Ealden, F.W.
Frederick William Ealden, 1397129, was the elder son of Mr William and Mrs Selena Ealden, from 10 Widred Road, Dover. He became an Air Gunner Sergeant in No 90 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

He married Jean Marion Hibbert at River Church on 19th October 1942. She was the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs T Hibbert, from 6 Bushy Ruff, Kearsney, near Dover.

They had been married less than a year when Frederick was reported missing from air operations. At 23.29 hours on the night of 25th June 1943, Short Stirling EH900 WP-Y had taken off from West Wickham in Cambridgeshire to attack oil targets at Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr. During the early hours of 26th June 1943, Stirling EH900 crashed at Legden, about 6 miles southeast of Ahaus in Germany.

All of the crew were killed and subsequently buried at Legden. After the war their remains were exhumed and re-buried at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany. Frederick is buried with two of his crewmates in collective grave 23 E 6-8.

473 RAF bombers took part in the raid, and 30 were lost, including EH900. The raid was not deemed a success as the target had been obscured by cloud.

The crew of EH900 that night were:

Flight Lieutenant Frederick Charles McKENZIE - RAAF	Captain (Pilot)	aged 27	grave 23 E 18
Sergeant Ernest WILSON	Flight Engineer	aged 30	grave 23 E 10
Flying Officer Alec Victor Ibbetson COOK	Navigator	aged 20	grave 23 E 5
Sergeant William Edward WALTER	Bomb Aimer	aged 22	grave 23 E 6-8
Sergeant Colin Desmond Harry CAMPBELL	Wireless Operator/Air Gunner	aged 21	grave 23 E 6-8
Sergeant Frederick William EALDEN	Air Gunner	aged 21	grave 23 E 6-8
Sergeant John Charles DAVIDSON	Air Gunner	aged 22	grave 23 E 9

Notes:
Flt/Lt McKenzie was the son of Nathaniel and Hilda Muriel McKenzie, of Three Springs, Western Australia.
Sgt Walter was the son of Edward George and Caroline Emma Walter, of Bexleyheath, Kent.
F/O Cook was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Victor Cook, of New Malden, Surrey.

Ealden, W. J. S.
Walter James Sidney Ealden, 6286257. He was a Lance Serjeant in the 44th, Reconnaissance Corps (7th Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. He died, aged 25, on 14th September 1943 and is buried at the Salerno War Cemetery, grave reference II D 10. 

He was the son of William and Helen Ealden; husband of Madge Grace Ealden, of Cranbrook, Kent, and had three brothers and three sisters. The family lived at Percival Terrace in Dover, which is atop one of the steepest hills, and Walter once drove his tank up to visit them all.

After Walter died Major Norman Edelshain wrote to Mrs Ealden, saying, "As your husband's senior commander I knew him well and liked him greatly. His men were very fond of him and he was setting them a fine example of courage and tenacity in a very tight corner when he was killed, and we are all very proud to have served with him."

His troop commander wrote, "He was always a good and cheerful fellow and inspired his men with his courage and lack of fear on many occasions. I feel it is a personal loss to have lost him." 
(We Remember 06)

with thanks to Mrs Vera Wright

Gibbens, J. D.
James Douglas Gibbens, 872949. Born at Peter Street, Dover, he was the son of William and Tryphena Gibbens.

He became a Gunner in the Royal Artillery, 157 Field Regiment, and was 23 when he was killed by enemy air action on 1st July 1941. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.  (We Remember 06)

His sister could never hear the song "The White Cliffs of Dover" without breaking down. The song contains the words:

"And Jimmy will go to sleep
In his own little room again"

Of course, Jimmy never did. Nor was his body was never found. . 

The medals are the 1939-45 star, the defence medal and the 1939-45 war medal. The set was made up by James' nephew.                                                
with thanks to Mr D Atkins

Gillman, E. E.
Ernest Edward Gillman. He was a Fireman in the Merchant Navy, aboard the SS Maid of Orleans (London). He died on 26th June 1944, aged 41, and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, Panel 66. He was the husband of Beatrice Mary Gillman, of Harwich, Essex, and was born in Dover.

