Person    | Male  Born 1924  Died 9/6/1944

Former cadet of the Air Training Corps - 296th (Stoke Newington) Squadron. Died in WW2.

Sergeant Stanley Robert Ward, aged 19, (Rear Gunner) killed on forced landing at RAF Stn Catfoss when returning from attacking special objective in Germany. Died 8 June 1944.

The above information was obtained from a laminated plaque that was attached to one of the 13 trees in Lavell Street, London, N16. Unfortunately there are a number of errors. He was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, not the Rear Gunner, he died on 9 June 1944, not 8 June 1944, returning from a mission over Rennes, France and not Germany.

The birth of Stanley Robert Ward was recorded in the 4^th quarter of 1924 in the Hackney registration district. He was the son of Robert Stanley Ward (1901-1945) and Winifred Beatrice Susannah Ward née Lowe (1902-1987).  His father was an upholsterer. Electoral registers from 1924 to 1932 show the family living at 44 Stoneham Road, Stamford Hill and from 1934 onwards at 12 Leswin Road, Stoke Newington.

He joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1812253, gaining the rank of Sergeant and was attached to No.467 (Royal Australian Air Force) Squadron. On 8 June 1944 he was the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner aboard an Avro Lancaster III aeroplane, Serial No.LM440, Code marking PO-A, that took off at 23.01 hours from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, to bomb the rail facilities in Rennes, Brittany, France, in tactical support of the Normandy Landings. On return the aircraft was diverted to the emergency landing airfield at RAF Catfoss, Yorkshire and while joining the circuit at this airfield the aircraft struck a tree and crashed at 03.57 hours on 9 June 1944 at Arnold Carr, Woodhouse Lane, Arnold, Hull, Yorkshire. The pilot had been injured during the sortie, which may have been a contributory factor in the crash. Six of the seven crew members were killed including Sergeant Ward. He was buried in the War Graves Plot, Section B, Row F, Grave 10 of the Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Weatherby Road, Harrogate, HG3 1DE.

He is also commemorated on Panel 111 of The Wall of Names at The International Bomber Command Centre, Canwick Lane, Canwick, Lincoln, LN4 2HQ.

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