- Name on Memorial: Bywater, A H
- Memorial Panel: Centre
- Full Name: Arthur Harold "Archie" Bywater
- Rank: Flying Officer DFC
- Service Details: 49875, 7 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
- Age at Death: 26
- Date of Death: 11/03/1943
- Place of Birth: Banbury
- Son Of: Robert and Edith Annie Bywater
- Mother's Maiden Name: Friswell
- Parents' Marriage Details: Atherstone Dec-09
- Husband Of: Hilda Winifred Martin, of West Derby, Liverpool
- Wife's Maiden Name: Martin
- Marriage Details: Banbury Jan-43
- Cemetery: MINAUCOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY
- Additional Information: Archie Bywater was born in Banbury and his family lived at Bridge House, 3 Bridge Street before moving to Manor Rd; his father had an agricultural engineering company, R Bywater & Sons, on Bridge St. Archie worked as a cinema projectionist, before joining the RAF in January 1939, nine months prior to the outbreak of war.He joined 7 Squadron at RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire, and in 1942 was one of the men selected to form the Pathfinder Unit. These were elite bomber crews who led the main strike force and then dropped flares as markers over the target. They tried to do so with pinpoint precision, even if the target was covered in cloud.Whilst at Oakington, Archie met Hilda Martin, who was also based there. They were married at St Leonard’s in Grimsbury on 30th January 1943.Archie Bywater was the regular Wireless Operator aboard Stirling 1 W7617. His aircraft took off on the evening of 11th March from RAF Oakington on a bombing raid to Stuttgart. They were intercepted by a German night fighter and their plane was shot down. None of the crew returned.The following is an extract from Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War.11-12 March 1943. 7 Sqdn Stirling 1 W7617 MG-A Op:Stuttgart. S/L M E Thwaites DFC, F/S C Stewart DFM, F/L F D J Thompson DFC & Bar, P/O L R S Luton DFC, F/O A H Bywater DFC, F/S R M Urwin, F/S A Clift DFM.Take off 19.29 Oakington. Came down at Minaucourt (Marne), 12km NE of Suippes, France. All lie in Minaucourt Communal Cemetery. F/S Stewart won a DFM and F/L Thompson gained a first Bar to his DFC for outstanding fortitude and skill during recent operations to Koln. Their skipper on that occasion was W/C T G Mahaddie DSO AFC, who was decorated with the DFC. All awards were Gazetted on 2nd March 1943, while F/S Clift's DFM was promulgated 10 days later.
Archie had been due to be presented with his DFC by King George VI at Buckingham Palace later in March 1943. His wife Hilda returned to live in Lancashire, and their son, Arthur, was born there in December of 1943.We are very grateful to him for this information. Location Banbury Cemetery
Click here for a larger image
The images below are from Minaucourt, France.
Click here for a larger imageThe three images above were kindly supplied by Arthur Bywater.
