Arthur William Bannier

Killed in Action 1944-December-22

Male Head

Birth Date: 1921

Born:

Parents: John Edward and May Bannier

Spouse:

Home: Hammersmith, London, England

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RAF

Unit

22 HGCU- Heavy Glider Conversion Unit (RAF)

Base

RAF Peplow

Rank

Warrant Officer

Position

Navigator

Service Numbers

1388931

Home

Hammersmith, London, England

North Sheen Cemetery, London, England Albemarle Mk V V1823 Aircraft stalled after casting off towed glider after the glider had pulled it out of position, and crashed at Bratton, Wiltshire, England.

Albemarle serial: V1823

This is photograph CH 012048 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-16) (Source Wikipedia)

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Author Bellamy W (F/O) Royal Air Force official photographer
Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle ST Mark I series 2, P1475, of No. 511 Squadron RAF based at Lyneham, Wiltshire, in flight. One of six Mark I aircraft modified to "Lyneham Standard" transport configuration and used by 'C' Flight of the Squadron on the UK-Gibraltar-Algiers route.

The Armstrong Whitworth AW 41 Albemarle was a twin-engine transport aircraft developed by the British aircraft manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth and primarily produced by A.W. Hawksley Ltd, a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was one of many aircraft which entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

The Albemarle had been originally designed as a medium bomber to fulfil Specification B.9/38; however, military planners decided to deemphasis the bomber role in favour of aerial reconnaissance and transport missions, leading to the aircraft being extensively redesigned mid-development. Performing its maiden flight on 20 March 1940, its entry to service was delayed by the redesign effort, thus the first RAF squadron to operate the Albemarle, No. 295 at RAF Harwell, did not receive the type in quantity until January 1943. As a consequence of superior bombers, such as the Vickers Wellington, having arrived in quantity, all plans for using the Albemarle as a bomber were abandoned.

Instead, the Albemarle was used by RAF squadrons primarily for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider towing, in addition to other secondary duties. Albemarle squadrons participated in Normandy and the assault on Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. While the Albemarle remained in service throughout the conflict, the final examples in RAF service were withdrawn less than a year after the war's end. During October 1942, the Soviet Air Force also opted to order 200 aircraft; of these, only a handful of Albemarles were delivered to the Soviets prior to the Soviet government deciding to suspend deliveries in May 1943, and later cancelling the order in favour of procuring the American Douglas C-47 Skytrain instead. Wikipedia

Wikipedia Albermarle Transport