Flt. Sgt. Walter Henry Boon
252 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Early Days

Walter was born on 21 January 1914 and baptised on 22 February 1914 in Chobham. He was the son of Alfred Henry and Florence Mabel Boon. Alfred was a motor engineer from West End in Chobham and Florence was from London.

He had at least two brothers (Harold and Arthur) and two sisters (Irene and Dorothy).

Before The War

In 1939 Walter was a Butcher's Manager and was lodging with a Mr Russell at 14 Stanley Street in Portsmouth.

World War 2

Walter trained in Canada before serving with Coastal Command. He joined 252 Squadron RAFVR (service number 1192418) on 26 September 1943.

The squadron mostly operated anti-shipping sorties over Greece and Crete from its base in Mersa Matruh in Egypt and was equipped with two man Bristol Beaufighter Mark X heavy fighters.

A Beaufighter of 252 Squadron

On 9 February 1944 Walter was navigator of Beaufighter serial number LZ271 on a mission over the Greek island of Kalymnos, north of Kos. His pilot that day was 23 year old Flt. Sgt. Fred Squires from Middlesex. They were attacking a convoy near Patmos Island when their plane was shot down by a German Me-109 over Ikaria and crashed into the sea. LZ271 was one of three planes lost that day on the four plane mission.

Neither Fred nor Walter's body was ever recovered.

Walter is remembered on the Alamein War Memorial in Egypt (Column 279).

If you have any corrections or further information on Walter please contact me.