Mervyn Albert Thomas Burns
Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church
Regiment: Royal Air Force
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Flight Sergeant Pilot
Parents: William and Ella Lilian Burns
Marital status: Married
Home address: Horseshoe Lane, Thornbury, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Butcher’s Assistant
Date of birth: 25/07/1915
Date of death: 11/08/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Thornbury and commemorated St Mary’s Church
Age: 27
Further information:
Mervyn’s father was killed during WW1 whilst serving as a stretcher-bearer on the Somme and Mervyn was exactly 12 months old at the time. He was the youngest of 3 brothers and was aged 8 when his mother got married for a second time, this time to Nelson Higgins a coalman. Mervyn and his eldest brother Francis both attended Thornbury Grammar School.
Mervyn worked for a brief period as a policeman then at Trayhurns the Thornbury butchers. He was also a member of the Home Guard and the Secretary of Thornbury A. F. C. Mervyn married Isobel Rose Jones in 1942 and they lived in Thornbury.
Mervyn joined the RAF in 1940 and was trained in Canada. On 11th August 1942 Mervyn and 2 others took off from RAF Thornaby, North Yorkshire in Hudson Bomber T9355 for a night flying exercise. The aircraft crash landed just after take-off near the perimeter of the airfield and all 3 crew members were killed. Mervyn’s brother Francis had also served in the RAF and was Killed in Action 6 months before Mervyn.
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.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
Thornbury Roots - http://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/families/burns-higgins/
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york42/t9355.html