LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Kenneth Eric GILSON
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 1586191 (RAFVR)
Born: Date, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station East Kirkby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster II aircraft ND560), France, 25 July 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Orleans Main Cemetery, Loiret, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Eric Bonney Gilson and Ivy Mabel Gilson, of Penshurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
On 24 July 1944, Lancaster ND560 took off from East Kirkby at 2154 hours to attack Stuttgart. The aircraft was lost over France and all seven crew members were killed.
The crew members of ND560 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Eric Gilson (1586191) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Flight Sergeant Eric George Hopkins (1399683) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Alan John Moore (1869940) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Royston Hubert Simson (176406) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Whitfield (1595057) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Charles William Woods (1797545) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Dennis William Wright (1467000) (RAFVR) (Observer)
References:
Chorley W R, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 5 Aircraft and Aircrew Losses 1944, Midland Counties Publications UK, 1997
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records