Norman Henderson 1920 - 1942
My uncle Norman was born in 1920 and older than my father by six years. My father saw Norman for the last time just prior to admission to Barnardos - it was 1931 and Daddy was just 6 years old.
Norman as a postman in 1937
After leaving school Norman joined the Post Office as a telegraph messenger in Belfast (record here) and then joined the Royal Navy. After developing seizures Norman was diagnosed with epilepsy and had to leave the service on medical grounds. Norman returned home to Belfast where he met and married Ruth Alexander Colgan. They lived in Riga Street but had no children. Ruth moved to Australia in the 1956 and maintained contact with Norman's wife even though she had remarried to Edward Ashe in Belfast.
Norman was able to join the Royal Air Force at the start of the war in 1939. He trained to become a sergeant observer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and joined the 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron in the first week of September 1942 at their base in Downham Market – ironically, this was only 50 miles north of Sudbury where Dad was living – but one month later he was killed when his plane was shot down over Lübeck, on the German north coast.
Norman was able to join the Royal Air Force at the start of the war in 1939. He trained to become a sergeant observer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve and joined the 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron in the first week of September 1942 at their base in Downham Market – ironically, this was only 50 miles north of Sudbury where Dad was living – but one month later he was killed when his plane was shot down over Lübeck, on the German north coast.
He flew six sorties in a Short Stirling Mk. 1 with the same crew who comprised captain Maldwyn Griffiths, flight engineer Charles O'Callaghan, second observer John Jones, wireless operator Frederick Roleston and gunners T. Duffy and Cyril Jeffrey. Operation records for 218 Squadron in 1942 indicate the following sorties which Norman was on (call sign and aircraft number are given in brackets):
"6 September 1942 (HA-T/W7612) This was a gardening trip, vegetables [mines] being sown from 800 feet.
7 September 1942 (HA-T/W7612) Vegetables planted on E.T.A. on T.E. Convoy sighted on way to garden and again on return.
10 September 1942 (HA-F/BF322) Target identified by pin pointing river. Saw several S/L cones with heavy flak N.E. of target. Bomber fires. Picked up SOS for aircraft ‘E’.
23 September 1942 (HA-F/BF322) Target was located but owing to thick clouds had to abandon mission on primary. Thought to have bombed built up area in Aldenburg.
26 September 1942 (HA-J/W7612) Duty carried out.
1 October 1942 (HA-Q/N3762) Nothing was heard of this aircraft after take-off."
This last entry was Norman's fateful sortie. After leaving Downham Market at 19.30hrs in fair weather, with eight other aircraft. The crew’s target was the submarine yard at Herrenwyk, Lübeck. All crew members were killed when the plane was hit by flak and crashed in a field in Hubertus near Hamburg (operations record books here 1 2 3).
Norman is buried in Hamburg cemetery and commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He was mentioned in 1943 Flight magazines as missing and later killed in action.
"6 September 1942 (HA-T/W7612) This was a gardening trip, vegetables [mines] being sown from 800 feet.
7 September 1942 (HA-T/W7612) Vegetables planted on E.T.A. on T.E. Convoy sighted on way to garden and again on return.
10 September 1942 (HA-F/BF322) Target identified by pin pointing river. Saw several S/L cones with heavy flak N.E. of target. Bomber fires. Picked up SOS for aircraft ‘E’.
23 September 1942 (HA-F/BF322) Target was located but owing to thick clouds had to abandon mission on primary. Thought to have bombed built up area in Aldenburg.
26 September 1942 (HA-J/W7612) Duty carried out.
1 October 1942 (HA-Q/N3762) Nothing was heard of this aircraft after take-off."
This last entry was Norman's fateful sortie. After leaving Downham Market at 19.30hrs in fair weather, with eight other aircraft. The crew’s target was the submarine yard at Herrenwyk, Lübeck. All crew members were killed when the plane was hit by flak and crashed in a field in Hubertus near Hamburg (operations record books here 1 2 3).
Norman is buried in Hamburg cemetery and commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. He was mentioned in 1943 Flight magazines as missing and later killed in action.