Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum logo

Parke, William Kelvin (Flight Lieutenant)

Killed in Action 1944-December-28

Birth Date: 1917-December-08 (age 27)

Born: Montreal, Montreal Region, Quebec, Canada

Son of William Scott Parke and Dorothy Grace Parke

Husband of Doris Isobel Parke

Home: St Lambert, Quebec

Enlistment: Montreal, Quebec

Enlistment Date: 1941-08-01

Service
RCAF
Unit
101 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Mens Agitat Molem Mind over matter
Base
RAF Ludford Magna
Rank
Flight Lieutenant
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Pilot
Service Numbers
J/12043
Prev: R/117780

Lancaster Mk.I/III PB634

Bombing Bonn Germany 1944-December-28 to 1944-December-28

101 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Ludford Magna

101 Squadron (Mons Agitat Molem), RAF Ludford Magna. ABC equipped Lancaster III aircraft PB 634 SR-U and its bomb load blew up in mid-air over Lengsdorf, Germany during a night raid against targets in Bonn, Germany, with the loss of the entire crew

The Lancaster was probably shot down by Fw Richard Richter 8NJG 2 and crashed close to the target area near Lengsdorf, 2 km SW of Bonn, Germany

Pilot Officer CM Buell (RCAF), Pilot Officer JB McGregor (RCAF), Pilot Officer BV Cobbett (RCAF), Pilot Officer CR Bradley (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant WK Parke (RCAF), Sergeant WG Classen (RAFVR), Flying Officer K Gibbs DFC (RAFVR) and Sergeant D King (RAFVR) were all killed in action

Sergeant King was the Special Duties Operator for the ABC equipment. Airborne Cigar (ABC) was a transmitter aboard aircraft developed by A&AEE (Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment), which jammed German fighter control frequencies, making it more difficult to vector night fighters to the area where the bombers were flying

General Aviation Safety Network

General [Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...

General Lancaster III PB634 SR-U 101 Sqn.

General "Belgians Remember Them": RAF aircraft's crash sites: Province of ...

General Lancaster crash near Bonn-Lengsdorf 1944 - Schatzsucher.de

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Commonwealth War Graves Commission International Bomber Command Centre

Find-A-Grave.com Finadagrave.com

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Flight Lieutenant William Kelvin Parke was exhumed and reburied.

Home
Google MapSt Lambert, Quebec
Target
Google MapBonn Germany
First Burial
Google MapHenri Chappelle American Cemetery, Belgium
Re-Burial
Google MapWar Cemetery
VIII B 3

Lancaster PB634

Avro Lancaster

Avro Lancaster Mk. X RCAF Serial FM 213
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.

The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia

YouTube Lancaster Bomber

Wkikpedia Wikipedia

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

last update: 2021-09-18 14:32:33

Lancaster Mk.I/III PB634

SRRAF RoundelU
To No. 101 Sqn (SR-U) from No. 32 MU Oct 1944. Equipped with ABC radio jamming equipment. Missing on operation to Bonn 28/29 Dec 1944.

101 (B) Sqn Mens Agitat Molem ()

No. 101 Squadron RAF was originally formed within the RFC as a bomber unit in July 1917. It was disbanded in December 1919, then re-formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk, in 1928, being the only operational squadron to fly the Boulton Paul Sidestrand and Overstrand aircraft. These were the first RAF bombers to have enclosed and power-operated turrets. When WWII broke out, the squadron was based at West Raynham, Norfolk, having now equipped with Bristol Blenheim aircraft. It was a reserve squadron until its first operation against Germany in July, 1940, and it later spent the greater part of its attacks on the barges in the channel and North Sea ports, which had been gathered for operation SEALION, the projected German invasion of Britain. In April 1941, a flight of the squadron's Blenheims was detached to Manston in Fighter Command's No. 11 Group, and from there it attacked enemy shipping during daylight, in an operation known as Channel Stop. In June, 1940 the squadron moved to Oakington, Cambridgeshire, where it remained until February 1942, when it moved to Bourne, Cambridgeshire.

During May and June 1941, the squadron converted to Vickers Wellingtons and flew with Bomber Command. It participated in all three 1000-bomber raids to Cologne, Essen and Bremen in 1942. In August 1942 the squadron moved to Stradishall, Suffolk, and in September to Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire. Later in the year the squadron converted to Avro Lancaster aircraft, and continued the Bomber Command assault on Germany and Italy. In June 1943 the squadron moved again, to Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire. It participated in the raid on the rocket development centre at Peenemunde, and was fortunate enough to evade the enemy night fighters on that occasion.

In late 1943 the squadron was given a new function within Bomber Command, that of Radio Counter Measures, to attempt to cut the radio communications between the German night fighter controllers and the fighter pilots. Each aircraft was equipped with the radio device known as A.B.C. or Airborne Cigar. A special German-speaking radio operator in the aircraft used the ABC equipment to scan the appropriate frequencies, and when the German signals were detected, jamming was started by transmitting a warbling note. The Lancaster aircraft carrying ABC were easily distinguished because they carried three large aerials, two dorsally and one under the nose. In addition to the ABC equipment, the Lancasters carried a full bomb load. Unfortunately, because they transmitted strong signals, it was possible for night fighters to seek them out, and squadron losses were relatively high as a consequence; only three other Lancaster squadrons had higher losses. On the night of 5/6 June 1944, the squadron put up 21 ABC Lancasters to jam enemy wireless communications to prevent night fighters from being directed to the airborne invasion forces.

After its last operational mission, to Berchtesgaden in late April 1945, the squadron participated in operation MANNA, dropping food to help the staving populace of the Netherlands. It also was part of operation DODGE, bringing back British troops from Italy. The squadron moved to Binbrook, Lincolnshire in October 1945. It was successively equipped with Avro Lincoln, English Electric Canberra and Avro Vulcan aircraft.

© Canadian Warplane Heritage 2024

To search on any page:
PC — Ctrl-F
Mac — ⌘-F
Mobile — or …