There were only two survivors from the crew of eight, who were captured & spent the rest of the war as POWs in Poland. Richard, aged 20, rests beneath a Commission Headstone alongside 54 Second World War comrades in the St. Pol War Cemetery in France.

Richard is also remembered on the Newport Borough War Memorial.

CWGC Casualty Record

Cemetary

Sons & Daughters Commemorated Far From Home

Those from the Newport & Carisbrooke area who are buried or commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission outside of the area, both in the UK and in other countries.

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The image is of the Tyne Cot Military Cemetery & Memorial in Belgium.