Paul Thomas Richard Mercer
Memorial: Alveston - St Helen's Church
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Flying Officer
Parents: Kathleen Amy and Thomas Mercer
Marital status: Married
Home address: Rosemead, Gloucester Road, Alveston
Date of birth: 1922
Date of death: 24/10/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Commemorated at Runnymede Memorial Surrey, on family Memorial St Helen's Church Alveston and Alveston Memorial
Age: 21
Further information:
Paul attended Thornbury Grammar School where he was made prefect in 1938 and awarded his colours for sports in 1939. He gained his School Certificate in 1939 then joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve and went to the USA for training as a pilot. In October of 1943 in the same month in which he was killed, George married Winifred.
Paul was stationed at RAF Warmwell in Dorset and on the day of his death he was flying a single seater Whirlwind I P6979 as part of operation Roadstead. This was the codename for offensive air sweeps by day, using low-level and dive-bombing attacks in order to avoid radar, against German shipping making the passage along the coasts of German-occupied northern Europe – an extremely risky operation. Paul’s aircraft was hit by flak and he went down over the English Channel off the coast of France.
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/
http://www.thornburyroots.co.uk/war/forcesww2/
https://codenames.info/operation/roadstead/
https://backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/westland-whirlwind-/108788-4154252.html