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Wreaths are pictured being laid, during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Photo: Wikemedia Commons
Remembrance Day Memories
by Carol Powell (née Symmons)
In Memory of William Egbert Trevor Bladen
Flying Officer136388 who died on Thursday, 2nd March 1944. Aged 22
My abiding memories of the Remembrance Sundays of my childhood are of watching my Mum, Elaine, standing in the kitchen preparing the vegetables for lunch, while listening to the Remembrance Service from the Cenotaph on the wireless. I remember there was no sound of weeping, just silent tears falling onto the vegetables.
As I grew older I learned more of her grief, the death of her favourite cousin, Flying Officer Trevor Bladen, aged 22, in 1944. Many years later, my father, Harold Symmons, told me of that time. 'In the summer of 1943, when you were only a few months old, we spent a weekend with Trevor, as both of us were home on leave from the RAF at the same time.
We marked the occasion by taking photographs in Cwmdonkin Park, Swansea.
continued . . .
Cousins, Trevor Bladen and Elaine Symmons
W. E. Trevor Bladen at Cwmdonkin, summer 1943.
Elaine Symmons
Trevor and Harold were great friends.
Dad continued, 'This was the last time we were all to see each other, as this was destined to be Trevor's final leave. He was killed when the plane, on which he was the Wireless operator/Air gunner, was shot down over Germany' on Thursday, 2nd March 1944'.
In Loving Memory
Carol Powell (née Symmons) and Family
Flying Officer (Wireless Op./Air Gunner)
BLADEN, WILLIAM EGBERT TREVOR
Service Number 136388
630 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 02/03/1944 Aged 22
Son of William Archibald and Mary Elizabeth Bladen, of Swansea.
DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY
Location Information Near to Gmund am Tegernsee Germany
South of MUNICH
Cemetery/memorial reference: Joint grave 8. A. 6-7.
INSCRIPTION
TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE
The grave at Durnbach Cemetery, near Munich, Germany.
He was very dear to our family, but just one of the 55,000 airmen
from RAF Bomber Command, who were killed in World War Two.
136388 Flying Officer (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
William Egbert Trevor Bladen
who along with the rest of his crew were reported killed in action
when their Lancaster III serial ND561 code LE-R from 630 Squadron took
off from RAF East Kirby at 2329 on the evening of 01/03/1944 on Ops to
Stuttgart.
The other members of the crew were as follows
147781 Flying Officer (Pilot) Peter John Piggin
1141403 Flight Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Robert Edward Pearson
155924 Flying Officer (Nav.) Rayner Francis Jowett
160589 Pilot Officer (Air Bomber) Percy Wilfred Green
988891 Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Peter Sigston White ( His brother 941955
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Jack White from 35 Squadron was also reported
killed in action on 22/06/1943)
144459 Flying Officer (Air Gnr.) William Leopold Carver Kirkpatrick
A memorial site for those who served in the RAF
http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/ supplied the above information.
Lancaster III serial ND561 code LE - from 630 Squadron
630 Squadron RAF
His citation reads:-
In Memory of
WILLIAM EGBERT TREVOR BLADEN
Flying Officer 136388
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
630 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserv
who died on
Thursday, 2nd March 1944. Age 22.
Son of William Archibald and Mary Elizabeth Bladen,
of Richardson Street, Swansea
He is buried at DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY, Bayern, Germany
In joint grave 8. A. 6-7.
In the perpetual care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The RAF unit in which Trevor served was No. 630 Squadron
Motto: "Nocturna mors" ("Death by night").
No. 630 Squadron was formed on 15th November 1943,
at East Kirkby, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire, and remained based there throughout its existence. Equipped with Lancasters, it formed part of No. 5 Group and between 18/19th November 1943 and 25th April 1945, took part in many major raids, including each of the 16 big raids made by Bomber Command on the German capital during what became known as the "Battle of Berlin".
First WWII operation :- 18/19th November 1943 : 9 Lancasters bombed Berlin.
Last WWII operation : 25/26th April 1945 : 4 Lancasters laid mines in Onions area (Oslo fjord off Horten).
Following April 1945 the squadron became involved in ferrying POWs back to Britain, finally disbanding on 15 July 1945.
Although only in existence for 22 months, 630 squadron had earned its place in RAF History. They flew a total of 2,453 sorties, dropped a total of 10,347 tons of bombs and laid approx: 800 sea mines in enemy waters.
In 1944, the first (and only) full operational year for the squadron, but it left it's mark! The squadron took part in 142 operations involving a total of 1773 aircraft (a cumulative total of 12,411 aircrew). In all 43 aircraft were lost in this year.
Seventy members of the squadron won gallantry awards, but at a cost... 59 Lancasters had been lost in action (another 11 had crashed).
Harold and Elaine Symmons, with baby Carol, around six weeks old, at Cwmdonkin Park, Swansea, Summer 1943.
Elaine and Harold Symmons, in uniform, 1942.
Elaine is wearing her RAF brooch and engagement ring.
Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. Photo: Wikemedia Commons
Elaine Symmons, with her RAF broach.
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