Flight Sergeant Bradford Dockerty

640 Squadron RAFVR

Early Life

Bradford Dockerty was born in 1923 in Abingdon in Oxfordshire. He was the son of Mr and Mrs A. H. Dockerty later of Send, Surrey.

Brdaford left the county school in 1933 while in the second year.

Before the war Bradford was an active member of Send Air Training Corps. Just months before his death he married Felicity Chamberlain.

Military Career

Bradford served with 640 squadron, a heavy bomber unit operating Mk III Handley-Page Halifax bombers from RAF Leconfield based near Beverley in Yorkshire.

He was an air gunner aboard Halifax MZ492 when it took to the air at 2036 on 2 February 1945 heading for an attack on the synthetic oil refinery at Wanne-Eickel in Germany. It was the plane's first operational sortie.

Twelve minutes into the flight the plane lost power and was seen to bank steeply and crash into Lakes Wood near Lockington. Only the rear gunner survived out of the seven crew members. It is probable the manoeuvre was to avoid the church steeple at Scorborough.

Bradford was 21 and is buried at Abingdon New Cemetery.

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