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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: geno500 on Tuesday 01 March 16 14:58 GMT (UK)

Title: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: geno500 on Tuesday 01 March 16 14:58 GMT (UK)

Hi all
       I thought my search for a distant relative who died in WW2 would be fairly easy,but I should have known it would not be,I would have thought given this squadron was the most famous that it would have been researched to death,but here I am asking for help,Frederick P Coaker born 1913 RAF Volunteer Reserve 79 Squadron number 1383996 DIED 2/9/1942 Buried Lemvig Cemetery Denmark grave 728, he was a air gunner ,now he would have been flying Lancasters because they had them from early 1942 and he would have flown from Woodall Spa airfield,all this I have gleaned from the net,but no mention of what aircraft was lost, what mission it was on,I even used the Lemvig Cemetery records to find his fellow crew mates,  there were 38 RAF men buried in it around the time he was buried and you know what he is the only one from 79 squadron,so what did happen,can anybody help,or point me the way

Title: Re: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: Rudolf H B on Tuesday 01 March 16 15:35 GMT (UK)

The most famous Dambusters = 617 squad

Coaker had been 97 Sqd The Pathfinders

Lancaster type I R5741 / DF-K
from Woodhall Spa, a raid to Saarbrücken,
crashed in North Sea

Regards

Title: Re: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: geno500 on Tuesday 01 March 16 16:22 GMT (UK)

Thanks a lot it has been a long day.

Title: Re: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: barryd on Tuesday 01 March 16 16:39 GMT (UK)

Details of Sgt. Coaker' death.

http://www.airmen.dk/p104.htm

Title: Re: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: Rudolf H B on Tuesday 01 March 16 17:01 GMT (UK)

Too young to die, the crew of R5741:

WALLS, RAYMOND BEN, 22, Flight Sergeant, RCAF  - RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
MORGAN, RHYS HALLAM, 20, Flight Sergeant, RCAF  - ESBJERG (FOURFELT) CEMETERY
BYROM, ALBERT, 21, Sergeant - RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
COAKER, FREDERIC PETER, 29, Sergeant - LEMVIG CEMETERY
JONES, LESLIE GEORGE, 20, Sergeant - RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
McNEIL, ALAN, 22, Sergeant - RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
PRIEST, ALFRED FREDERICK, 23, Sergeant - RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

The bird: Lancaster I, R5741 / DF-K

Photo (click to enlarge): http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/8058-only-post-lancaster-pictures-here/?p=89209 (http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/8058-only-post-lancaster-pictures-here/?p=89209) (right photo)


Research done by Rudolf H. Boettcher

Title: Re: Help needed with 79 squadron the most famous Dambusters
Post by: geno500 on Tuesday 01 March 16 18:25 GMT (UK)

Thank you both for your help it is amazing but history repeats itself,Federick Peter Coaker died in 1942 his son was born in 1940 and of course never knew his father,and Frederick never knew his father who was killed when he was 3 in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.