Personnel Index - Detail
Name
BARNETT
First Names
Edwin Alfred
Rank
Flying Officer
Service
RAF
Service Number
53823
Crew Position
Flight Engineer
Posting Out
Posted 1945
Cemetery
Mentioned in Dispatches.
Little is known about his service with 49Sqn, it is possible that he was posted immediately to 617Sqn.
F/O Barnett was killed serving with 617Sqn on the 21/3/45 during a raid on the Arbegen viaduct.
This crew had the very sad distinction of being the only crew killed in action flying one of the B1 Special Lancs (PD117 YZ-L). They were shot down by flak when attacking the Arbergen railway bridge near Bremen 21 Mar 1945. The crew went down in the flaming aircraft with their 'Tallboy' bomb detonating on impact.
(Details provided by John Ward, 49Sqn President)
The crew are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial
F/O G Bell was also ex-49Sqn.
Extract is from Bill Chorley's Bomber Command Losses