Not Just A Name – Eston Remembers

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J.L. COOPER

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Leading Aircraftman. Sydney Cooper (1092496)

U/T Air Gunner in the Royal Air Force who died on the 29th July 1942 aged 21 years. The son of Thomas and Mary Ann Cooper of Oswald Terrace in Middlesbrough. Sydney was stationed at RAF Walney Island with 10 Air Gunnery School, his Boulton Paul Defiant N1612 crashed onto the airfield perimeter. The Royal Australian Air Force pilot 25yr old Sgt Jimmy Elliott died later that day and was buried at nearby Barrow-in-Furness. Remembered With Honour Eston Cemetery. P.78

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E. COWELL

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J. CROSBY

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C. CROWELL

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C. CROWTHER

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G.H.CULLEN

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1494009 Sgt Richard Fredrick Cunningham

Richard Fredrick Cunningham was born in June 1922 in Southbank, near Middlesbrough, to Fredrick William and Winifred Cunningham. He joined the RAF volunteer Reserve (RAFVR), where he served as a Sergeant and Air Gunner. Richard was a crew member abord Lancaster MkIII, ED494. On the night of the 14th March1943, the aircraft was assigned to a mine-laying operation, codenamed “Gardening” (often referred to as Spinach). During the mission, the aircraft was shot down by Kriegsmarine vessels near Rønne Harbour, off the island of Bornholm, Denmark. Tragically all members of the crew lost their lives. The aircraft belonged to RAF 9 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded WS-G. T/O 20:08 Waddington. OP: Gardening Spinach (Sea off Gdynia) At 00:10 a aircraft was shot down by flak and fell burning in the Baltic Sea west of Rønne on the island of Bornholm. The crew of Pilot F/S Howard C. Lewis RCAF, Sgt Douglas Cowie, Sgt Raymond L. Laycock, Sgt John I. Mitchell, Sgt Reginald C. Hitchcock, Sgt Richard F. Cunningham and Sgt John H. Howorth have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.