Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 269

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name KENNETH GEORGE JOHN WAKEFIELD (Sq Ld)

Lef SES 1932

Arrive SES 1929

Roll Number 2515 Died 08:08:1944

Set / House B

Where OVER LE COUR DE BREEL, NORWAY Serving with 69 SQD, BOMBER CMD, R.AF.V.R.

Age 29

Buried Breel Churchyard, Normandy, France Remembered

Runnymede Memorial, St. Mary’s Magdalene Memorial, Great Alne, Warwicks, St. Mary The Virgin Memorial, Kinwarton, Warwicks, and NOT onThe St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial THIS NEEDS CORRECTING * Born Ireland 1915. Joined the R.A.F.V.R. as a Trainee Flying Officer in 1939 in the General Duties Branch. Qualified for his Wings 1940. Joined 69 Squadron, Bomber Command, in 1942, flying Wellingtons. A married man. He was shot down and killed over Cour de Breel in Normandy in August 1944, operating with 34 Wing of the Tactical Air Force in support of the British and Canadian armies in Normandy after D-Day. Wakefield’s mission that day had been one of photo-reconnaissance. Of the four-man crew, two managed to escape by parachute, one dying in an orchard on landing, the other escaped. Wakefield and the remaining crewman died and were buried in Breel Churchyard. The Official Report read: - ‘Shot down by flak over Conde during a night recce sortie, baled out but died’.