Gillman, K. R.
Keith R. Gillman, 42053. Born in Dover on 16th December 1920, he was an Old Boy of the County (now Grammar) School, attending from 1933 to 1938. In March 1939 he joined the RAF on a Short Service Commission and began his flying training at 22E and RFTS Cambridge. On 20th June he was posted to 15 FTS Lossiemouth. He earned his "wings" on 6th October, and by November had attained the rank of Pilot Officer.

He converted to Hurricanes and on 21st December 1939 went to the No 11 Group Pool at St Athan in South Wales, and in November was made a reserve pilot for service in France. On 1st January 1940 he was however sent to RAF Manby in Lincolnshire, to attend an armament course. After completion, he was posted on 10th May 1940 to No 32 Squadron, Biggin Hill.

He flew his first operational sortie on 7th June 1940, when he took part in an escort of Bristol Blenheim bombers for an attack across the English Channel on the enemy aerodrome at Abbeville.

On 4th July Pilot Officer Gillman paid a surprise visit to his parents, Richard and Gladys Gillman. The tale published in a local newspaper on 14th November 1980, was that he landed his Spitfire in Lewisham Road, River. However, Pilot Officer Gillman flew Hawker Hurricanes, not Spitfires, and the factual account is that during an evening  patrol off Dungeness on 4th July 1940 his Hawker Hurricane N2724 was damaged when his squadron encountered Messerschmitt Me 109s. Pilot Officer Gillman force-landed at 19.00, some half an hour after take off, at RAF Hawkinge. It was then by road that he went to visit his parents in River, Dover.

A fortnight later, on 19th July, PO Gillman claimed a Messerschmitt Me109 destroyed. On 24th August he attacked an Me109 over Folkestone; this blew up and fell into the sea. The next day, 25th August 1940, again at 18.30, he took off in Hawker Hurricane P2755, and at 18.50 he was seen some six miles off the Dover coast. He failed to return from this combat over the English Channel, and was reported as "missing".  He was 19 years old.

Pilot Officer Gillman is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 8, and on the River Memorial. His picture appeared on the front cover of Picture Post (above) a week after his death.  Later his parents presented a cup to the Dover Lifeguards, named the Keith Gillman cup, to be given as an annual award.

with thanks to Mijail Navarro
with thanks to Dean Sumner of the Shoreham Aircraft Museum, contacted through the Battle of Britain Historical Society forum, for information on PO Gillman's visit to his parents and his RAF service.
with thanks to Graham Booker, Hawker Hurricane Society, for extra information
Picture Post image from the collection of Joyce Banks
image above: part of the Battle of Britain memorial, at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent

a caption from beneath one use of the Picture Post portrait reads, "R.A.F. Will Decided our Fate. This smiling young airman and his fellow pilots, whose superiority over the enemy in proportion to their numbers has become significant in the recent campaign. Wherever they have appeared they have easily driven of the enemy dive bombers" From the book, Battle of Britain, by Len Deighton  

picture: Trevor Goldfinch, son
with thanks to Mrs Jacky Hartley

Grey, R.
Reginald Grey, 2059828, Sapper with 579 Field Company,  Royal Engineers. He died on 10 October 1944, aged 22. He was the husband of Emily Grey, of Buckland, Dover, and the son of Reginald and Winifred Grey, of Dover. He is buried at the Phaleron War Cemetery in Greece, grave reference 18 F 1

Hammond, A. E. J.
Arthur Edward James Hammond, 6288453. Private in the 4th Batalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). He died on 18 November 1943, aged 23. He was the son of Emily Hammond, of Dover. His grave is in the Leros War Cemetery, grave reference 1B3

Leighton, V. W. P.
Victor William Leighton, 13001292, was a Private in the Pioneer Corps, 53 company, Aux Mil. He was killed on 17th June 1940 by enemy action at sea while on SS Lancastria, when he was 36. He is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial.

He was the "dearly loved" husband of Beatrice Emma Leighton, daughter of William Rigden, of 35 York Street, Dover. They had married at St James on 26th March 1932, from 9 Liverpool Street. Then Private Leighton had been a miner, son of Stephen Leighton, a retired colliery manager. They had two children - Margaret Rose, baptised on 12 November 1933, when they were living at 7 Liverpool Street, and William John, baptised 28 July 1938, when they were living at 34a St James Street.

"Always remembered by his wife and children".

www.lelancastria.com (in French)
register details with thanks to Joyce Banks