Gordon Richardson Yeates Rank: Flight Sergeant Status: Killed in Action 1941-11-05

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Yeates, Gordon Richardson (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1941-November-05

Birth Date: 1920 (age 21)

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF

Unit
608 (BR) Sqn- Squadron

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Marshal
Air Chief Marshal	A/C/M
Air Marshal	A/M
Air Vice Marshal	A/V/M
Air Commodore	A/C
Group Captain	G/C
Wing Commander	W/C
Squadron Leader	S/L
Flight Lieutenant	F/L
Flying Officer	F/O
Pilot Officer	P/O
Warrant Officer 1st Class	WO1
Warrant Officer 2nd Class	WO2
Flight Sergeant	FS
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Senior Aircraftman	SAC
Leading Aircraftman	LAC
Aircraftman 1st Class	AC1
Aircraftman 2nd Class	AC2

Position
Pilot

Service Numbers
R/69759

Hudson Mk. V AM642

Reconnaissance Terschilling Gat Netherlands (Mussels) 1941-November-05 to 1941-November-05

On the night of Nov. 5-6, 1941, Yeates took Lockheed Hudson V (AM 642 â€“ 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, â€œstarting a fire.â€

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.

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 â€“ 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.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Flight Sergeant Gordon Richardson Yeates has no known grave.

Home

Toronto, Ontario

Target
Google Map

Terschilling Gat Netherlands (Mussels)

Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK
Panel 60

Crew on Hudson Mk. V AM642

Male Head

Elkington, Eric William (RAFVR)

Killed in Action
Age: 22

Flight Sergeant Hazlett, Francis James (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
Age: 21
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK - Panel 60

Male Head

Sansome, Joseph (RAFVR)

Killed in Action
Age: 20

Flight Sergeant Yeates, Gordon Richardson (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
Age: 21
Runnymede Memorial Surrey, UK - Panel 60

Lockheed Hudson A-28 A-29 AT-18

Lockheed Hudson
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.

YouTube Hudson