615 Squadron - Air Raid on Wealdstone

 

The grave of AC1 Foster, Sanderstead (All Saints) churchyard extension

Bruce Fisher on findagrave

 

The grave of AC2 Mayo in Kensal Green (St. Mary's) Roman Catholic Cemetery.

Len on findagrave

 

The grave of AC1 Nicholls, Bandon Hill Cemetery, 19/10/2022.

Linda Duffield

 

The grave of AC2 Summerfield in Sutton Cemetery, 2017.

Linda Duffield

For the night of 18th October, 1940, the 615 Operations Book records the death of four airmen as a result of enemy action. They were stationed at RAF Northolt at the time but the Squadron had close connections with Kenley, being the local Auxiliary Squadron, with many personnel drawn from the local area.

Four of our Airmen A.C.s, Foster, Nicholls, Summerfield and Mayo were killed instantaneously by a bomb which struck them whilst they were walking out at night near Wealdstone.

At 2200 hours a bomb had dropped near the corner of the Air Ministry Unit annexe on the main road, in Harrow. Their telephones were put out of action and a gas main fractured, but no serious damage was done to the main buildings – Operations were reported safe and and emergency telephone line from the main shelter was still in order. However, although the Air Ministry annexe didn’t suffer a direct hit, the four 615 airmen in the street were killed and their bodies taken to Harrow Weald Mortuary.

AIRCRAFTMAN 1ST CLASS REGINALD JOHN MARSHALL FOSTER

Reginald was 25 years old, the son of Arthur Reginald John and Jane Eleanore Foster, of Croydon. He is buried in Sanderstead (All Saints) churchyard extension. Row K. Grave 20.

AIRCRAFTMAN 2ND CLASS AUBREY LESLIE MAYO

Aubrey was 26 years old, the son of Aubrey George and Mary Mayo, of Paddington. Kensal Green (St. Mary’s) Roman Catholic Cemetery. (Sec. X.P. Grave 2375).

AIRCRAFTMAN 1ST CLASS SYDNEY THOMAS NICHOLLS

Sydney was 21 years old, the son of Percy T. Nicholls and Amy Margaret Nicholls, of Wallington. He is buried in Bandon Hill Cemetery, Wallington. (Section B. Grave 322)

AIRCRAFTMAN 2ND CLASS ALEC ALFRED SUMMERFIELD

Alec was 22 years old, the son of Frederick Charles and Alice Anne Summerfield, of Sutton. He was buried in Sutton cemetery, (Sec. J. Grave 65).

The records indicate that AC2 Mayo was killed in Station Rd. As well as our four airmen, two civilians also lost their lives at 86 Station Rd, as a result of the raid that night.

• Henry Charles Auber Dickinson
• Alice May Meddes

May they all rest in peace…