Yeates, Gordon Richardson
Killed in Action 1941-11-05
Birth Date: 1920
Born:
Home: Toronto, Ontario
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
608 (BR) Sqn- Squadron
Base
Rank
Flight Sergeant
Position
Flight Sergeant
Service Numbers
R/69759
Home
Toronto, Ontario
First Burial
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, Uk
Gordon Richardson Yeates grew up in East York, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, coming of age in the Depression.
He was raised by his mother at two addresses found on the records "“ 249 Donlands Avenue, and 37 Westwood Avenue, both in the same neighbourhood. After graduating from East York Collegiate, he went to work.
The war breaks out in September of 1939 and Yeates is among the first in line, going through the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, happily avoiding being chosen as an instructor, and heading out to Europe bearing the pilot wings of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Rather than a place in the early, mostly inaccurate missions over the Ruhr with inadequate equipment and undeveloped science, Gordon joined Coastal Command, landing with No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron, an Auxiliary Air Force unit dating back to 1930 that is hampered by inadequate equipment and undeveloped science.
Its official job was reconnaissance, but it also attacked convoys, jumped passing destroyers and E-boats, and generally kept an eye on the German shipping lanes.
Source: Malcolm Kelly is the author of SPROG: A Novel of Bomber Command, available at shops and online.
Canadian Virtual War MemorialHudson Mk. V AM642
Reconnaissance Terschilling Gat Netherlands (Mussels) 1941-November-05 to 1941-November-05
(BR) Sqn (RAF) Thornaby
On the night of Nov. 5-6, 1941, Yeates took Lockheed Hudson V (AM 642 "“ R Robert) into the air from RAF Thornaby, in North Yorkshire, and headed for a general North Sea line between Terschelling (Frisian Islands) and the Heligoland Bight. The idea was to patrol and attack anything found.
The strike was led by Wing Commander Rupert Derbyshire, who had eight Hudsons on the operation. It turned out to be a busy, costly evening.
O Orange flew right by a Luftwaffe Me 110, and probably a JU 88, without being seen, then attacked a convoy and likely overshot with its bombs. G George found the same convoy, hit something and caused a fire, without definite results. L Lion surprised a flak ship (which must have scared hell out of the crew as well), dropped its bombs, and came home with a six-inch hole in the starboard wing.
H Harry dropped on a merchant vessel of some description, "starting a fire."
Nothing was ever heard again from the wing commander and his crew, or Gordon Yeates and his (Sgt. J. Sansome, Sgt. Francis J. Hazlett, Sgt, Eric Elkington). They disappeared into the North Sea and are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, north west of London.
Source: Malcolm Kelly is the author of SPROG: A Novel of Bomber Command, available at shops and online.
Hudson AM642
Lockheed Hudson A-28 A-29 AT-18
Source National Air Force Museum of Canada.
The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons.National Air Force Museum of Canada.
Hudson
Wikipedia Hudson 
Harold A Skaarup Web Page 
Hudon - Kestrel PublicationsHudson AM642 Mk. V - Reconnaissance Terschilling Gat Netherlands (Mussels) - 1941-11-05 to 1941-11-05
6 Group Unavailable
On the night of Nov. 5-6, 1941, Yeates took Lockheed Hudson V (AM 642 "“ R Robert) into the air from RAF Thornaby, in North Yorkshire, and headed for a general North Sea line between Terschelling (Frisian Islands) and the Heligoland Bight. The idea was to patrol and attack anything found.
The strike was led by Wing Commander Rupert Derbyshire, who had eight Hudsons on the operation. It turned out to be a busy, costly evening.
O Orange flew right by a Luftwaffe Me 110, and probably a JU 88, without being seen, then attacked a convoy and likely overshot with its bombs. G George found the same convoy, hit something and caused a fire, without definite results. L Lion surprised a flak ship (which must have scared hell out of the crew as well), dropped its bombs, and came home with a six-inch hole in the starboard wing.
H Harry dropped on a merchant vessel of some description, "starting a fire."
Nothing was ever heard again from the wing commander and his crew, or Gordon Yeates and his (Sgt. J. Sansome, Sgt. Francis J. Hazlett, Sgt, Eric Elkington). They disappeared into the North Sea and are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, north west of London.
Source: Malcolm Kelly is the author of SPROG: A Novel of Bomber Command, available at shops and online.