Gerald Stanley Miles
Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Medals: 1939–45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Pilot Officer Air Gunner
Parents: Stanley Horace and Gladys Miles, stepmother Thurza Winifred Miles
Home address: Easton Hill, Crossways, Thornbury, Bristol
Date of birth: 01/01/1923
Date of death: 16/09/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany and commemorated Thornbury St Mary’s Memorial
Age: 20
Further information:
Gerald was stationed at RAF Conningsby, Lincolnshire from August 1943 and on the eve of his death he and the other 7 members of his crew took off in Lancaster bomber JA874 for a night bombing raid of the Ladbergen- Dortmund Ems canal - a resumption of the previous day's abortive operation. The aircraft was shot down by flak West of the target area and crashed near Bramsche at 4 minutes past midnight, killing all on board. Gerald was previously buried in Achmer Germany and later reburied in the Reichswald military cemetery. His gravestone inscription reads “in proud, loving memory of dearest Gerald. Always in our thoughts. Mum, Dad and Torry”.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/miles-gs/