Flight Sergeant Charles William Cross RAFVR

Bill Cross

Charles William Cross, Flight Sergeant No.1815434 was a Navigator in 150 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He died on Tuesday 12th December 1944 aged 20.

He was the son of Frank and Bertha Cross of Coalville, late of Great Glen and the brother of Frederick George Cross who also died on war service.

Bill Cross worked as a civilian at the Police Headquarters on London Road Leicester. He lived with his parents in a cottage in the big house opposite the vicarage in Church Street where his father was the chauffeur. They later moved to Coalville. Bill joined the RAF to avenge the death of his older brother, Fred. He was determined to fly in Lancasters and undertook his training in record time.

150 Squadron

By November 1944 150 Squadron had been reformed at Fiskerton in Lincolnshire but moved to Hemswell, also in Lincolnshire, before the end of November. They were re-equipped with Lancasters and became part of 1 Group Bomber Command for the rest of the war.

Lancaster Bomber

Frank Gee – the Squadron Historian writes –‘On 12th December 1944 a mixed force of 540 aircraft set out to attack Essen. Much industrial damage was caused. 696 houses were destroyed and 1370 seriously damaged. We lost 6 Lancasters. One of these was NN743 (IQ:Z) from 150 Squadron. The crew were Flt/Lt G S Deveraux (Pilot) Sgt S H Ward (Flight Engineer) Flt/Sgt Charles William Cross (Navigator) Flt/Sgt C A P Noble (Bomb aimer) Flt/Sgt W Horlor (Wireless Operator) Sgt G E Mills (Machine/Upper/Gunner) and Sgt J R Macnamara. They took off from Hemswell at 15.57hrs. They were hit by flack and crashed in the target area after bursting into flames with their bomb load on board. All crew members were killed. Sgt Horlor has no known grave but his 6 comrades are buried in the Reichswald War Cemetery.'

Snaith Memorial

There is a memorial at Hemswell to the men of the Squadron who lost their lives. The main memorial to the squadron is in the Priory Church of St Lawrence, Snaith, Yorkshire.

Germans burying a British airman

For details of how to find Reichswald Forest War Cemetery please click on the link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Reichswald Forest War Cemetery

Accoring to Sue Perkins of Coalville, Bill's neice, on the night he died it was quite foggy in England and his mother had said 'I hope our Bill is not out tonight'. Essen was notorious for the thick industrial smog which hung over it.