- Contributed by听
- Wakefield Libraries & Information Services
- People in story:听
- Mrs Bladen, Ronald Hepworth, Charles Hepworth
- Location of story:听
- Various
- Background to story:听
- Royal Air Force
- Article ID:听
- A2800405
- Contributed on:听
- 01 July 2004
This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Christine Wadsworth of Wakefield Libraries and Information Services on behalf of Mrs Bladen of Hemsworth and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
I had two brothers on active service. Ronald was a Flight Engineer on Halifax Bombers. In March 1944 he was reported as missing in action, he was 19. Later that same year in September my second brother Charles died in a prisoner of war camp in Poland as the result of an operation, aged 23. I remember the overwhelming sadness present in our house - my parents had lost two sons in six months.
I knew nothing about the circumstances of the death of Ronnie nor where he was buried until twelve years ago. I was watching a 大象传媒 programme about the recovery of a crashed World War 2 aircraft when I realised that it was my brother's plane. As a result of this programme I now know what happened to him, where he is buried and what happened to the crew who flew with him. There was one survivor, Alan Sidebottom who came from Manchester.
The death of my brothers still affects me deeply today.
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